Category: work-around

Just to clarify, so there is no misunderstanding . . .

Armies are in forward positions.
Scenarios were run through computer simulations (AI to use more trendy expression).
Alliances were decided and consolidated.
Legislation was put through legal process.
Politicians who will run things were selected.

Everything is ready.

Now it is a matter of using an event or creating an event to start WW3. What will be the spark that causes the explosion of war?

I guess scenarios that were run through computers did not give satisfactory results and that is a reason for delays.

But, everything is ready . . . for world war, version 3.

Ukraine was a beta test.

5,500 Dead! Ukraine’s Invasion into Kursk, Russia

https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00140

Ukraine has lost 5,500 troops, 71 tanks, 30 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 57 Armored Personnel Carriers, and 372 Armored Combat Vehicles in their two week long misadventure into Russia’s Kursk Region.

The staggering losses in such a short time reveal the complete idiocy of this maneuver by Ukraine, or the factual realization that any NATO planners involved, were utterly incompetent.

Medellin: The Sex Tourism Capital Of Colombia | Is This A Passport Bro Paradise Or Nightmare?

The war on “passport bros” has entered a new cycle; as a sexpat.

What is it like to be the child of a billionaire?

A friend of mine was born to rich (not billionaire) parents. His Grandad had started a company with nothing, his dad had taken it on and made it bigger and more profitable. He was the eldest son.

I met him when he was 22. He was a graduate from an elite university, and had a got a lucrative government sponsorship to study accounting, and I’d got sponsorship at 18, to do the same. Which is where I met him. I’m from a more typical background, 2 parents, working 9–5 jobs to pay the mortgage and put food on the table.

We talked about the differences between us, on and off, over the next year or two.

Most of us have to go to work to earn money, support our family, and we keep turning up because if we don’t, we might get sacked. Those who don’t put the effort in, don’t get the bigger, better jobs. None of this applies to “daddy’s boy”. He knew if he wanted it, he would be MD of the family company. If not, the family would appoint a manager or sell the business, and he could live off the profits.

His dad was conscious of this, and had asked him the question a couple of times:

At 18 – Nope, I want to go to Uni

At 21, Nope I want to study to be an accountant

at 24 – I’d like to work in the private sector for 2 years.

Even at 26, his dad did his best to dissuade him:

You have a good career ahead of you, outside the family business. You can do well. You don’t need to take this on if you don’t want to. I can get a Professional manager.
You know, whatever you do, people will say you were “given it”. You will never get any credit.
It won’t be easy. I won’t give it to you, I will give you a couple of jobs, and if you goof around, I will leave you there. People’s jobs and their families depend on this company, and if you become MD, you need to take that responsibility seriously.
Once you come in, you will struggle to get a job outside the company again, as companies will always look at your CV and say “No point taking him on. All we’ll be doing is training him up for when he goes back to the family company.”
If you make a mistake here, people won’t let you forget. You can’t move jobs, and leave it behind.
You are giving up a lot of (government) benefits, if you come here, more than I can give you, and without the responsibility.
When you are MD, it’s pretty lonely. It’s not like being one of the workforce. It’s just you. People will give you advice, but they have their own agenda, and it’s only you who has to live with the consequences.
There’s always the risk that the company will fail, despite your best efforts. Then you’ll be stuck.

It was during this time that I started to realize that there were downside was well as upsides to being born in to his family.

When he did take it on, his dad was as good as his word. He gave him proper jobs. He made him make the decisions, stand behind them, and if he made mistakes had to own them. Sadly, his dad passed away when he was only 56, so my friend became MD at 30, which was earlier and sooner than his dad and him expected or planned.

He enjoyed it, and did very well. Took the business on to the next level. Increased sales, increased profits, added new product lines, won new customers, put a new computer system in place, trained up the senior team, introduced new production technology, and moved the factory to a new site double the size of the last one, but it was a very demanding role. He was the only family member working in the business, and the wider family seemed to add to his stress, not share the burden. I did some benchmarking on pay rates, and was surprised by his remuneration despite his stellar performance. I advised him that he well below market rates. The family were very reliant on him, but didn’t seem to recognise his performance. In his 40s, he developed some stress related health issues, and stepped away from the business.

After a couple of years sabbatical, he opted not to go back, and took a less stressful and more supportive, and appreciated career, and the company did get a locum manager, and still has it to this day.

The New “Anti-Woke” Visa

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What does a prisoner who is in solitary confinement do in a 24-hour period? What time do they wake up and eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, take a shower, go to work, and exercise? What does a day look like?

Here’s how a day in Z-9 Ad-Seg goes down, from the horses mouth

Sunrise:

The day starts early with medical pass at 0600. We kick things off getting the medicals handled first. By 0620, it’s chow time, and in Ad-Seg, that means meals served straight in the cells. The sergeant handles this personally, making sure it’s all by the book. Food goes through the tray slots, no face-to-face interactions. If it’s Ramadan, we’ve got specific procedures to follow, but the routine stays locked down tight.

After breakfast, inmates get their cleaning supplies through the slot. They’re expected to keep their cells up to standard—no exceptions. Hygiene checks happen regularly, and if someone’s slipping, it gets dealt with. Sometimes, it’s hard to see what’s going on in the cell because inmates like to put cardboard on their windows. That’s only allowed if the inmate’s an IEX’r (indecent exposure), otherwise, we’re not having it.

Mid-Morning:

Around 0800, it’s shower time. In Ad-Seg, showers are solo—no exceptions. Inmates get cuffed and escorted to the shower, where they have about 10 minutes. Then it’s straight back to the cell, still cuffed. No free movement here—everything’s on lockdown. If there’s a medical appointment or legal visit, it’s the same routine: cuffed, escorted, and back to their cell.

Afternoon:

Lunch comes around 1200, following the same procedure as breakfast—through the slot, no hassle. After they eat, they get a bit of in-cell time. Inmates might read, write, or get in some exercises. It’s a small break in the day, but they know the rules. If there’s any legal business or visits, it’s handled individually, under strict supervision.

Yard Time:

Yard is limited in Ad-Seg—only three hours a week. When it’s their time, they’re cuffed and escorted to the yard. It’s the only chance they get to stretch out a bit, but it’s still tightly controlled, with eyes on them at all times.

Evening:

Dinner rolls around at 1700. By now, everyone’s in the routine—food through the slot, no drama. After dinner, the day starts winding down. Mail gets handed out, and if they’re lucky enough to have a TV, they catch a bit of programming before lights out.

Night:

By 2100, it’s lights out. We lock down the unit for the night, making sure everyone’s where they should be. There’s no movement unless it’s an emergency. We do our rounds, checking cells, making sure everything’s in order. The night settles in, and it’s quiet—just the hum of the unit.

In Z-9 Ad-Seg, everything’s about routine and control. Medical at 0600, chow at 0620, showers, meals, and the limited yard time all follow a strict schedule. Whether it’s dealing with cardboard on the windows or getting the yard in, it’s all about maintaining order—tight, controlled, and always by the book.

What is a family secret you didn’t know as a kid, but now as an adult you do and when you look back it explains a lot of things?

My father was often not around when I was a young child.

But I remember an argument one dinner time with the 4 (my dad, mum, myself and my younger brother) of us sat around the dinner table, I would be around 8/9 my brother 5.

Things had been strained most of the day. Something was said and that led to an argument, I remember dinner plates being thrown, food going all over the place, i slid under the table and grabbed my brother and held my hands over his ears as words were being said I knew he shouldn’t hear.

They separated about 18 months later. The Divorce was messy to say the least and we were forced to spend time with him and his “new girlfriend” who had a little girl so she became our step sister… They ended up getting married a couple of years later and separating a few years after that….

My mum and brother were killed by a drunk driver in 1997 and my Dad who I had barely seen in 15 years given he was a violent drunk died in 2012.

It’s only relatively recently that I got back in contact with my stepmother to find out I had a half brother who was 35 years younger than me and born just before my dad died. But after that bomb shell we discussed memories and I worked out that dining table argument was him telling my mum that he had got her pregnant and that she wasnt my step sister but half sister.

That was the same conversation I discovered I potentially had other siblings too.

As it turns out I did…..6 in fact from 4 other relationships some from the same time he was married to my mum.

I’ve now a relationship with 5 of them, and in the process of adopting one of them, hes 12 and currently living in a kids home.

Leaders talk

China is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council not involved in any international conflict in recent years, demonstrating its commitment to peace, said Timor-Leste’s President Jose Ramos-Horta during an exclusive interview with CMG’s Leaders Talk.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Timor-Leste’s president paid a state visit to China from July 28 to 31. This is Ramos-Horta’s first visit to China after he took office in 2022 and the first state visit of Timor-Leste’s president to China since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

During the visit, the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral relations, with Ramos-Horta saying China’s remarkable economic growth and commitment to global peace have drawn Timor-Leste to seek closer ties.

“China is a global power, it’s the largest economy in Asia, second largest in the world. Over the years, China pursued several strategic tracks, one is building China’s economy to these impressive heights, which make China a global economic power, a global financial power. The modernization of its defense force adds to that, and that creates some jealousy among those who view China as a rival. And sometimes the jealousy is exacerbated, and they try to repeat what was a failure of the 60s and 70s, the so-called ‘China containment’,” the president said.

“China was never involved in any of the major wars in recent decades. Whether the war in Afghanistan, the war in Yemen, in Iraq, Libya and in the ongoing one in Ukraine. China is the only permanent member of the Security Council that is not involved in an international conflict. So for us, its common sense to have strong relations with an Asian power, an Asian country that is also a global power. And I know the history of China going back many centuries. What China was then, particularly before World War Two, after World War Two, a lot of upheavals in China. But long before that, wars waged by foreign powers against China like the Opium War,” he said.

What is the most satisfying thing you have done to someone who blocked your driveway?

I decided to spraypaint my fence.

Some bloke pulled in front of the drive about 10 minutes before I was due to go out, locked his car and started walking away. I called to him to ask him not to park there and was told to “fuck off and deal with it.”

My drive is not on a road where you can get round a car parked like that. I was stuck. So, I called SWMBO and told her I’d be late to our appointment and to give my apologies.

An hour later the driver wasn’t back and I was going to miss my appointment. So I decided on revenge and decided to do one of the jobs SWMBO had been badgering me to do. Repaint the fence… using my new-ish sprayer. I didn’t use it very often as it’s not a very efficient way of painting, as it releases a lot of paint and on breezy days, it tend to drift… a lot.

Our chosen colour was a cedar red… don’t ask… so I alerted my neighbour as she had washing on the line and set up to spray the fence. I managed to get two coats on the 4 six foot fence panels either side of my drive… plus some excess on the ground inside the garden. It drifted outside as well, but I needed to do the outside as well. Outside the garden isn’t as sheltered as inside so the spray drifted a bit more… right onto the gleaming black Subaru Impreza parked across the drive. I only managed to get 1 coat onto the panels outside before it got too dark to see properly for painting, but not too dark to clean the ground inside and outside with a few buckets of water. It’s a water soluble paint after all. I didn’t see what time he left but would love to have seen his face the next morning when he saw his pride and joy splattered with dried on red fence paint.

SWMBO however was more than happy that I’d painted the fence finally.

Wife Who DEMANDED Separation To “Look For Something Different” Gets Reality Check When Husband…

Reminds me of a time in my life that I have tried to forget…

The Celestial Hope

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt

Rob Taylor

The Celestial HopeBetween the fabrics of existence, where the threads of reality intertwine, a universal truth persists—an unyielding axiom, as constant as the cosmos itself. Amidst the grand cosmic ballet where galaxies waltz and stars orchestrate an eternal symphony, a saga of boundless proportions unfurls—a tale that transcends the constraints of time and space.Eternity, an expanse beyond mortal comprehension, stands as an ever-present enigma, an eternal observer untouched by the transient choreography of moments. Here, within the unfathomable depths of cosmic vastness, a fellowship known as the Chosen Wanderers embarks upon an odyssey that defies the very essence of their immortal existence.At the helm of this eternal odyssey strides Captain Thalara, a figure of unwavering strength and profound sagacity. Her presence is a beacon of determination that pierces the veils of time, carrying upon her shoulders the monumental weight of leadership—a mantle forged in the crucible of unending epochs.By her side stands Lyndor, a spectral enigma whose eyes hold secrets as ancient as the cosmos itself. An heir to arcane lineage, he wields powers inherited from generations long past, now intertwined with his very being.Elysia, a luminary scientist ignited by an insatiable curiosity, graces the crew with her brilliance—a constellation of knowledge that shines even in the darkest reaches of the universe.

Completing this ensemble is Kaelen, a dauntless pilot whose hands navigate not only the cosmic currents but also the tides of destiny. His courage is a vessel that carries them through the currents of eternity, as he guides them toward uncharted horizons.

Through the collage of galaxies, where stars bloom and fade like cosmic flowers, their starship “Celestial Hope” navigates, leaving ripples in the very fabric of existence. The void echoes with the remnants of ancient civilizations—whispers of lives long gone, reminders of the impermanence of all things. Amid this journey, nebulous clouds of despair and tempests of doubt swirl, seeking to engulf their spirits in shadow. Yet, in defiance of the abyss, their camaraderie burns like a supernova—a radiant beacon against the inky blackness of space.

In the heart of this boundless expanse, Thalara’s voice resounds—a harmonious blend of weariness and unyielding resolve. “In the face of time’s inexorable tide, what path do we forge, when life’s embrace clings without release? Millennia have woven themselves into our very essence, as we traverse the chasm between universes, charting a course through the untamed cosmos.”

Lyndor, a specter of enigmatic wisdom and innate power, leans against the console, his gaze an ancient mosaic painted with the memories of eons.

“Within the currents of our veins courses the venom of eternity,” his voice carries a mournful timbre, heavy with the weight of choices made. “An oath, once taken with eagerness, now binds us with chains of regret—a curse woven into the very fabric of our being.”

Elysia, her fingers dancing across the luminescent constellations that map the celestial canvas, murmurs with reverence in her voice. “Recall the epoch when our predecessors glimpsed the unfathomable—a revelation of multiple big bangs, an eternal existence that defies all comprehension. Even the deities themselves pale in the face of such boundless expanse.”

Kaelen, the intrepid pilot who courts the cosmic unknown with audacious fervour, leans back with a half-smile that masks the weight he carries.

“Gods or no gods, our universe bowed to its inevitable conclusion—a requiem sung as stars winked out. Yet, we remain—ephemeral echoes in the aftermath, seekers of sanctuary in the wake of dissolution.”

As they negotiate wormholes that spiral like cosmic whirlpools and cross dimensions that shimmer like astral gateways, they traverse not only space but also the fabrics of existence itself. Their dialogues resonate like distant echoes through the corridors of the colossal starship—an intricate symphony woven from threads of hope, fear, and unwavering resolve.

“Sworn to a hope, we journey as bearers of the ages,” Thalara’s voice emerges as a soothing echo as the ship navigates the currents of the cosmos. “We are the chosen, tasked with the survival of ages.”

Lyndor’s eyes, impossibly ancient and eternally watchful, hold a depth of understanding that spans eras. “To comprehend eternity is to wrestle with its revelations—a truth more profound than any verse etched into cosmic parchment.”

Elysia’s gaze lifts toward the uncharted constellations beyond the viewport, her voice carrying both lament and wonder. “Our universe, once a cradle of myriad existences, now languishes—a relic adrift in the vast detritus of time.”

Kaelen’s fingers glide over the star maps he has charted, a testament to their journey’s wonder and weariness. “Yet, we endure, undaunted by the ceaseless ebb of eons that slip through our grasp.”

As their odyssey continues, a cataclysmic event unfurls—a singularity, born from the final gasp of a dying universe, threatens to consume them in its voracious maw. Amidst the concerto of alarms and the kaleidoscope of flashing lights, their voices rise like beacons in the tempest.

“A universe born anew, an era unseen,” Elysia’s breath catches, her voice a whisper amidst the maelstrom.

“An epoch that hungers to sunder us,” Kaelen’s voice is a resolute call amidst the chaos.

“Take any action necessary! Steer us away!” Thalara’s command cleaves through the tumult like a sword through the dark.

“Aye, captain,” Kaelen’s hands fly over the controls, each gesture a testament to his indomitable will.

Yet, the singularity’s maw widens beyond escape.

“Wormhole generators at full capacity in mere moments,” Elysia announces, her voice carrying both urgency and the weight of time itself.

“An eternity encapsulated within fleeting seconds,” Thalara’s mutterings become an indomitable mantra within the storm.

As alarms wail and the ship shudders beneath the onslaught of forces beyond mortal reckoning, Thalara’s call rings out with resolute clarity.

“Hold fast, all! Prepare for the impact that bridges being and oblivion!”

Lyndor’s incantations weave through the air, a desperate plea to mystic forces woven into the very fabric of reality.

“By the threads of existence, we stand resolute!”

Elysia’s voice, a poignant blend of awe and trepidation, pierces the chaotic symphony.

“Here, on this precipice, we straddle the boundary between existence and the void!”

Kaelen’s hands dance with an orchestral precision, their movement a symphony of defiance against impending annihilation.

“Falter, we shall not! Not now, not after traversing the rivers of time itself!”

Emerging from the cataclysm battered yet resolute, they find themselves adrift in the enigmatic embrace of eternity’s realm. Now the farthest off course that could be conceived, a billion light years have cascaded through their grasp, slipping like stardust through the hourglass of existence.

Thalara’s voice, a potent blend of determination and weariness, breaks the stillness that envelops them.

“Amidst the boundless expanse of eternity, we stand as sentinels—an embodiment of unyielding will. Though the search may seem to be at an end, the journey persists, for we are the very bridge between ages.”

Lyndor’s gaze, a window into stages long past, holds a glimmer of hope, a spark that transcends the barriers of time.

“Eternity may have claimed our lethargy, yet it has not extinguished our essence. We’ll make the proper repairs captain Thalara.”

Standing amidst the cosmic void, their silhouettes etched against infinity’s canvas, the echoes of their odyssey resonate through the corridors of existence—a harmonious melody that reverberates through the contexture of time. Their journey, one that challenged death’s dominion, embraced the abyss, and defied the very fabric of the cosmos, has become an indelible verse in the cosmic motif.

For even as they languor for a billion years, cradled within the timeless embrace of eternity, the saga of the Chosen Wanderers echoed across the cosmos—a saga woven into the very cosmic strings of existence. In the midst of interstellar ages, voyaging through the unfathomable vastness, the Celestial Hope and its devoted crew lay suspended in a timeless repose, a testament to their unwavering resolve in the face of unending existence.

The story of the Chosen Wanderers, forever inscribed in the cosmic annals, teaches that even in the ceaseless dance of stars and galaxies, in the unyielding expanse of eternity, the essence of mortal and immortal alike can forge pathways that transcend the constraints of time and space.

And now in their long great slumber, they tread upon the dreamy shores of a lush world untouched by the journals of history, the weight of countless eons finally lifts. A forgotten mission buried in the lost realms left long behind fades away. Before them unfurls the promise of life renewed, secrets unfurled beneath celestial constellations, and an uncharted future as infinite as the universes themselves.

But that too would be another story.

Enchilada Squares

Ingredients

2 (19 ounce) cans Las Palmas enchilada sauce
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can sliced olives
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
27 corn tortillas

Instructions

Brown ground beef.
Drain oil and add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
While meat is browning, heat enchilada sauce in medium size pan.
Heat oil in skillet. Place a tortilla in hot oil for 1 minute, then turn over and fry 1 more minute. Do not allow tortilla to become crispy.
Take fried tortilla and place in hot sauce for approximately 2 minutes, then take out and place in a 9 x 13 inch greased cake pan.
Repeat again until you have a layer with 9 tortillas.
Sprinkle half of the meat, 1/3 cheese, onion and olives.
Repeat another layer of tortillas dipped in oil and sauce as before.
Sprinkle remaining meat, 1/3 cheese, onion and olives.
Repeat another layer of tortillas.
Spoon leftover sauce atop.
Add remaining cheese, onion and olives.
When cool, cover pan with foil and refrigerate.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1/2 hour or until cheese melts.
Cut into squares and serve.
If serving immediately, place in oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

40 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US | American Reacts

Yeah. This is very good. So, so, so many things int he USA are fucked up right now.

What was the shortest interview you’ve had that led to a job offer?

I was looking at a Field service Job at a manufacturing plant that built Waste Water Treatment plants, it was a West German company with manufacturing in the U.S.

I knew absolutely nothing about waste water plant machinery.

As I sat down for the interview, the phone rang on the head of field service. He said excuse me but I have to answer that phone. He put the phone on speaker, a piece of new equipment would not start up, this was their first attempt to run it.

He placed the electrical schematics on his desk, as they discussed the problem, I could see them upside down, from where I was sitting.

Finally he says , I will get s tech there ASAP, and hung up the phone. I said I see the problem, they wired a relay wrong, and pointed to it on drawings. It should be normally closed, not open.

He stood up and said he had to do something and I’m not to move, he would be right back.

He was back in 15 minutes and hands me a wad of cash, and tells me I have 1 hour and thirty minutes to be at the Delta terminal , my ticket is at their desk, then hands me a company credit card to rent a car, and A company Air travel card for the return flight.

He said we will fill out your employment papers when you get back.

The problem was in Up State New York , I was in Birmingham Al.

Now for the “rest” of the story

The service manager called the plant with the problem once he Knew I was on the flight to NY, and told them a tech was on his way. Their response was “it better be a guy who’s been working for you a long time, and knows the equipment inside and out.

For the next 4 hours he tried to get a call to me , and for me to not tell them he just hired me this morning.

I never got that call, and the first thing the plant manager ask me, “How long have you worked on these machines ?”. My answer was “To Damn Long” and we both bust out laughing.

In 5 minutes the machine was running perfectly

Then he told me to call my boss, He’s been trying to reach you.

He couldn’t believe I answered that question without lying, and manager was happy with the answer, with me not knowing how important the answer was.

What are some of the most morally justified crimes ever committed?

Recently, Shane Goldsby, a 26-year-old U.S. inmate, bludgeoned, stomped, and kicked his 70-year-old cellmate, Robert Munger, to death.

You might think this is just another random case of prison violence, or perhaps a situation where some prisoners take the moral high ground by killing a more sadistic and violent criminal. Indeed, the latter was the case, though it was a more isolated incident. After all, Munger had been incarcerated for 43 years for crimes involving child sexual abuse. Anyone might feel justified in wanting to see him punished severely.

Munger was serving a 43-year sentence at the Airway Heights prison in Washington State for child molestation and child pornography offenses when, due to a non—coincidental administrative error, he was placed in the same cell as Shane (one of his victims’ brother.)

Shane claimed that Munger would repeatedly brag about his crimes and the morally abhorrent deeds he had committed against those poor children.

“I had so much stuff going on in my head,” he told the station. “I wasn’t stable at that point. I wasn’t. I was getting to that point because [Munger] kept wanting to give me details about what happened, what he did – about the photos and the videos of him doing this stuff. It was building up.”

Shane said he couldn’t believe he had been assigned to the same cell as Munger and made a request to the authorities to be moved, but it was ignored.

“I completely feel like this is what they wanted to happen,” he said.

“I was in shock,” he added. “I was like, ‘what the f***?’… This stuff doesn’t happen. You’re talking the same institution, the same unit, the same pod, in the same cell as this dude. That’s like hitting the jackpot in the casino seven times.”

“They put me in a position that I shouldn’t even be in. This shouldn’t have happened at all. You’re talking about this dude, who did some sick, twisted things to my little sis. My family. My blood. My life. And you want to put me face-to-face with this dude?” Goldsby said.

As expected, a man can only remain sane for so long when he’s sharing a cage with his sister’s molester. Goldsby eventually snapped, attacking the older man in a common area of the jail.

Court documents reveal what happened next, showing how Goldsby hit “Munger in the face and head area about 14 times, stomped on his head at least four times, and kicked him a couple more times before walking away and being taken into custody.” Munger died three days later.

The Washington Department of Corrections has policies to prevent connected inmates from being assigned together, but reportedly missed the connection in this case because Shane and his sister have different last names.

“There was no clear indication in the documentation regularly reviewed for housing assignments that there was a potential conflict,” DoC spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie told the Spokesman-Review newspaper.

In court, an emotional Shane stated:

“You put me in the same cell as this dude. I feel set up. I’m the victim.”

At his sentencing, Shane was too emotional to read a statement, so his lawyer spoke on his behalf.

“I’m ashamed of my actions. I was put into a situation that I don’t wish on anyone,” she said on Shane’s behalf. “I have a lot of fixing to do.”

“I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one in this kind of way,” Shane said through his lawyer.

“To his wife and his whole family, I apologize. I am so sorry, and I hope you are able to heal from what I caused.”

Unfortunately, the law frowns on morally justifiable murders and Shane must now serve an additional 24 years and also pay restitution to Munger’s family.

AI generated kingly pictures

Today’s AI developments…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(7)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(7)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(7)

Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore, delivered his first National Day speech, saying that Singapore is not a western society. What does this mean?

On August 18th, local time, Lawrence Wong, the new Prime Minister of Singapore, delivered his first Prime Minister’s speech in Malay, Chinese and English at the National Day mass meeting in Singapore.

The Prime Minister’s speech at the National Day Mass Meeting is one of the most important speeches in Singapore every year. During the speech, Lawrence Wong’s speech in Chinese caught my eyes.

Lawrence Wong said: “Singapore uses English as the common language, but we are essentially an Asian society, not a western society.” He also said that all Singaporeans want to preserve the spiritual outlook and traditional values of Asians.

Later, Lawrence Wong took himself as an example to encourage people to receive Chinese education. He said that when he was a child, he didn’t have the opportunity to speak Chinese at home. He didn’t start learning Chinese until he went to school. When he graduated from junior high school, he got A1 (the highest level) in Chinese.

Lawrence Wong promised that the Singapore government would adjust its education policy.

“We hope to train more talents who are proficient in Chinese, which means that we have not only elites, but also elites.”

Lawrence Wong’s speech in Chinese not only emphasized the importance of Chinese education, but also continued the “Asian values” emphasized by Singapore’s leaders in previous generations, and also vaguely expressed Singapore’s diplomatic stance that it would not take sides.

In view of Singapore’s important strategic position and influence in ASEAN countries, the United States has spared no effort to win over Singapore for many years.

Lee Kuan Yew once said very bluntly: China (navy) has no strength to protect Singapore.

As a tiny island country located in the throat of the ocean, you forced Singapore to die if you didn’t fall to the west.

Understandable.

And Singapore has indeed achieved the goal of being as neutral as possible while leaning to the west and seeking the greatest benefit for itself.

Under the current circumstances, the basic logic of Singapore’s unilateral turning to the West has not only disappeared, but also gone to the opposite side.

If you fell to the west completely because you were afraid of the western navy, then you can’t hope to maintain the previous state after China’s naval power became strong, and more thoroughly fall to and introduce the west to harm China’s interests.

Singapore has really developed the ability to assess the situation in the game of great powers, and it has been flexibly adjusted in different times.

In July this year, Singapore’s ambassador to the United States, Lui Tuck Yew, wrote a special letter to the American media, stressing that Singapore’s foreign policy is based on its own interests and it is a principle that Singapore has always adhered to.

Before taking over as Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong made it clear in an interview with The Economist that Singapore would not choose between China and the United States, but would give priority to its own interests.

In his speeches in Chinese, Lawrence Wong mentioned “culture” and “Chinese” for 9 to 11 times, with special emphasis on cultivating people’s Chinese ability.

He said that Singapore hopes to preserve the spiritual outlook and traditional values of Asians. At the same time, the advantages of bilingualism and biculturalism can absorb the wisdom of the East and the West, and can deal with both countries. This is Singapore’s unique competitive advantage.

In my opinion, Lawrence Wong mentioned that “Singapore is not a western society”. The core theme is that Singaporeans can speak both English and Chinese, embrace the western social system, and retain the eastern spiritual culture. They can get along well with the United States, Britain and China. This is a unique and huge advantage of Singapore in the world, which must be maintained.

Forbidden Planet – Miranda Likes to Watch – Reaction

Ha ha ha. Have some fun.

CJ enters the cornfield

On one of my many affirmations, I asked to be made aware of all the people who hurt me.

I forget the exact phrasing. But yeah. I asked for this knowledge and understanding.

And I was surprised at what happened.

I started to remember old events. Events that happened years ago. Events that I thought were innocent, or mistakes, or just simply bad luck.

One memory was the death of my cat; Texie.

I was in Boston living with this model named CJ. She always had this bad anger and nasty streak about her. Which was controlled by medication, but when that beast was out, oh lordy. Watch out.

Long story short…We had a “falling out” and she left. Calling me a “coward” for having her mother come up and get her.

Around that time, perhaps a month later, my beloved Texie got very sick; very quickly. His nose was white and his neck was all swollen.

I took him to the vet, and she said that he had no red corpuscles left. She just couldn’t understand how he could be alive. We tried to help him, but it was impossible, so we were forced to put him down. I loved that cat.

That was twenty five years ago.

Now, over the last few weeks I have been having the suspicion that CJ might have poisoned my cat. No proof, of course. Just a hunch.

A hunch, mind you, triggered by my affirmation directives.

It doesn’t seem possible. How could she enter the house? What poison would she use? It seems so unlikely.

But there you have it.

I take this as an answer issued forth from one of my affirmations.

And as such… I do believe in my affirmations, in hunches and in other aspects of life. I do not ignore them.

So…

I have thrown her, where ever she is today, twenty five years later… into the most thorny cornfield that I could come up with.

In my reality, time does not matter, and forgiveness is but a crutch that you used to maintain happiness.

So she will find, and discover things going really bad for her out of the blue, and she won’t know why.

Because you know, she thought that she got away with something without consequence.

She didn’t.

She only laid the flagstones for easy entry…

…into the limitless cornfield.

I know that I can be a dick.

But, I do not care.

Today…

Ungrateful Girlfriend Rejects £4000 Rolex Then This Happens

Why is China considered “the most secret country”? Is it political issues, trouble within the country, maybe they simply aren’t the “open” type of country we are use to?

First, it is the language.

Second, it’s the culture.

Most westerners are too lazy to learn, but they don’t want to admit they are lazy, so they say China is “difficult”, “opaque”, “closed”.

I read, write and speak Chinese.

China is NOT closed; it just follows completely different rules.

Reactors Reacting to the COOPER DOCKING the Endurance | Interstellar

Who is the worst customer you have ever had?

We had to ban Karen from our store.

Karen attempted to manipulate Domino’s refund policy, time and time again.

Ultimately, we were losing money because of her.

She liked to place pizza orders online quite frequently.

And would then decide to request a refund for whatever reason, be it from the order was messed up to ‘the pizza just doesn’t look that great’.

Yes, she actually said that to me.

It got to the point where we would ensure her order was immaculate.

Quality over quantity, eh?

And guess what? She’d try and get a refund.

Naturally, she’d get one, since there’s the whole thing about how the “customer is always right”.

We attempted to logically defend ourselves, telling her we did nothing wrong, but she ensured to find something flawed with her order.

Eventually, we got sick of it, and so we called in our district manager.

She places an order, and I crafted damn near the best pizza the world has ever seen. Even my manager agreed, so it’s legit.

Everything else associated with Karen’s order was on point.

So about 5 minutes or so after the driver returns from her house, we receive a call from Karen.

“Hi, I’d like a refund for my order.”

I notify my manager it’s a no go.

“Don’t refund her.”, my manager said.

“Ban her.”, my district manager said.

It’s about time.

China has to know it can never defeat the U.S. militarily. Shouldn’t it focus on peace and trade instead to become like Japan?

The US knows that they cannot defeat China. Remember that the US lost to China in the Korean war at a time when China was very weak militarily. But today, China is much stronger and are not too different in strength compared to the US.

If a war were to be fought between China and the US, it would be around China. China would have all its weapons and forces at its disposal while the US will have to depend on what they can carry to the region in their ships. And China has already worked out how many unstoppable hypersonic missiles they will need to sink each US ship. They will sink all of them. The US would not be able to sink the Chinese forces because they will be firing their missiles from land.

The US is also very dependent on their GPS satellites to guide their missiles. China will destroy those satellites early in a war between China and the US, rendering most of the US missiles useless.

China has always called upon the US for cooperation but it is the US that wants to quarrel with China. And they have no business putting their military offic ers in Taiwan!

China Refused U.S.A. Wheat

Which country produces the fiercest soldiers?

Probably Nepal. And they’ve been that way for a long time.

Now my patriotism wants to say “The Americans Duh”. But I can’t ignore the amazing feats that the Gurkhas manage, and it would be a disrespect upon them not to recognize that.

The Gurkhas have been in service to the British for about 200 years, supplying the bravest and most dangerous soldiers for decades. They’ve stopped brigades singlehandedly, killed dozens of soldiers alone, all without fear for their own life. They carry the famous Kukri blade into battle, and damn they know how to use it.

main qimg 1af3f3c4f73f6df71badde5c334940b3 lq

Damn. Google has good photos of Gurkhas.

One of the many impossible feats of Gurkhas was the insane defense of Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung in 1945 during the Second World War. With his comrades wounded, he held his own against a force of over 200 Japanese soldiers storming his position at Tanungdaw in Burma, present-day Myanmar.

According to warhistoryonline.com, Lachhiman reportedly:

“threw back enemy grenades until one exploded in his hand, blowing off the fingers and shattering his arm as well as injuring his leg. Although severely wounded, he continued fighting for four hours, inspiring the other men to keep going.”

That is insane! And that’s just one of the many, many, many amazing feats the Gurkhas have accomplished! Overall the Gurkhas have amassed Twenty six Victoria Crosses, and honestly should have earned many many more for their bravery.

Another more recent account was the story of Seargent Dipprasad Pun. Dipprasad, who at the time was on guard in a rooftop of a checkpoint, was attacked from nearly all sides by 30 Taliban Soldiers. Utilizing around 400 rounds, 17 Grenades, a mine, and a fuc**** machine gun bipod, killed the Taliban. All of them.

They have been involved in every major war, most minor wars, and even freedom fighting movements all over the world. They are renowned as some of the most dangerous soldiers on the planet, and often times even the knowledge of them being on the battlefield is enough to make the enemy rethink their plans.

The Gurkhas are amazing, and to be honest I doubt we’ll see anything like them without a super soldier serum anytime soon.

You can find more stories of Gurkhas here at Popularmechanics.com

Drink your milk and become Gurkha Strong!

-Cotta!

What is the biggest scam you’ve ever seen?

PASSPORT VERIFICATION BY LOCAL POLICE

Few days back I had applied for an passport,I had filled the form and procedure had been carried out.The forms were verified by the passport office, and they told me that “your case will be sent to your regional police station for residential verification”.

After 2 to 3 weeks I recieved an call from police station to come over for verification. I went police station with all the necessary documents. When I reached there 2 to 3 peoples were already standing for verification, after 20 minutes of sitting on bench my turn came. I went inside.

Police officer asked me all relevant information and took the Xerox copy of all documents and said:

“Aapka ka verification ho jayega, aap ₹500 jama kar do”

(Translation: Your verification will be completed , you need to deposit ₹500 for that)

I felt this is the fees of an verification, so I gave him ₹500, he had taken the money and said “u can go now”.

Fow which I said “sir reciept of giving money”.

He gave me very digust look for my sentence and said “passport chahiye ki nhi”(do u want passport or not)

Me: Sir mere paiso ki reciept de do main chala jaunga(sir u give me reciept i will go my way).

He got very angry and slammed ₹500 on the table and said “main bhi dekhta hu tumko passport kaise milta hain”.(I will also see how will you get your passport).

I took the money and came back home. After 2 to 3 weeks , I recived an letter from passport authority that your passport application is rejected due to residence issue,please communicate with policestation.

After communicating with my neighbor and friends they told me that U have to give money to police officer for verification,otherwise they will give some random reason and reject your case.

This is most common scam now a days.

Edit 1 :Recently I went to the passport office and and told them the situation and guess what i got my passport within 15 days that too without bribing anyone and without double police verification.

The Police are Way out of Control

Easy Lasagna Casserole

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (1 1/2 ounce) package spaghetti sauce mix
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup Pet Evaporated Milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender. Drain.
Cook ground beef and onion in skillet until ground beef is browned. Drain.
Stir in tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce mix. Cook until thickened.
Combine cream cheese and evaporated milk in warm saucepan until smooth.
Stir in noodles and garlic salt.
Pour into a 9 inch square baking dish.
Spread meat mixture over top.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

How much land would Chinese people be willing to give up for peace with China?

This is the Galwan River Valley in Xinjiang, at an altitude of over 4300 meters, with eight characters written on it.

The soldiers stationed often hold flag raising ceremonies here.

The meaning of these eight characters is, Our vast and beautiful land and river, not an inch shall be yielded.

Did you ever walk into an antiques store, see an item you wanted, and bought it for less than it was worth because you had more knowledge about it than the dealer?

Yes, I bought a $90,000 painting, from an $83 million dollar house, that was sold by Christies Auction House for $1200. How?

I went to a once-per-month place that sells items from large estates. As an art lover, I subscribe to a website that provides millions of historical art prices from auction sites around the world. While at the estate sale I noticed a very nice work that seemed to be well-framed and of higher quality than one might normally see at a typical estate sale. I liked the piece but balked at the $2000-ish price tag.

I took a photo of artist’s signature and went home. It was late in the day and the business was about to close. The estate sale business conducts a sale each month on Saturday and half a day on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon prices are reduced until everything sells. I thought that I might go back on Sunday to see what kind of price they had on the art. If low enough, I would perhaps buy it for a particular spot in the house.

On Saturday evening I casually pulled up the artist’s sales records. I was amazed to see he had some extensive sales with many pieces in the $50,000-150,000 range. The particular piece I had seen was last sold by Christies in the early 1990s for $90,000! Needless to say I was going to be the first person through the door on Sunday to buy the bargain artwork.

True to form, I was the first person to go through the door. I found the owner of the business and negotiated a $1200 price. I paid for the product and he helped me take it to the car.

I asked, “Where did you get this piece?” He said he couldn’t say due to a confidentially agreement. I finally got him to tell me that it had come from a mansion in Palm Beach that had recently been torn down to make way for a new home. He said, “When we picked up the piece it still had the Christies auction tag attached to the back.”

At this point I confessed knowing the auction history and that it had sold for $90,000 in the early 1990s at Christies. His reply?

“You gotta be shitting me!”

The piece now graces a prominent spot above my dining room sideboard. It is well lit, well liked, and one of my better stories to tell when asked about its origins.

China VS America | Yanis Varoufakis on Big Tech, Capitalism and Techno-Feudalism (Part 3)

Why did China mainland more choose to buy weapons from French than the USA during the West China honeymoon during 1970-1990?

The “honeymoon” was started by Nixon. Mao & Nixon met in 1972.

The Nixon was in a Watergate scandal & the honeymoon was put aside until 1978.

When Carter continued the honeymoon & officiated the “ONE CHINA policy & Taiwan is part of China” by signing a China-USA joint communique in 1978, some US hawks scolded Carter (for being too weak with China). 4 months after the communique, US hawks pushed out a “Taiwan Relations Act” & continued selling weapons to Taiwan.

See, by selling weapons to Taiwan = no armed sales to mainland China.

Was it a mistake to sell weapons to Taiwan instead of mainland China? Only USA can answer the question.

But we saw USA instigating a Tiananmen coup in 1989.

It looks like USA did not trust mainland China because USA could not control communist China but USA can easily control a country that has a democratic election.

Calling AUKUS “the worst deal in all history”, Former Australian PM Paul Keating accused the government of being a “sellout” on its defense policy

Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has taken aim at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles, accusing them of abandoning traditional party values.

Speaking in an interview about the AUKUS agreement, Mr. Keating accused the government of being a “sellout” on its defense policy.

The former Labor leader had been asked about the AUKUS agreement between the US, UK and Australia, which he has been a constant critic of since its announcement.

Mr. Keating then called it “the worst deal in all history”.

Mr. Marles is in the US and has agreed to allow the transfer of US and UK naval nuclear material to Australia. The partnership also provides for more rotations of US troops to the region, which Mr. Keating criticized.

“There’ll be American force posture now in Australia, involving every domain.”

“This government has sold out to the United States.”

“They’ve fallen for the dinner on the White House lawn.”

“We are better left alone than we are being protected by an aggressive power like the United States,” Mr. Keating said.

Asked why he considered the US to be aggressive, Mr. Keating said it was because “it’s trying to superintend from the Atlantic, the largest Asian power, which is China”.

Crowd Goes Nuts For RFK Jr. At Trump Rally!

HISTORIC!

Democrat traditionalist joins with Republic “Dark Horse”.

That is amazing!

“End of the grip of the neocons in charge of Foreign policy!!!!”

Why is China so possessive over Taiwan? Is the Chinese state really that weak?

???

Taiwan is part of China. It was part of China before the Japanese stole it 1895, and it was returned to China after Japan’s defeat in WWII.

Name one country that won’t protect its territorial integrity. Just one.

Why is America so possessive over Hawaii or California?

Why is Canada so possessive over Quebec?

Why is Britain so possessive over Scotland?

Why is France so possessive over Corsica?

Why is Spain so possessive over Catalonia?

You feel me?

What was the slickest thing you have done or seen when negotiating a car price?

My daughter graduated from college. I wanted to buy her a car, a new Honda. I explained to my daughter what we were doing today and we may not get the car on first go around, but that we needed to be patient.

I let her find a car she likes. Salesman in tow, we drove the car, she liked it, we are ready to deal. We walk into the sales office, a row of cubicles, and sat down with the salesman.

I had done my homework, market comps, talked to other dealers, and I am willing to pay a reasonable price. The salesman was working off of the list price and I let him present his figures. I came back “this is what i am willing to pay” followed by “we are motivated buyers and can do this today”. (i am sure I did the last week of the month thing that you always hear about. )

of course the salesman scoffed at our offer, and i said “do we need to speak to your manager?” {in negotiations there is a rule that says you cannot “close” someone you can’t “close”. so trying to make a deal with the sales person is useless because he does not have the authority to make this deal, and most likely the manager does not either, we need to be setting in front of the general manager. He is the final say on this deal. So i need to work my way up the food chain so to speak).

The sales person is punching in numbers on his calculator, my daughter is uncomfortable with the confrontation (her perspective, not mine). We are waiting on a response… he throws down a “this is the best we can do”. I say “well we are close, let’s get your manager out here. I know you are doing your best.” and reluctantly he says “okay, I’ll be right back”.

He goes away for five minutes, comes back with a new “this is the best we can do” counter followed by “we can write this up today!’

I say “that’s better but we have some work to do here if you want the sale. Let’s go back together and make this happen. We are not that far off, and I’m sure the manager will reason with me.” I give the salesman my homework, comps, market analysis. He says “I’ll be right back.”

In just a few minutes later he comes back and says “okay you can follow me”. we go back to the managers office, a nice fellow, shakes my hand and sits back down… he is all up into his computer screen punching numbers saying “i just don’t see how we can do this”.

Me “sure you do or I would not be back here. Look, I’ve done the math, you are still making a nice profit here, I am not ripping you off, its a good deal. Lets write it up and get out of here.”

He starts talking about a used model, or tells me he has more profit in a different model or color. He is bantering and we are not. The interesting thing about this is his office has windows to the office area. People can see me in the office, negotiating with the manager. Finally the GM walks in… Very nice man, very professional, we get down to it, and he looks me in the eye and i am right back at him… We have not said anything for a few minutes. I have my daughter with me who is squirming. He talks to her about her graduation, and he has a daughter that’s grown and he can remember what that’s like. He says to me “your offer really cuts into our profit, because its not just the walk out price, it is the warranty we have to cover for the next year I am worried about”. I say “Well, we are going to buy a Honda because of its reliability. My father drives one at it has 150,00 miles on it. Never a service problem.” we look at each other. tick tock time goes by. He tell the Manager. Do the deal. We stand up, shake hands, he hugs my daughter.

We all walk back to the cubical area and the we finalize the paperwork. the car will be ready tomorrow as they have to do Make-Ready.

The coolest thing happened. A lady in another cubical leans out and says “that was wonderful, can you help us buy a car?”

Women don’t understand why men are walking away & want to call them TERRORISTS?

Will malls ever make a comeback?

Only if they become an experience for visitors.

I live in Macau and our casino resorts have huge retail spaces. The Venetian like its Vegas counterpart has canals with gondolas and singing gondoliers. They have human statues in the mall. A huge food court. Art exhibits. Classical music performances.

In China, malls are supersized. 8–10 floors. Humongous food courts. Skating rinks. Go kart tracks. Swimming pools. Petting zoos for the kids. Huge play areas for the kids. Learning centers. Tutorial centers. Cooking and baking classes. And they are packed.

How do you think the international community’s support for the Philippines in its maritime row with China could impact future negotiations between the two countries?

International community?

The Philippines is a founding member of asean.

Asean, which operate by consensus, hasn’t supported the Philippines in the recent spate.

In addition, NO MEMBER OF ASEAN has backed the Philippines. This include other claimant states of the SCS. Leaders are openly asking Bongbong what he is trying to pull, expressing their worries of destabilizing escalation.

The SCS issue has been ongoing for decades. What has been secured is a gentlemen’s agreement to work towards a diplomatic solution, and limit confrontation to the coast guard.

The SCS code of conduct which was supposed to formalize the agreement and limit fallout remains in limbo after many years of negotiation.

It must be noted that the Philippines continues to hold the ante, refusing to demilitarize the issue.

Why is the Sierra Madre still grounded? The Philippines insist it is an ACTIVE DUTY NAVAL VESSEL, despite the wreck being older than the Philippines herself. It is being guarded and manned by military personnel.

No kidding.

It was widely reported that special forces troops were used to attempt a resupply of the Sierra madre. The President himself awarded a medal to the injured NAVSOU sailor.

So much for demilitarization.

In fact, the Philippines has used the publicity to remilitarize the issue, deploying air force and naval assets recently.

Which was probably the goal of the latest provocation—paint the Chinese as a huge threat and remilitarize, allowing the US military back into the Philippines and NATO/Five Eyes/Japan/Korea to demonstrate the “international community’s” MILITARY support for the Philippines.

The Philippines military is a Salvation Army beneficiary, counting Japan and of course, the US as fairy godmothers. Billions in free arms have already been promised or delivered.

If the Philippines does not walk the talk with China, or if busybodies attempt to militarily intervene in a bilateral issue, the situation will deteriorate, and may reach a tipping point.

It all depends on what China does, because they have the power to take decisive action. Break any agreement and China will respond disproportionately.

Recently, the largest Philippine coast guard cutter, the ~2,000 ton Teresa Magbanua which has been moored at the Escoda Shoal since April raised anchor and left the area after the Chinese dispatched a tugboat capable of towing ~5,000 tons in response to consecutive ramming of Chinese coast guard vessels to forcefully resupply their compatriots.

Leaving Only Darkness

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt

Arne Cambourne

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

It had been months since there had been any hope on the ship. Each day awake was a struggle.He had begun to long for the cryo-tank.The nausea that came with waking from a long suspension was no longer a concern for him. He suspected the rest of the crew felt the same way. Being awake now was the worst part of waking from the long sleep.The display on the wall in front of his tank didn’t help.Its stark red numbers made it clear how long he had been asleep each time he woke up. It measured the actual time they had all been under – no contact with distant family, no contact with time at all.He remembered the first time.

Their first sleep had been pre-set to wake them within days of entering a planetary system their astronomers had considered “extremely likely” to include a planet consistent with supporting life.

In those early days they were soothed by the sense of awe as they entered a new star system. Perhaps their new home would be here, and they could send that message back home to start the colony ships on their way. Sadly, this sense of awe didn’t last.

It was only after 4 suspensions that hope began to fade. They came to realise that though they had been awake for a few months since they left, they had been gone for well over their people’s average lifetime.

Everyone he had ever known was gone. There was no one at home that had seen him through living eyes, held an image of his face, or the sound of his voice, as a memory attached to a feeling of fondness.

None of the crew had children. They had been selected that way, for obvious reasons.

He remembered how the crew had originally spoken of whether they regretted not having children. They had universally agreed they did not regret this at all. How could they have this opportunity and had children? It just couldn’t work.

After a few suspensions, when the despair first began, some of the crew became upset they had chosen a career above family. They had missed what they now saw as the important stuff, and there was no-one to remember them.

By the time they had been in suspension six times, more than 150 years had gone by.

Now the despair changed. They realised that if they did have children, they would be gone now as well.

Like footprints on a sandy beach, time would have wiped these imagined children away. Even their fantasy grandchildren that brought hope and joy would be gone and long forgotten.

Each new solar system brought new despair.

There was no chance of life here. The heat was wrong, the gases were wrong, the planet had not enough resources, in the right quantities. The colony could not be risked here.

****

No one realistically expected to run into any sort of advanced life out in the expanse of space either. He did fantasize about it, and he was relieved early in the trip to find out that many of the other crew had similar fantasies.

Imagine that! Being the first to encounter a new culture. An advanced peoples so far from home.

He hoped these new people were more advanced than they were. They will have perfected space travel and can warp from one part of the galaxy to another in a flash of light. No sleep sickness. No time loss.

They could all quickly get back home. Maybe there was new technology at home that had allowed people to live longer. Maybe his parents would still be there, or some of his friends.

He had had fallen asleep thinking of this fantasy the last few cryo-sleeps. No one dreamed in suspension, but it was still nice to think you might, as you felt the cryo-film wrap your body, and the world disappeared.

This is why when he woke this time, he had to check he was actually awake.

As the lead engineer he was always woken by the AI first, to make sure the process went well for the rest of the crew as they woke.

He would check the location of the ship, and the time they had been under, then make sure each of the cryo-fluids instilled for the wake cycles were in the right proportions. A little variation was ok, it went better if someone manually adjusted the equation each time.

This time he had been woken earlier than had been expected. The ship had been on course to a system that included a star at its centre much like their one at home.

The third planet from the sun had been identified on their long-range scanners many years ago as a possibly habitable planet. It should have the right mix of gas, water and heat that could mean this place was suitable.

The AI had woken him early. He soon found out the reason, and sitting alone with the hum of the ship the only noise he could hear, he knew he had to act.

With at least a month left before they were near the target planet, the ship had begun detecting radio transmissions from the planet. The ships AI had been able to assess the target planet was inhabited, and these inhabitants were more than simple animals.

This had triggered the wake cycle, so the AI had woken the lead engineer.

Unknown to the rest of the crew the lead engineer had also been briefed by their government about how to respond to such an occurrence. He was to enact the Colony X Protocol but leave the rest of the crew asleep.

When he had first been told about the Protocol it had all made sense. He knew he would start the protocol without delay, and wait patiently for the Protocol to run completion. His feelings about the Protocol came to change.

The Protocol was designed to make sure the work they had all done, the sacrifice, the costs in time and treasure, would not go to waste. No one thought it would be a likely scenario, but the social planners and the ethicists at home had finally agreed on how the Protocol would work.

His people had learned the hard way that it can be difficult to share, and a habitable planet with an advanced life form, posed to great a risk for this endeavour of stellar exploration. There had been years of debate but, in the end, the pragmatists won out.

The Protocol was a military procedure. It was precise and efficient. Once enacted it could not be reversed, and without fail it would achieve its aims. The residents of their new home had to be removed.

His role was to complete final assessment of the new peoples the ship had found, and the environment of the planet, to confirm its suitability as a new home.

The designers of the Protocol had agreed that given the significance of the decision the Protocol involved, reliance on AI was not reasonable. A live oversight of the decision was necessary, and his role as chief engineer had come to include the arbiter of this decision.

Once his assessment had been made, he would send the authorisation code home and, eventually, the battlecruisers would arrive.

His assessment could be done at a distance, and he did not need to wake any of the crew for this role. The Protocol actually forbid he wake anyone, for risk they may interfere with the Protocol’s application.

He looked at the viability of the planet.

A planet with water and firm ground, no significant extremes of temperature. Its atmosphere was gaseous, with a good mix of oxygen and nitrogen, some other rare gases. Its gravity was mild.

The planet had a blue green colour, a reflection of its life forms and the water on the surface. Its land was in some places covered by plants, and rivers of water ran across some of its larger land masses.

He spent more time looking at the non-plant life forms on the planet.

He learned about them from the transmissions that had been reaching the ship now for months. The ship had logged and recorded hours and hours of sounds and images, and his review involved listening to and viewing these recordings.

They were an interesting people.

He fell in love with the music they had produced, and the AI had sorted these recordings, so he could observe how their music had changed over time. He learned that this music often talked of the things these people enjoyed, or the things they fear and worried about.

(He particularly liked a type of music characterised by beating drums, shouted vocals, and a strange mix of other loud and varied instruments.)

They had produced writings about their world, and he came to understand the fears these people held about their lives, and the aims they pursued. His AI was able to differentiate these writings that were likely historical records and those that were like his own people’s legends or myths, or fictions just for pleasure.

He needed to learn more about these people before he activated the Colony X protocol. He was short of time though.

His government had written into the protocol a requirement that it be enacted within two weeks of the AI initiating the wake procedure. Any longer and the ship may come too close to the target planet and risk the protocol.

After two weeks the ship’s AI would send the authorisation code and destroy the ship.

He originally told himself he just needed more time, but knew he had decided he might not be able to enact the protocol. He gave the appearance of finalising his research, whilst at the same time he worked out how to disengage the ships AI from the protocol.

He researched the history of these people hoping to understand where they had started, what they had achieved. They had a history not unlike his own people. They had started from simpler animals but had come to master their world.

They had learned to fly; they had built vehicles and ships to travel their planet. He learned that they had organised themselves into larger groups. These groups built cities. They had spread their ideas and ways of thinking over this planet, and that had changed and challenged these people over time.

They had, like his own people, fought amongst themselves.

After nearly ten days of looking at these people he even felt a tear run down his face as he learned the pains these conflicts had caused. He felt the shock from images of brutality that he viewed as if these had become his people.

He enjoyed their happiness when conflicts came to an end, and their hope this would be end of the fighting, a hope that seemed to survive in their literature, their films, their music, even though there always seemed to be more fighting to come.

Fighting between his own peoples had become almost non-existent. On the day they had left, it had been over 50 years since any significant fighting had occurred between the peoples of his planet.

His people had learned to talk, used technology to make sure more people could be heard. They had come to share more, both culturally and emotionally, and this led to a fairer share of the fruits of labour.

His own people now needed to find somewhere new to live, to grow, or there was a risk that their world of stability may begin to crumble. This was the purpose of his mission – to keep their own violent natures at bay by joining together in finding a new world to share and grow.

It had been so long though.

The mission had taken longer than anyone had expected. By the time he put the Colony X Protocol into effect, and home had learned of its activation, and the fleets from home had arrived to clean the new planet, it would be nearly a thousand years since the mission began.

He was still alive, but he knew that for the world at home, he was not even a memory. At best he, and the crew, were abrief entry in a database, that a junior public servant confirmed each a year, and the world moved on.

Maybe things at home had changed, maybe home was now a mess, maybe they had taken to long. Maybe none of this was now worth it.

He could now see a future before him. Though these ‘people’ looked different to him, he had come to feel close to them. He felt he could understand who they were, and he had come to think they would understand him.

Perhaps he and the crew could help these people gain the peace and cooperation his home had enjoyed, even if it might have now fallen into disrepair.

The mission could be better served by not enacting the protocol. It was obvious to him now. Instead, his people would survive by meeting with this new people, merging their histories, learning new ways to grow into the galaxy.

He had learned how to disengage the AI and, after so much deliberation, it was psychologically easier than he expected to put an end to the Colony X Protocol. None of the other crew knew of its existence, and he swore himself to keep this secret forever.

He planned what he was going to tell the crew when they were awake and felt a sense of peace when he realised that he was once again happy. It had been so long, but he felt a new future was there for them. They had made it to the New World.

He rushed to get them all awake, so he could tell them of these new peoples, how similar they were, and tell them of how this new planet was going to ensure the survival of their own peoples, and their way of life.

****

Major Michael Jones stared directly at his commanding officer, awaiting his reaction to what the Major had just confirmed. There was no answer, so he spoke again.

“Sir, we have confirmed the location of the object, and that it has arrived from outside of our system” he said again.

General Tsang looked back at his subordinate and nodded. Major Jones continued his report.

“It’s also most definitely not natural” the Major said, “Our analysts all share the opinion that this vessel is large enough to be considered either a military vehicle, or a major logistical ship, sir.”

“Perhaps an exploration vessel?” the general finally spoke.

The Major nodded and the general continued, he had wistful look in his eye as he turned on the display screen on the wall behind.

“You know Major” the general continued, turning to look at the display “after looking at these images, and the reports from our experts, you know what this reminds me of?”

The Major stood at ease but did not answer. The general continued whilst he pointed at the image of a strange vessel that was now on the screen.

“It makes me think of the ships of old, the sailing ships” he said.

The Major remained blank faced.

“You know, they appeared over the horizon, off the coast of some then undiscovered land, and the people living there had no idea what was to come” the General said before sitting at his desk and motioning to the Major to also sit.

The Major sat and finally spoke.

“Yes sir” he said, “before I joined the United Nations Defence Force I came from Australia.” General Tsang raised an eyebrow, and it was clear to the Major he did not understand.

“Well sir, our Indigenous people had no idea what was to befall them after the English crossed the horizon” the Major explained.

General Tsang slapped his hand on the table.

“Exactly Major” he said “the ‘Indians’ of the former United States, the native victims of the Conquistadors, your Australian Aborigines. If only they knew”

The room was silent for a brief period as the general peered back up at the ship still on the screen. He finally spoke.

“And we have confirmed with the General Assembly we are to enact the Colonising X Protocol” the general final said looking at his Major.

The Major nodded.

The General nodded back. “Very well” he soon said “make it so. It is for all our best interests”.

The general stood, then unlocked a safe below his desk. He removed an envelope from the safe and handed it to the major.

“Take these to the control room Major, and authorise the missile launch” the general said. Major Jones took the envelope, stood up and saluted before he left the room.

The general sat again, turned in his seat and looked up at the ship on the screen briefly, before turning the screen off and turning to sit quietly at his desk.

*****

The chief engineer had woken all the crew and told them of the planet now so close, and about the people there that they would soon contact. He had spoken for a long time to about what he had learned and the hope this discovery had given him.

There was some resistance, some anxiety and fear, but he had spoken with those who were fearful, and soon the whole crew were as excited as he that the mission had succeeded and it was coming to an end.

They had agreed the engineer should make the first contact with these new peoples the next day. There had been a vote about what they would ask of these peoples, and what they would be able to offer.

When he had disabled the AI, the engineer did not realise he had also disabled various alert functions in the ships navigational and security array. The expanse of space is such that, without these, it is difficult for any person to keep a close eye on all that is happening.

The chief engineer was the only crew member still awake when the missiles hit the ship. His excitement about the next day, and the impact of the decision he had made, alone, had made it hard to sleep.

The blinding flash of light as the missiles tore the ship apart, and the searing pain the engineer felt, were over almost immediately.

Leaving only darkness.

Joe Cocker- With A Little Help From My Friends (REACTION)

On August 23, Powell’s speech hinted that the Federal Reserve will cut the interest rates soon. What does this mean for countries like China and Japan? Why do they want to cut interest rates?

What does this mean for China? Likely that China will be vindicated in reducing US dollar assets.

It’s also possible it’s a big black swan event for the USA.

You see there’s nobody left to buy US T-bills. China ain’t buying especially after the 2008 fiasco. If you listened to Chinese radio and television talk shows people were angry China had gifted the US an entire US battle carrier group on the devaluation of the T-bills.

The circular money trick isn’t working either, this is how Belgium of all places became a massive holder of US T-bills. The US loaned money to Belgium who bought T-bills with it.

So after all of the above? There’s two buyers left.

The Fed – If they buy it, it causes mega inflation. I mean there’s Americans on here where inflation is a LOT higher than claimed.

Yield seeking private buyers.

Drop the rates? The Yield seekers are what it says on the tin. They seek yield so they’ll let go and buy other things. This means the Fed will step in to mop up what they sell.

This leads to mega inflation.

I won the lottery 10 years ago, but I didn’t tell a soul, not even my family. Was I wrong to do this?

One of my cousins won a lottery for several million dollars in the 1980s. It was public knowledge. At the time, the only option was an annuity that paid out the jackpot over 20 or 26 years. He bought his mom a new car. He helped her out when she needed help.

His siblings maybe thought that they were owed something. I don’t know the specifics of that. What I do know is that he continued to live his life the way he had before.

He and his wife had a couple of kids. They adopted a couple of other kids, girls from China, at the time when China had the “one child policy” and girl children were not so popular. He kept his job as a truck driver. He lived a pretty simple life, and as far as I know, his only indulgence was his beloved Harley Davidson motorcycle, which he probably could have owned on his truck driving salary.

We were not close.

The only memory that I have of him was his wedding, before the lottery win, where the wedding reception was in a state park, not a posh affair. Very simple.

When he died last year, we took my mom (then in her 90s) to the memorial service. There were lots of friends, and his immediate family, his wife, his biological children, his adopted children, all of them just…his children. That was lovely. They were thrilled that my mom was there as a connection to their grandmother who had passed away in 1996.

None of his siblings were there. A couple of his siblings had passed away, another had moved away to another state. I can’t say why none of them were there.

So if you have had good fortune, and you are able to hide this good fortune from your family, maybe it’s best to hide it as best as you can so you can keep your relationship with them.

Food Porn

The American dream is a lie

Yup it is.

What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

I worked for a small city police department. One weekend, we did not have a sergeant on-duty so being senior officer, I was in charge. Two officers (Steve and Mary) responded to a domestic dispute. A short time later, I was asked to respond to the call. Steve explained one of the participants in the dispute wanted to file a complaint on Mary for being discourteous. I released the officers from the scene and spoke to the participant. After a brief conversation, the participant decided there was a misunderstanding between him and the officer and he no longer wanted to file a complaint.

I cleared the call and spoke to Steve who explained how the misunderstanding occurred. I then spoke to Mary and advised her no complaint was being filed but to be careful how she speaks to the public.

In turn, Mary felt Steve and I were setting her up and decided to file an internal complaint against us claiming bullying. The Chief assigned Mary’s complaint to a detective named Jim. It was widely known in the department that Jim was trying to sleep with Mary but she continually turned him down.

The police department was located in the municipal building where several other city departments were located. A friend working in another department observed Jim and Mary speaking in private and when they parted, Mary gave Jim a quick kiss. It was clear something had changed in their relationship.

My friend told me what he observed and I held onto that information in case I needed it later. Sure enough, about three weeks later, I’m pulled into the Chief’s office. Jim made up allegations against me and Steve and claimed to have substantiated Mary’s allegation. The Chief was ready to issue discipline when I asked the Chief how a detective sleeping with Mary could be unbiased in his investigation. The Chief’s jaw hit the ground. Mary eventually admitted to striking a deal with Jim that if he got me and Steve fired, she would sleep with him.

A short time later, Mary was fired and charged with altering prescriptions when a doctor filed a complaint against her. Jim resigned and was charged with dereliction of duty. The Chief was also shown the door.

I took a job with another department making more money and never looked back.

Have you ever asked someone (who later passed away) to give you proof of an afterlife? For example, a word/gesture that only you two would know. And did you get the proof?

For years I drank heavily, beer at least. I would drink close to a 12 pack every weekday and close to a case on both Saturday and Sunday. I had a good friend who was an atheist and my drinking buddy. We would debate on whether there was an afterlife or not, me insisting that it was possible and he insisting that I was being foolish and there was no such thing.

One Friday after work I was following my standard drinking routine, a 24 oz can of beer for the drive home and a 6 pack of 16 oz beers for the rest of the evening. I made it home shortly after 6 that evening and was drinking the first beer out of that 6 pack. I was maybe a third or a fourth of my way through that first beer and I just decided I didn’t want it anymore. This was around 6:30 Friday night by now. The next day I didn’t drink any, or the following day either. I haven’t drank any since and that has been 6 years now since I last drank anything with alcohol in it.-

The following Sunday I had an unexpected knock at my door, it was an old girlfriend I hadn’t seen since high school but, she and my drinking buddy had kept in touch. She told me that our friend had been struck and killed while walking across a busy road and on his way to spend the weekend in jail for his third DWI. When he was hit and killed, It would have been around the same time I put down my last beer, unfinished.

I can’t help but to think he was the one that turned my mind around and put me on my way to sobriety. Maybe I’m just being foolish and trying to make something more out of those events than there really is. I still can’t help but to think otherwise, though.

I know I’ve told this story before, and for those that have read it previously, I apologize for sounding like a broken record.

“WORSE Than 1929-1946…” – Doug Casey

Damn! This is an amazingly great video. A Must Must WATCH!

Why is China lagging behind India while its GDP is higher than India’s?

China is not lagging behind India in any manner. China is far more advanced than India in every respect.

Chinese society is far more harmonious and stable.

China has far better infrastructure.

Chinese education is far superior.

China has far better health care for its citizens.

China eradicated absolute poverty in 2020, while India is still mired by over 100 million people living in extreme poverty.

China’s military is far larger and far more powerful.

China is the one and only global manufacturing superpower.

China has a better human rights record. Indian women are regularly abused. There is ethnic and religious inequality.

China’s female participation rate in the labor force is 70%, while in India, it’s only 25%.

China is not burdened by the caste system.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Name one thing that puts India ahead of China.

Can the defense of Black Myth: Wukong by Chinese gamers against criticism from foreign media be seen as a reflection of national pride or a form of cultural protectionism? Share your thoughts.

Make no mistake, Chinese people account for one fifth of the world’s population, and almost all you hear are NON-CHINESE people’s rebuttals to the defamation.

Most of us are dismissive of non Chinese Internet content. Your barking cannot hinder anything happening within China. Now it’s a showdown between YOUR public opinion distorters and YOUR masses.

We did not participate. We’re just being there.

Why don’t you reflect on why your PC groups are so hated by your public.

At what ages were you the happiest and saddest?

In my 20s I was the saddest I have ever been. Actually, ages 23–29 were the worst years of my life. Why?

Because I had not settled on a good career and was not sure I could find a career I liked even reasonably well. Consequently, I was also making low wages. Thus, I lived in a crummy apartment, had very little money left over from each paycheck, drove an old car, and had no real prospects. Could not even imagine a happy future for myself.

Additionally, having left the family to accept the responsibility of being on my own, I was lonely. Had no steady girl and couldn’t pal around with my old college and high school friends anymore because, guess what? They were all married and had kids! Now this was during the 1970s, when all my generation was marrying early. Most girls of the time were married by 21, 22, or at most, 23. Even many college students were married, which is why my school had a large dormitory for married couples. Even most boys married no later than about 23 or 24. And there I was 27, 28, 29, and still single with a crumb job. I felt like a complete loser.

Then, just as I’d sunk about as low as I could get, my dad called with some news. “Son,” he said. “I know you like to read and that you majored in English in college. A friend who is a school principal was telling me he needs an 8th grade English teacher. Would you like to meet him?”

“I don’t know, Dad. I’ve never done anything like that.”

“Well, you’ve nothing to lose. He’s at West Hill Middle School. Go talk to him.” So, I did, and so I was hired.

My first few weeks were a little shaky, but I learned quickly and soon realized how much I liked teaching English. By the end of the year, my career path was decided. My principal wanted me to return to college that summer, and on fall afternoons and evenings to pick up some extra coursework to upgrade my certificate. Late that summer I met a young lady at the university who was also taking coursework toward a master’s degree in education. We hit it off quickly, began dating, and by Christmas we were married. And she was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I call that year – the year I turned 30 – my ‘annus mirabilis,’ my year of miracles. Over the space of about 12 months, my sad life had changed into a miraculously happy one. I’d turned from an ugly duckling into a happy swan.

Today, my wife and I live on 40 beautiful rural acres in northwest Florida, and we are contentedly retired. We have had a happy life yet are happier now than ever because we have the time and money to do anything we like. Yet our tastes are very simple. We enjoy sitting in our pecan orchard when fall turns the leaves bright yellow. We enjoy standing or sitting on our long field at sunset and watching the sun sink below the distant tree line. We enjoy playing with Freckie, our lively border collie. And I, at last, have all the time to read so many of the fine books I’d always wanted to read.

So, for me, these years in my 70s are the best and happiest ever. I can now sing, with the great Carly Simon: “These are … the good ol’ days.”

Fatal Mistake: Argentina Offers Its Lithium & Critical Minerals For US Money & Investment

Shorpy

Why aren’t the Chinese or Indian aircraft carriers considered a great threat by the West?

Question: Why aren’t the Chinese or Indian aircraft carriers considered a great threat by the West?

Answer:

Well, depending on who you ask and China is quite different from India.

If you ask the average English audience, then just go with the quick and magic answer of:

“The Chinese is somehow evil and constantly threatening, so we are morally justified to pull any kind of shit. And magically, at the same time, they must always be a push over, so no one will worry their pretty little head about how constantly antagonizing the biggest industrial power on the planet is a bad idea”.

Now if we are talking about reality, then it is another story entirely.

The first two Chinese carrier is actually less threatening, in the sense that they don’t bring much to the what the Chinese can already do. This is because the Chinese fleet are organized differently from US fleets.

In US fleets, the carrier represents the bulk of the striking power against comparable opponents. The aircraft from the carriers represent majority of the fleet’s offensive power and a significant amount of defensive power. This means you NEED large and long endurance carriers which can carry a lot of planes and by nature, the carrier is what makes and breaks the fleet.

The Chinese fleet are different because majority of their strike power comes ship-based missiles.

main qimg 7f427bd365684c81e7c88e7729533d29

main qimg bdf388c58158fcf22882b99906020126

Yes, the picture shows Ticonderoga has more VLS cells, but the ones on Type 055 are much bigger and can actually host missiles that are threatening to the surface combat vessels.

So for the Chinese carriers, the strike power from planes are actually not quite as important because whatever missiles J15 can carry, 055 can carry much bigger ones with better range and accuracy.

This means the main purpose of the Chinese carriers are mostly about hosting electronic warfare, early warning crafts. These aircraft are typically much bigger and heavier than the fighters jets and as the result, can’t really be launched from the Kuznetsov-class based Liaoning-Jian and Shandong-Jian.

The type 003 Fujian-Jian is a different story. From what we have seen so far, the electric catapult system is indeed working and this means it is capable of providing long radar/electronic warfare coverage for the Chinese fleet. This means the PLAN will be projecting power away from its shore.

Well, to be fair, the away part may be a bit misleading. Since antiship missiles in the DF series has a such a long combat range, China is already capable for projecting its influence thousands of kilometers away from its shore. But with Fujian and other EC capable vessel now in the building stage, you’d start to see PLAN showing greater presence in places like Middle East, Africa and even Latin Americas.

Why would you want to take a concealed carry gun everywhere you go?

Suzanna Hupp was a chiropractor living in Copperas Cove, Texas. She generally carried a little pistol in her purse (it’s a Southern Lady thing, I’m not going to take the time and space to try to explain it here). There was some utility to this habit – she frequently would work late, and would have to walk to her car in a semi-deserted parking lot late at night. A young woman alone in a deserted parking lot late at night is kind of a classic situation where the young woman might, indeed, want to have a little pistol in her purse.

The little pistol in her purse was also, at the time, totally illegal (although, traditionally, such laws were not vigorously enforced against respectable white women with a little pistol in their purse). At the time, however, the authorities were increasingly “cracking down” on people illegally carrying firearms. Even respectable middle-class white women with just a little pistol in their purse.

One day, Suzanna met with her parents to go out to lunch. They rode together in Suzanna’s car. When Suzanna opened her purse to put her car keys in, her mother saw her pistol in the purse. Mom told her that she should probably leave her pistol in her car (this, at the time, was legal – you could keep a pistol in your car, but it was strictly against the law to carry it concealed in a purse or pocket outside of one’s vehicle). If a waitress or other customer saw the pistol when Suzanna opened her purse, they might call the police and there would be trouble. Safest to just leave it in the car.

Besides, this wasn’t a dark deserted parking lot late at night; this was Luby’s Cafeteria in downtown Killeen, at lunch hour. It wasn’t dark, it was noon on a bright autumn day; and it wasn’t exactly deserted, Luby’s that day was packed. Certainly not the time or place where one would need to be packing a gun.

It was October 16, 1991. While they were at lunch, a deranged merchant sailor drove his pickup truck right through the floor-to-ceiling front windows of Luby’s, stepped out of his truck, and began shooting people. Suzanna reached in her purse for her pistol, then remembered that she’d left it safely in her car.

The police came, the nutcase killed himself, but by that time he had killed 23 other people, including both of Suzanna Hupp’s parents.

Suzanna later testified to the legislature, “Maybe I wouldn’t have been able to stop him, there’s no guarantees. I would at least have had a chance. But my gun was a hundred feet away, in my car, and I had no chance at all.”

I don’t want to be Suzanna Hupp. I carry wherever and whenever I legally can.

The MQ-28A Ghost Bat, Unmanned Systems and the Future of Australian Air Power

Easy Goulash

xr:d:DAF22W0nojs:6,j:2215057270594147283,t:23121310

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (17 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole-kernel corn
2 cups macaroni
1 cup shredded cheese, if desired

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Brown beef with onion and bell pepper. Drain.
Add tomatoes and corn. Cook until heated well.
Cook macaroni and drain. Add to beef mixture.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into baking pan.
Bake for for 15 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle cheese over the top and bake just long enough for cheese to melt.

How do you view the popularity of “Black Myth: Wukong” and the spread of Chinese culture?

Selected comments from China Uncensored’s YouTube video titled “There’s a Reason China Made Black Myth Wukong…”

All my comments on here are also “mysteriously” removed. What’s the point when you are a CCP yourself?
Lol telling gamers not to play Wukong is like telling a starving person not to go buy that big reasonably priced juicy steak right over there but instead go lick the Dustborn off the floor till they’re satisfied instead because ethics or something.
Hate to break your little bubble mate; but people/gamers don’t care, if its a GOOD game they will buy and play it no matter how many links you can chain towards someone dying at a long end of a rope somewhere because of it. The only people who won’t buy it because of political reasons, are people who wouldn’t PLAY it anyway.
You are screaming into a void. Gamers are tired of politics from any side trying to influence gamers. Yo’all do your politics and let gamers enjoy their games. I can point out more than 100 items you use in your daily life and in your studio and 99% would probably be made in China. The selective outrage is pure hypocrisy. Leave Black Myth Wukong alone or leave us gamers out of it! WE DON’T CARE! Gamers play games for escapism from the real world, politics (no matter which side) takes that away.
A game about Chinese mythology made by a Chinese developer? Oh no say it ain’t so. All I care about is if it’s good or not
I mean, I’m anti-CCP as much as any American, but a good game is still a good game, and Black Myth Wukong is still a good game. Its not my fault that US based games are all DEI crap these days, and that one of the best original IP games that isn’t filled with DEI wokism is from a chinese company.
I respect your content a lot, but I think you’re just wrong about this one.
Too late. The game is anti woke. I bought the collectors edition.
Gamers will always buy games that are good. If it isn’t, they will ignore it. Black Myth Wukong did something right, and it was a fun boss rush game. Pushing to boycotting a good game will backfire, since gamers isn’t biased when it comes to masterpiece games. Majority of the ppl/gamers don’t care about geopolitics they just want to play good games.
Nah bro, a game is a game. People know about the propaganda and stuff, don’t worry about it. If you want to report on it, go plat the game, and tell us whether there are any lies/ obfuscations in the story or something
So here’s the dilemma. Buying Black Myth Wukong supports the CCP. That’s bad. Buying Black Myth Wukong puts numbers behind a legitimately good game. THAT’S good. What are we supposed to do?
Wont lie i bought wukong and will continue to buy non woke games. Wokeness is a cancer. And wukong is a relief from such wokeness.
As much as I don’t like China gov. it’s a pretty good game. Already finished it
Imagine not buying a game because you don’t like of where the company resides. Gives off the same energy as not buying a drink or a food because the company comes from said country. This is just as silly as that boycott of Atomic Heart. Buying a game that looks fun and you wanna play, isn’t gonna bring your country and the gaming industry closer to ruin. Chill.
Bought it anyways
I’m going to fight against woke games by supporting communism! Big brain move, guys
My dude, I love you, but you lost the plot with Black Myth: Wukong here.
will buy it anyway
They stood against Sweet Baby Inc so they deserve praise. They made a great game. Who cares about their government. This channel is very informative and I will continue to support China Uncensored but not this “boycott”
Hey , Chris . Quick question – why do you hate fun ?
I will buy it this time sorry not sorry
If we’re worried about China dominating the video game industry, you’re about 15 years too late.
China uncensored if you want to continue to be taken seriously, don’t bring a single player action game that have absolutely zero social elements in it that anybody could misconstrue well when you like that
Don’t tell me what to do nerd
The woke lefties made that game a super hit. There nothing one can do now
Shut up about video games.
Sorry dude, I find your attempt to insert YOUR politics into computer games just as sickening and vile as when the woke crowd does it. It’s not even a political game to begin with. First dislike after years of watching. Hands off the games!
Leave black myth wukong alone.
The probelem is Black Myth Wukong is opposed by the western liberal leftists. So that makes people wanting to buy that game.
Man I am just find it ironic. People are buying this Chinese game because it is a great game that doesnt push any agendas or politics, then telling gamers not to buy it because of political reasons. Gamers dont care about politics, we care about good games that respect our time and intelligence.
I agree with your battles but this is not the hill.
Honestly the game is mad fun and if the west is trying to push concord and dustborn on me i am very happy playing the Monkey Game because god its fun to play
Homie, I don’t have to “trust a game” to enjoy it.
That’s a shame i really like this channel
is this sponsored by sweet baby ???????
I have to disagree about wukong, I won’t boycott it. There is a battle with woke ideologies and traditional ideologies that you might have not lean in to.
If china makes good video games, i will buy chinese video games.
If its a good game its a good game, fuck the politics
It’s hard to choose which I hate more, china or woke DEI culture…
Bro is onto nothing, never cook again and stay away from games please
I bought Blackmyth and I’m having fun with it. I haven’t had this much fun with a game in years but now I’m conflicted.
Too late bro. Bought it and LOVING it. The game is a MASTERPIECE.
It’s just a game. You have to turn everything into politics just because it’s originated from China
too late, I bought it and it’s a good game
I disagree, even though I usually agree with your other videos.
And buy Concord instead? Wukong is attractive because there is nothing similar in the West.
“Don’t Buy it” nope. I will buy it. The game is that good. Majority of western games are caving into DEI narratives in story telling for games
Up til now, I liked your videos, but you are bad mouthing the game like everyone else. Shame on you
do you want me to stop buy Black Myth Wukong? ok I want 2 thing 1 all game most stop do DEI shit 2 game development most focus on tall good story and good gameplay that’s it
Ima buy this game. I think they earned it. All those awesome graphics aint no joke to produce. Their artist deserve a win. Now we just need to get the US and japanese game dev to step up their games and compete instead of whining about it.
Oh shit too late, at least it’s a good game
It’s a good game, doesn’t matter who makes it, people will play it.
Yea, this is a final nail to the coffin. This time it’s unsub.
Yeah no I’m out
Fire the script writer for this one. Lost a subscriber.
This game you told me not to buy has hundreds of times less political messages than most Western games created today, so I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill
Wel it is a good game compared to the last few years of garabge
All my friends and buddies are getting Black Myth Wukong.
I already bought it….. im sorry but you’re waaaayyyyy too late in reporting on wukong.
you are shitting out of the toilet on this one. keep politics and propaganda out of my games, please
This take is cringe and stupid. How about we just start making better games in America again
rule number 1: Never tells the gamer what to buy and what’s not.

My short take on Black Myth Wukong’s impact on the West:

It’s a war. Not between China and the US. It’s a war between gamers and woke culture (which I call “Western depravity”). The whole YouTube gaming channels are in this together.

I’m not too sure about the promotion of Chinese culture, but the game will be remembered as the game that finally defeated the woke culture. Gamers know this. That’s why they love this game so much!

I’m not a gamer myself, but even I can understand that gamers worldwide see Black Myth Wukong as the game that saved their gaming culture from the toxic woke culture.

Famous influencers are dropping like flies: Why?

What is the worst country you have ever visited?

India. I went to India twice on business.

I worked at a copper smelter in Tamil Nadu. I saw women carrying enormous loads on their heads. They wore hard hats with flat tops. Men wore regular hard hats. When i asked why i was explained that men are stronger so they don’t have to balance loads on their heads. Men wore safety boots. Women wore unsafe sandals. They were used as beasts of burden.

While we were there, they found the bodies of two female infants. They suspected selective infanticide.

The car we used didn’t have safety belts. Driving was like playing chicken all the time.

I saw carts pulled by Brahma bulls or by half-naked men. It was like being teleported to the middle ages.

One day for lunch we had vegetables containing wriggling maggots, the other day medium-rare chicken for dinner.

The hotel was ~$10/night and, according to a colleague, it “wasn’t worth it.” The shower head broke off. The crank opening the window broke off, etc.

Someone joked that maybe i could get married there. The local engineer said only a black man would want a local wife. This reflects another aspect of the culture – darker-skinned people are considered “ugly.”

The local paper was full of stories of people taking revenge by using a knife, a scythe, or throwing acid, often over a dowry. It also contained personal ads from women who described themselves as fair-skinned to be more marriageable.

One of the young engineers at the plant died when his bike hit the carcass of a water buffalo left in the middle of the road at night. He slowly succumbed to his injuries while nobody would help. I’ve read people are afraid of dealing with the corrupt police.

To be fair, on the second trip the flat hardhats were gone and the car had safety belts.

But, by and large, we were not bothered by the locals. It was a different story in northern India.

Some guy offered my colleague a shoeshine in New Delhi. When he declined he grabbed him by the leg, smeared some stuff on his shoes, and aggressively demanded money.

Streets were full of beggars, some of them for some reason missing fingers.

We asked a taxi driver to take us to a government store so we could buy some gifts. He took us to his friend’s (or relative’s) place instead where they aggressively tried to make us buy stuff we didn’t want.

When we finally got to the government store we got some good stuff. I got sandalwood statues of Ganesh and Hanuman and a book of Mughal miniature paintings. I found the culture as really interesting.

Mumbai had a cholera outbreak. We saw people having diarrhea by the road. The hotel was very nice but the neighborhood next door was full of garbage, with open sewer, and scrawny cows roaming the streets.

The Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra were breathtakingly beautiful. A lot of the rest of Agra looked, according to my sojourner, “like a dump.”

We almost missed our plane as the lady checking passports took almost sadistic pleasure in checking each page of each passport. By the way, the Indian visa application is some 3 pages long and it contains questions about religion (three is no “atheist,” “agnostic,” or “secular humanist”) and whether one’s grandparents were Pakistanis.

This was all a while ago so maybe things have changed…

What surprised you most when you first came to China, as a foreigner?

Disclaimer: All the comparisons are done with Indian life as benchmark

Oh that’s plenty…where do i begin with? let’s see.

There are no cops on major roads of the cities in China , yet traffic stops at red light. This may sound absurd, but this is not the norm in India.
Fitness level of people. I don’t remember finding any obese person in China. I visited three cities: Beijing, Shanghai & Harbin. None were obese .
Absence of google, facebook, twitter. Sites like weibo, wechat rule the roost.
Participation of women in the economy: in all the three cities we had women tour guides who stayed with us from morning 7:00 am till night 10:30. Pretty difficult to expect that in India.
Toilets: this one is quite weird. while traditional chinese go the indian way, what was quite shocking was to find that public toilets have indian seats, with no partition in between!!!. no privacy whatsoever. ofcourse you will not find water as well. and quite possibly toilet roll too would be absent. Certainly not the best country to do your business.
Electricity quota: China only switches on its ACs during restricted months during summers. The Government decides that duration.
Infrastructure: everything out there…be it roads, monuments, factories, its just huge. More importantly it is working. While we are debating the need for bullet trains, china is using them like crazy. We struggle to get mobile network at stationary places, i was talking trouble-free with my sister in India during a train ride with this train speed…

main qimg cfc0317b91a0076fbd56ddd497a1f987 lq

No doubt Sydney opera is outstandingly beautiful , but take a look at this

main qimg 134f91a6d2ffc10c988fc81df4c98162 lq

That’s Harbin grand opera, no less picturesque than Sydney in any way. Chinese are extremely determined to match the best in the world & even beat the best.

There

Friendliness of people: Indians are treated the same way indians generally treat white skinned people..with awe. they were quite willing to have pics with us, help us & what not.This China Vs india rhetoric is not known to people
General absence of religion in public discourse. Religion doesnt feature in the lives of Chinese people in general. No bullshit in the name of religion
Discipline. I found Chinese quite disciplined in their schedule & daily lives. What to eat, when to eat , its all quite structured. They are an extremely hardworking & disciplined people. No wonder China has grown so much
Eye for detail: These guys plan way ahead. and execution is too good. They also focus quite a lot on maintenance of things. I was surprised to find a man scrubbing a dustbin early morning on my morning run at Harbin. That’s something i would not imagine here.
Lack of pvt ownership. You don’t own land/apartment. it is leased to your for 99 years & that too can be taken by the government any time & you will be given a replacement , not necessarily of your choice
2nd copies aka fakes. very difficult to differentiate from the originals. China has dedicated malls which deal in them

China is a very interesting country & is definitely worth a visit. You could learn quite a few things.

Do military personnel receive training on reading maps, using a compass for navigation, and identifying their location using stars if they become lost?

I can only speak for the Army. Yes. We get courses on map navigation and compass use.

There is no using stars for navigation as that requires a sextant. You will see the Navy personnel on ships doing this.

It’s too complicated for infantry soldiers. Not that Army can’t do it but it requires extra equipment. It’s just easier to use maps and compass. The Navy uses stars because one part of the Ocean looks like any other part. Blue and flat. There is literally nothing to look at except for stars.

On land, you have land features and with a map you can easily find out where you are. And for the Army, carrying extra equipment that you won’t use is simply not done. Every ounce of equipment has to be useful for the Army soldiers. Space and weight is at a premium.

Bride-To-Be HYSTERICAL After Getting Caught With Ex’s “Sausage” In Mouth At Engagement Party!

What scared you the most about going to prison that turned out to be untrue?

Rape. Like everyone else out there, it was what you first associate with the scary things about prison. Such BULLSHIT. I’m sure it happens.. I never witnessed it, I was never even slightly at risk of that happening to me … and never even heard a rumor on the yard of it happening … and there are few secrets on the yard.

When I went to prison the first time in my twenties, I was stripped down naked and left on a wooden bench during processing and intake. I was very scared. A brotha came in saw me naked and yelled at the CO to give me my prison-issued clothing. An hour or two later, still getting processed, another brotha who worked there asked me if I wanted an extra bag lunch he had. I quickly said NO… cuz that’s what I was told led to you being someone’s bitch. He asked me again, and once more I say no… but I was starving! He smiles, and leaves it anyways. What I learned that day was there were many, many men who were strangers to me but gave without expecting anything. It wasn’t at all like I had expected.

When I returned to prison in my fifties, I thought I was too old to fight and worried about how I was going to be treated. Again, as soon as I appeared on the yard, a group of brothas appeared at my bunk with shower shoes, ramen, some hygiene products, chips, candy, and even some sweat shirts and pants! It’s what they do for every new black inmate’s arrival and I was honored to do that for others as they arrived.

What can immediately make a person unattractive?

A big one is body odor. If a person doesn’t smell right, attraction dies on the vine. I once read a story about a famous actor turning down Marilyn Monroe, despite her being rather into him and “ready to go”… he had her in front of him. Needed only to say the word.

But she smelled bad. And she didn’t take care of herself. And any other man would have been able to overlook it — it’s Marilyn Monroe, after all. Of all people! A queen, no, a goddess amongst women! To the actor it was a dealbreaker. And I’ve seen this play out in life, in a way. A beautiful person with horribly decaying teeth? No way, José. A gorgeous face may lean in for a kiss and if the smell from his or her mouth is the foul scent of death… that’s the end of all attraction.

Be clean. Be fresh. Smell right, so people will be eager to taste you, be near you, explore you. But smell like death and it’s the death of your dating life. Not to all people — desperation’s one hell of a drug — but to many.

With all the news reports, can we conclude the Chinese are not exactly being truthful to put it mildly?

Nopes

You can conclude that they are either lies or exaggerations

Why?

In 1978 – Soviet Union issued exactly 5260 Tourist Exit Visas outside the Iron Curtains to other nations which were not Soviet Satellites

In the same year 12,400 Visit Visas were issued to enter the Soviet Union from Non Communist Nations (Including North Korea + Vietnam + Cuba + China)

In 2024 – so far to date Chinese Passports have been issued 8.72 Million Tourist Visas upto 30/6/24 while around 12–14 Million Chinese Visas have been issued for Foreign Passport Holders into China

12,400 vs 14 Million!!!!

So trust me, China can’t hide anything today

They don’t hide anything today

Since most of their Media is STATE OWNED there is no incentive in insane TRPs and thus the Chinese Media does not go for SENSATIONALISM

They often appear “Boring” to the outsiders used to Western or Indian media with their sensationalism and their quest for TRPs

The Problem is most people still look at China with a 1980s lens

Had my sons not gone to Singapore, had I myself not done business with Singaporeans and had my Nephew not gone to Shanghai, I would have had the same 1980s lens

You have to go to China to experience the new China and conclude that it’s entirely and diametrically opposite to what the Western Narrative Suggests

For instance the West says Chinas stock market is performing badly

In reality Chinas Stock prices are CAPPED in a way

They can’t rise beyond a certain maximum

In that way the shares are kept undervalued

Any Banker working in China knows the truth

For instance the West says Chinas Real Estate sector is collapsing

In reality, the Sector is deliberately allowed to kill off speculation and ensure affordable housing to all Chinese

Every Tier 2/3 City is going to have some fixed price housing projects which will rise by a fixed 4% a year for the next 30 years

That’s to ensure every couple can buy an affordable house before they are 30 years of age

The West doesn’t cover this news

You need to live in China to know this news.

For instance the West says Chinas Demographic collapse is coming

In reality Chinas age of retirement is pegged at 55 Years

If it’s raised to 65, China would have 66% of their working population supporting 13.50% of their elderly population in 2042 and 60% of their Population supporting 18% of their elderly population in 2060

It’s still more than 3:1

Plus Chinese people SAVE at a rate more than the entire world

A Chinese Household saves 44% of their income earned against less than 24.8% for the Global Average and 17.7% for the G7

However while this is something every Chinese Actuarian knows, no Westerner will ever talk about this

They have no idea how China works

Even on Quora

Only those who genuinely live in China or know China like Bill Chen or Aya Shawn and some others have some idea of what’s going on

Most others simply either quote Western Media or 1980s Narrative like “CCP is bad, CCP is Evil”

Accidental Time Travelers | The Mystery and Science of Time Slips

The tale of the small skull

When I was in second grade or so, my family went to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh.

This was one of those many, many trips that my parents would make to expose us kids to science, history and technology. And of course, we loved those outings.

Good going… kudos to my parents.

Once we visited, my dad would sometimes buy us a little trinket from the store there. Overly priced, of course, but a fun activity.

A little treasure for a boy full of wonder and amazement.

On one visit, my father bought me this miniature skull. It was about the size of a golf ball, and I loved it. It looked sort of like this, only made out of porcelain.

I was holding and caressing it. I really liked that little trinket. It was my tiny treasure.

My Tiny Treasure.

It really was. As a young boy… it was my momentary everything.

So… as the story goes, afterwards we went to visit my paternal grandparents in Polish Hill; a suburb of Pittsburgh.

And there, still holding my miniature skull we hung out on the porch. My grandmother had a glider (a couch on a metal frame that would slide back and forth like a rocking chair).

It was a pleasant time.

Us kids drank sodas …

…and our parents drank either coffee or beer.

Ah. It was a typical 1960’s Sunday.

Music was playing from the kitchen radio; KDKA and the Nancy Sinatra song “Those boots were made for walkin'” was playing followed by “Up up and away in my beautiful balloon”.

And we were a chillin’.

My grandparents porch was built on the side of a hill as most houses inside of Pittsburgh, and it was a four or five floor drop to the ground. That’s just the way Pittsburgh was. Homes on the side of hills.

You enter the house from the street. Then as you walked to the back of the house, you met the porch that was five stories high.

So we had a nice video of the steel mills in the background.

Ah. Such memories.

So my dad is holding my kid sister. She was maybe two years old at the time. And he says to me. “Hey let your little sister look at your skull.”

I said no.

“No. She is too little and I am afraid that she will drop it on the floor.”

It was my little prize and joy.

And he said “You are her big brother; you are the oldest son. You must do this. Be a man.”

So I reluctantly and tepidly handed it over to him, and he placed it in her tiny hands.

She looked at it. Tried to eat it…

One second later…

She tosses it high up the air off the porch… she threw it, actually…

And time froze.

I watched in slow motion. Slow motion…

Slooooow motion….

Slow motion… as the skull flew up high and then fell five stories to the sidewalk below.

Crash!

Broken nothing.

Beyond hope of repair. Inside was a fragment of a Chinese newspaper.

And my dad said to me; “Don’t worry next time, you can get another“.

But, you know, there wasn’t a next time.

PERIOD.

…

Today…

FULL DISCLAIMER! This Question came from Stephen Colbert. If you were going to describe the rest of your life in five words, what would they be?

Choices mine. Consequences inevitable. Accepted.

The Coronation Of Harris

The Democrats are hailing themselves for the successful coup (archived) they had launched against President Joe Biden. When their new candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, took part in the primaries she did not get one delegate. In this years primaries Joe Biden had won a majority.

He was removed un-cerimoniously because a few billionaire donors and some party bosses in the backroom thought he might lose the election.

All that leaves no doubt about how democratic the Democrats really are.

I doubt that Harris has better chances to win than Biden. The few times I have heard her talking she did could not formulate anything of substance. My impression is that she is an empty vessel, a shell with nothing in there. Her campaign website has no link of reference to any of her policies. She seems to have no program.

Why then would anyone vote for her?

Her current promotion in Dem friendly media will not hold up during the whole campaign.

The elections are Donald Trump’s to lose. He should again promote policies which will help the lower income strata. Cheaper health care, a higher minimum wage and other such policies will win votes. Promoting crypto, because some donor PAC will pay for it, does not. Ending wars is popular. Launching new ones isn’t.

Running proudly and loudly on a few of the popular things should be enough for Trump to win.

Posted by b at 17:09 UTC | Comments (197)

“It’s Getting WORSE And WORSE…” – Richard Wolff

What are some ugly truths of life?

If you made $100,000 a day since the birth of Christ. Bill Gates would still have more money than you.
Every disaster movie begins with a scientist being ignored.
Our brains remember that we forgot something but can’t remember what that thing was.
We have gotten so used to everyone being rude, that kindness is suspicious.
We live in a weird generation where robots are named Alexa and kids are named X Æ A-12.
Somewhere in this world, there are English teachers out there waiting for schools to reopen so they can give students an essay topic “How I spent my lockdown”.
Breaking up is like deleting a game you spent lots of time, progress, and money on.
The quote ” Life is short ” sometimes encourages people to do things that might actually make their lives shorter.
Money may not make you happy, but it sure as hell removes all the extra stress that comes with being broke while unhappy.
The people who have the most screwed up lives often give the best advice.
Society hates a lazy person until that lazy person becomes so lazy that they discover a very efficient way to do something.
The economy is on the verge of collapsing because people are only buying what they need.
When asked “where do you see yourself in 2 years”, everybody in 2018 probably got the answer wrong.
If your New Years Resolution was to eat out less, you’re killing it.
The hospital you were born in is the only room you exit without actually entering.
If age taught me one thing it is: Days are long, years are short.
A woman is only as loyal as her options. She will leave as soon as a “better” opportunity comes along. Rooted deep in materialism, a woman’s love can be stolen & her loyalty bought. Her love is always on sale, her loyalty always sold out.
Man go into family courts to enforce their rights to parent their kid(s). They only leave as a visitor & a paycheck.
When a woman doesn’t want to raise a child, it’s called a CHOICE, hence the saying “my body, my choice”. When a man doesn’t want to raise a child it’s called a CRIME, no one ever considers it’s “his money, his choice”. He’s called a DEADBEAT & the government will force him to pay CHILD SUPPORT or go to JAIL.
Some people want diamond ring, Some just want Burger King.

Have you ever walked out of a car dealership just before signing a final purchase contract? What happened?

My mother wanted to buy a trustworthy, used car to run errands and to get to work.

She found one, saying that the sales staff was very helpful and kind (I remember thinking, “I bet.”), but she wanted me to go with her before she signed anything.

On our way there, she chattered on and on about how great they were; she knew their names and even some personal stuff.

Doug, my mother’s salesman, greeted us with a tad too much boyish enthusiasm (he was probably in his 40’s) and was flirtatious with both of us.

I was born and raised in a small Texas city and knew a lot about ‘good ol’ boy’ mentality. I expected it from Doug, and sadly, I was not wrong.

When I began asking relevant questions about previous owners/accidents/maintenance, Doug’s eyes narrowed and a quick frown passed over his face. Then he turned into a condescending axxhxxx.

His mannerisms, tone and ‘soothing’ voice reflected his belief that we mere ‘lil ladies’ shouldn’t trouble ourselves with such things.

When I asked about payment options and interest, I saw another look of annoyance, and obviously without thinking, he said, “You really won’t understand, so I ‘ll pick the best for you.”

I stared at him for a moment, then took my mother’s arm and walked out.

I heard him ask to no one in particular, “What did I say?”

His younger colleague responded with, “Doug, you insulted them.”

My mother was very happy with the car we bought right across the street from Doug’s workplace.

What are the differences between the Chinese government and western style governments? What are the reasons for these differences and what are the consequences of each system?

This is a really good question, and I’m also very interested in this topic.

I’ve never understood why the West practices a one-person-one-vote system. In my view, this system has serious risks.

If we were building a complex bridge or launching a rocket, would we decide how to do it by voting?

Obviously not.

But why is it that governing a country, a project thousands of times more complex than launching a rocket, can be decided by one person one vote?

It’s absurd.

Chinese tradition respects the elderly and scholars, believing that they possess wisdom.

I consider myself a scholar and an elder. I firmly believe that China absolutely should not adopt a one-person-one-vote system; it would be a disaster for both China and the world.

A huge disaster.

You should be well aware that a captain must have absolute authority. Deciding the course by a vote? That would be a tragedy.

This topic is very sensitive.

I’m not anti-democracy, nor am I discriminating against any ethnicity, and certainly not against young people or those with lower education levels.

What I’m trying to say is that this is an engineering issue. Governing a large country, especially one with 1.4 billion people, is extremely difficult.

Take the UK’s high-speed rail project as an example. They spent 20 years debating, spent several times more money than China did on its longest high-speed rail from Beijing to Shanghai, and in the end, only built a few dozen kilometers…

It was certainly democratic. But the efficiency was completely lost.

My daughter asked me today: “Dad, why is Great Britain now a third-rate country?” I replied: “Please show basic respect for Great Britain—it has become a second-rate country mainly because of its small population and small size—and its extremely inefficient democratic politics.”

This question is too difficult to answer. I wrote thousands of words, but deleted them all in the end because it didn’t express my true opinion – it was too politically incorrect.

Wife Of 7 Years Opened Our Marriage Without My Knowledge, Has BREAKDOWN When I Toss Her + Suitcase..

Two parts. This is the first, and the second is at the bottom of this post.

Today’s MM AI generations

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(13)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(14)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(12)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(11)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(10)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(10)

@@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(9)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(10)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(8)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(9)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(8)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Oriental 2

Why doesn’t the West face up to China, but uses public opinion to smear China?

Because the west is all about supporting a single narrative at all costs, not about the truth.

Here are the main points of the western narrative:

Human progress has always been defined by Judeo-Christian values, which have evolved into western values. This should continue into the future.
Any civilization or culture which proposes an alternative is a threat which is unacceptable and must be defeated.
Only alliances under western leadership are acceptable; everything else is a threat.
Multipolarity is a threat to western leadership which must be challenged at all costs.

The fact is that the west has only 15% of the world’s population and the U.S. has only 5%, but the U.S. consumes 20% of the world’s production.

The U.S. is in a privileged position which it wants to keep, but it no longer has the industrial power because it outsourced it to China.

But it cannot admit it did this by itself; that would be an embarrassing admission of stupidity, and would show that Wall Street determines policy, not the American people.

So the western media becomes the tool to convince the American people that China did all this, and that China is evil.

Not western businesses and policymakers.

What tourist nationality do you dread seeing in your country the most (arrogant, rude, pretentious, stingy)?

I live in Bolivia. Cheapest country in Latin America (or at least is used to be) for tourists.

Israeli tourists are generally considered the worst.

Entitled, dirty, superiority complex, rude, stingy…

I met an Israeli girl, who was actually quite nice and to a tee the opposite of the stereotype, who explained the why and how of such behaviour.

Turns out that the mayority of these tourists, who almost always travel in packs, are young people who have just finished their military service in the border regions. They are full of adrenaline and “piss and vinegar” and are basically EXPECTED to go travel for a year after their military service to get rid of the “bad vibes”. In truth, these people just long to get home after a very stressful 2 years, but social pressure obliges them to go “travel”.

And then you get the following situations:

littering and vandalism amd general disrespect. Hotelrooms left dirty and vandalized, towels stolen and sheets smeared with excrement…

haggling over every little thing. E.g. in Rurrenabaque you have moto-taxi, and it costs about 20 Eurocents a voyage (2 Bolivianos). So, 1 rider, 1 passenger. Nevertheless I saw Israelis that insisted THREE passengers would fit on that bike. It is indeed not unusual to see a whole family of 4 on 1 motorbike, but come on! This is a TAXI, trying to make a living! 20 Eurocents /USD cents is not the end of the world if you are showing off your North Face gear and expensive digital cameras! Then they expected a private room with private bathroom for the price of a bed in a dorm etc etc.

Males harass the female population but are prone to physical violence if you even dare to look at a girl in their group.

Bsaically, if you have Israeli customers, they end up costing you more money than you can earn off them. Not a good business plan.

I worked in a hotel in Rurrenabacque, I saw all this with my own eyes. Of course, there ARE nice people and not all Israelis are POS, but those “gangs” of young Israeli tourists are just the worst.

China Just Struck A Major Hit On Europe, And Things Are About To Get Real!

Why did you become pro-China?

Despite being attacked and labeled incessantly as wumao and commie lapdog, I don’t consider myself pro-china.

I am first and foremost pro-singapore. This is where I was born, and I fully intend to die here, an island I have sworn to defend.

I live right in the middle of the Anglophone echo chamber. Singaporeans are plugged directly into the mainstream news circuit as English speakers.

It is not an exaggeration I am surrounded by brethren who have been conditioned by decades of negativity fed by the news circuit.

You may not like China and the mainland Chinese. Trust me when I say I understand. My wife insists on banning Huawei phones from the home because these devices “send data back to China”.

And that is why I carry a Samsung. Guys who are married quickly learn the meaning of “no end to it”. The tomorrow threatened never fails to arrive.

So why am I writing about China?

Hate China all you want. But hate China and the Chinese for the right reasons.

Otherwise, mindless hate will only exacerbate the risk of war, as public consensus of China as THE enemy and THE threat solidifies.

The greatest arms race of the 21st century is brewing at our doorstep in East Asia. Hundreds of billions in strategic weapon systems and trillions in defense spending. Meanwhile, an economic war is intensifying, threatening to blow up the livelihoods of billions in East Asia.

It is pertinent to inform east Asia that the health of China is central to peace and prosperity of the region. China isn’t an abstract concept or a faraway land, because decisions in Beijing are intimately entwined with our livelihoods.

I continue to speak out against the demonization of China and the Chinese, because the real threat is the hegemony of the United States. But there must first be awareness and understanding of who the Chinese are, what they are facing, and why they are not bowing to hegemony.

My time on quora is but a token effort.

I very much want my daughter to inherit a peaceful tomorrow, one where the color of her skin does not condemn to a lifetime of discrimination meant only for yellow people.

Hank Discovers Gus’s Meth Operation | Breaking Bad (Dean Norris)

What is the basis for the belief that China could defeat the United States in a military conflict?

Firstly, do not count on it. The United States could very well be victorious when fighting Russia, plus China, plus Iran, plus North Korea.

You never know.

Ah. The neocons believe so. And you just gotta believe them. For after all they have first-class seating waiting for them in Heaven.

But most [1] serious students of modern combat, who are also [2] aware of Chinese history, and who have [3] also been to modern contemporaneous China, pretty much everyone is in perfect harmony and complete agreement that China would emerge the victor.

Not just the experienced “people in the know”, but also American military think tanks. Such as RAND, and the Naval War College. In all cases, they advise NOT to engage China in a hot war.

So it is a unanimous consensus or shared agreement among all that China would be the victor in a hot conflict.

But…

There are a number of rising tides of dispute to these assertions.

The first are the rabid neocon cabal; who are religious zealots (for the most part) and who have an unwavering belief in “American exceptionalism”. This belief is that all one needs is “faith” and “unwavering belief” that Jesus (the Lord and Savior) has blessed the United States, and being so blessed; is immune from ever being destroyed. They control most of Washington DC “Deep State”. They believe, in their hearts, that the United States is immune from harm.

The Second is a propaganda feed-back loop. The neocons have made arrangements to fund an anti-China narrative in all English and American (and proxy) publications. This has been active since 2008, and has changed English-speaking public opinion against China. This is a negative feed-back loop as those decision makers inside of the Washington Beltway believe their own lies.

Since these two groups control the vast bulk of the decisions being made in Washington DC, we all (in unison) watch in horror as the United States places it’s various efforts in prepared positions for an assault upon China.

…

Well…

Are the neocons right, or are the military think tanks right?

They both see China, and I like to believe that they study China, yet they both come with completely different conclusions. Which is really a “head scratcher”. Don’t you think?

That’s a good question, and perhaps the actual issue behind this question.

Let’s spend some time learning about China from a military perspective.

HISTORY

It is well established that China has a solid 6000 years of the people identifying themselves as Chinese. It is also well known that this is only what we can read. China goes back much further than that. Latest archaeological discoveries place populated cities back to 200,000 years ago. And during all those years, do you know what China was doing?

They were fighting.

China has the oldest known civilization, and the oldest civilization with near continuous fighting. The Chinese know war. In all of it’s various forms. And when the archeologists started digging in the 200,000 year old Chinese settlement, do you know what they found?

Evidence of large scale war.

In fact, the Chinese were perfecting large-scale military battle involving thousands of men and horse, along with coordinated attacks when the earliest proto-Europeans were hiding in caves, and running from Neanderthals.

And when Robert Greene wrote his massive tome: The 33 Strategies of War, he used example after example of techniques that the Chinese have perfected over the many centuries of fighting.

MILITARY SOCIETY

Because of the massive span of time of fighting, the Chinese have evolved into a rugged and capable people. And with the torrent of endless wars, they developed a society of survival. This, of course, evolved into various forms of discipline and martial training; the Chinese people have created a Chinese-version of ancient Sparta.

GENGHIS KHAN

When Genghis Khan moved out of the Mongolian lowlands, his first order of business was to fight the Chinese. And it took years. For after all, the “Great Wall of China” was built specifically to keep out the Golden Horde from China.

But, you know, eventually, the great Khan captured China and integrated it into his kingdom. And from that moment on, the Chinese assimilated the Mongols. Resistance was futile. And so, while the European history books tell of the fierce Golden Horde seizing most of Asia, what they minimize was the fantastical role that the Chinese sappers played in the destruction of all the Middle Eastern, and European cities. These cities were not destroyed by Genghis Khans horseback riders, but by Chinese engineers, sappers and assault troops.

As you can see by the map below (at 1300 a.d.) the Chinese Empire and the Mongol Empire was one and the same.

Genghis Khan empire assimulated by China

China is the red outline, with the Mongol Empire in purple.

Today, the discipline handed down from generation after generation of Chinese follows a direct lineage to the bloodline of the Genghis Khan Golden Horde. As does the contemporaneous Russian living in Asia.

MODERN MILITARY EQUIPMENT

One of the great anti-China propagandized narratives is that China uses conscripts, out of date; hand-me-down weapons from the former Soviet Union, and is devoid of “real” leadership. This narrative is repeated with great gusto and passion in Conservative publications throughout the West.

But it’s all a big lie.

China was a peer competitor with the United States and it’s proxies in 1950. Since then, it has focused its efforts and redoubled down on creating the most dangerous, lethal and strongest military in the world. And it has been successful.

China today is Peer-level with Russia, and above-peer with the United States.

In fact, China has entire arrays of weapons systems that are absolutely unheard of outside of Asia. They have developed simple, rugged and easy to manufacture systems all domestically made. From the top-line stealth fighters (J-20) and stealth bombers to the (*hush top secret*) Tic-Tak UFO craft that enjoys zipping around American Aircraft carrier battle groups.

China has drone aircraft carriers, search-and-detonate hand grenades, sonic, and laser cannons, terminator robots that fly into the battle field, swarms of robot sharks and a wide selection of nuclear based munitions.

I have written numerous posts on these very interesting weapons systems, but there seems to be a cabal of folk that don’t want to hear anything about Chinese military. They just want to believe that they are just poorly educated peasants with old SKS rifles.

CO-TRAINING WITH RUSSIA

Russia is obtaining some terrific experience in the battlefield in Ukraine. And this experience has caused them to update their battle and combat doctrines. And do you know who they share this information with?

They share and train with the Chinese PLA.

Everything that the Russians learn is shared immediately in real time with China.

WROTE THE BOOKS ON FIGHTING

The vast majority of text and books on how to fight wars, strategies, and techniques are all Chinese. And the way that they are written are timeless. You can follow then whether you are an archer, or a battle tank commander. China KNOWS how to fight wars.

In the realm of strategy and war, ancient Chinese literature is rich with timeless wisdom and insights that continue to inspire scholars and military minds to this day. Here are ten notable Chinese books on strategy and warfare that have left a lasting impact:

1. “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu – A classic treatise on military strategy, tactics, and leadership.

2. “The Thirty-Six Stratagems” – A collection of ancient Chinese strategies and tactics for use in warfare and business.

3. “The Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musashi – Though Japanese, this book offers profound insights on strategy and martial arts.

4. “The Water Margin” (also known as “Outlaws of the Marsh”) – A classic Chinese novel that includes themes of strategy and military tactics.

5. “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” – A historical novel that offers insights into military strategy and political intrigue during the Three Kingdoms period.

6. “The Book of Lord Shang” – A work on statecraft and governance that delves into strategies for maintaining power and order.

7. “The Tao of War” by Wang Chen – A military treatise that combines Taoist philosophy with strategic principles.

8. “The Way of the General” by Ts’ao Kung – A guide on military strategy and leadership.

9. “The Spring and Autumn Annals” – A historical text that includes accounts of military strategies employed during the Spring and Autumn period.

10. “The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China” – A collection of seven influential Chinese military texts that cover various aspects of strategy, tactics, and leadership.

These works offer a glimpse into the profound wisdom and strategic thinking of ancient Chinese military thought, providing valuable lessons that continue to resonate in the modern world.

LARGEST MILITARY

Oh, I forgot. China has the largest military in the world. Not only in manpower, but in combat trained troops. In auxiliary troops. In reservists. And in homeland defense. It is so huge that if you took the entire militaries of the West all together, China’s military still dwarfs them in numbers, training and size.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

One of the Achilles Heels of China has been (historically) to rely on sea shipping for it’s raw materials, foodstuffs, and advanced technology. But that is a relic of the past.

China trades with all of it’s neighbors; including Russia and wants for nothing. All the ocean routes around the world can be blocked and China will still survive because of all the land routes, rail connections, road connections that it has forged over the last two decades.

To think that China can be blockaded is a childish fantasy made by ideological fanatic infants with zero intelligence and pumped with (can only be described as) pure and simple stupidity.

WAR CHEST

To conduct a war, you need something called a “war chest”.

A “war chest” refers to a reserve of funds or resources set aside for use in times of conflict or emergency, particularly in the context of military operations or strategic planning. This term is often used figuratively to describe a stockpile of money, supplies, or assets that can be deployed to support a particular cause, campaign, or endeavor, much like a chest filled with provisions for battle. In a broader sense, a “war chest” can also symbolize preparedness, resilience, and strategic foresight in facing challenges or pursuing objectives.

Since the 1970’s the United States has relied on debt to finance it’s wars. This is directly tied to the demise of the USD and increased internal inflation.

China doesn’t have this problem. And is fully able to light long-duration wars with anyone and not have any significant changes to it’s domestic population.

LARGEST NAVY

China has the largest Navy in the world, and they operate modern cutting-edge vessels. These vessels are equipped with sonic and rail gun technologies and are very formidable. Additionally, they are concentrated along the Chinese borders. They are not spread around the world like the United States Navy is.

LOGISTICS

The Chinese military is designed (primarily) as a defensive organization. They are not designed for “force projection”. As China does not invade anyone. This is contrary to the American Western narrative of the “evil communists gobbling up and invading everyone”. They simply do not have anything near the invasion fleets, and systems that the United States has.

All this talk about a “Taiwan Invasion” is simply just bullshit and bluster. China does not have that ability. It cannot land a huge contingent of people on islands. Oh sure, it has one or two simple Naval Vessels, but is nowhere near the capacity to invade anyone.

That being said, because of this, to fight China is to fight in and around China. And that means, to so so in China’s “backyard”. A nation that has spent the last 500 years building underground bunkers and defensive parameters is not going to allow anyone to fuck with them. Every parking garage has blast doors and reinforced concrete walls. Every region and town has built-in CNC centers. Every comm link is redundant.

Oh, and China is a nation armed with a “zillion” missiles.

All sizes, types and shapes. Even the elementary school Children train with the missiles, the drones and basic combat skills.

If you go anywhere near it with hostile intent, you will be erased like God’s own hand. China will cleanse the land and it will become pristine; primeval.

Blessed emptiness and void for the world to see.

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

China and Russia operate “cutting edge” technology. Most of their military technology is so advanced that the United States won’t be able to field comparable systems for decades. This includes the hypersonic missiles, but much, much more. From the novel 055 vessels to the latest hand cannons, the technology is unmatched outside of Asia.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Everyone in China gets formalized military training. It starts in first grade, and continues year after year. Formal “boot camp” is traditionally held during Middle School, and then another placement later on in their educational career.

This is handled regionally; some like Guanxi provide “American SEAL” level training starting at Kindergarten. While others such as Shanghai concentrate on discipline, marching, and tasks such as bed making, and small squad level tactics.

This is a recent development. This became the norm after 2013, and was fully implemented nationally by 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYZ2qI3qJu8

Short video. Worth you time to watch all three minutes.

ALLIED WITH RUSSIA

Oh, and to fight China is to fight Russia.

Russia and China are “joined at the hip”. They are a complete unified block. You cannot isolate China. China and Russia act as a unified team together. This is a formalized reality. One that was publicly announced in 2022.

NUCLEAR ARMED

China has nuclear weapons.

The idea that China only has 400 nuclear warheads is a propagandized narrative that has ZERO basis on reality. When you read the “studies” on this, look at their assumptions. “China doesn’t have the manufacturing capability.” Or, “China doesn’t know how to… and would take decades to…”. These “white papers” are a living and true example of “wishful thinking” that I have ever seen.

More accurate counts are somewhere between 4000 to 5000 nuclear warheads.

Oh, and they employ neutron-enhanced weaponry on the tactical scale. Erase the population, then move in the city.

Oh, and they do not employ “surgical strikes”. As far as nuclear weapons are concerned, they believe in “Shotgun nukes”. Which is to lace and bombard a target with ten nuclear weapons for a much wider dispersal and greater damage.

MANUFACTURER FOR THE WORLD

Finally, to fight China is to empty all the store shelves in the world.

No more aspirin, toilet paper, toothpaste. No more cell phones, spare parts for cars.

Consumer-based societies (of which the United States is one of the largest) will collapse. Thus to fight China is to have your entire internal domestic society implode.

…

Now, the neocons say that “facts do not matter”. Their faith in the divine blessings from God and that Jesus will protect the United States is unwavering. Therefore, they are pressing and planning and setting up conditions to attack China.

One excuse after the other.

But let me tell you, that when that day happens, it will be like a light switch. 0 to 1000 in 0.1 seconds. China will go from peace into “slaughter everyone on sight” mode.

War is not a game, and idiots should not be placed in charge of governing anything. Every effort should be devoted for peaceful resolutions of conflict.

But you know…

… there’s no arguing with lunatics. And sometimes the only thing that you can do with a Mad Dog is to put him down.

Wider Middle East War and US Imperial Decline

Cheesy meatballs

Cheesy Meatballs are juicy and tender, simmered in a rustic homemade tomato sauce. Topped with melted mozzarella cheese and serve over spaghetti for a delicious dinner!

The best meatball recipe starts with the most tender meatballs, browned in a hot skillet to seal in the juices and get crispy, golden edges. Soaking up rustic tomato sauce flavours underneath a golden blanket of melted mozzarella cheese, Cheesy Meatballs is an easy dinner recipe that will be a hit with your family!

MEATBALL RECIPE

Dry meatballs are a thing of the past with our recipe. While most nonna’s hold a secret to get the perfect meatballs, some people just can’t seem to get it right. Cooking dry meatballs that are often times flavourless and hard to swallow, I agree with most in that meatballs can be hard to master. It’s easier to buy cooked meatballs in throw them in a sauce.

Even though it can be hard to get the texture and taste right out of a humble meatball, I’m here to tell you it’s super easy. All you need is the right meatball recipe!

We have a trick up our apron sleeves (or straps), that make these meatballs so moist and juicy and absolutely the best meatballs we’ve ever eaten. You will love our cheesy meatballs!

HOW TO MAKE MEATBALLS

It all starts with your meat mixture. There are two key elements crucial to a good meatball recipe:

Texture
Flavour

Without these two details, meatballs are bland, dry and not worth the effort that goes into making them.

Bread soaked in milk instead of dry breadcrumbs is the secret to getting juicy, moist meatballs every single time. The same method we use for our Meatloaf recipe.

Meatballs also need to be well-seasoned. We use salt and a crushed bouillon cube to get the flavours going, as well as aromatics like onion and garlic.

Herbs are just as important to get those classic Italian flavours in each bite. Our recipe calls for fresh parsley and dried oregano and basil, purely taking seasonal availability into account. Feel free to mix it up with your own favourite combination. Mint, tarragon, thyme or marjoram, plus a pinch or two of nutmeg adds a subtle flavour. You decide.

Eggs are also added to bind the meat, bread and parmesan together, making them light and spongy.

HOMEMADE MEATBALLS

The next step to incredibly tender meatballs is mixing your meat mixture until the ingredients are just incorporated, with your hands. Use gloves if you have an aversion to touching raw meat, or mix lightly a wooden spoon. Full pieces of ground meat should still be visible.

Roll your meatballs with lightly oiled hands to prevent the meat from sticking to your fingers, while adding a little extra moisture into each meatball. Then place each meatball onto a lined plate or baking sheet. This just helps keep your kitchen stay clean without creating too much of a mess, and prevents your balls from rolling all over your bench top.

HOW TO COOK MEATBALLS

If there’s one thing my father passed down to me from the Italian side of his family, it’s never to poach or boil beef. There’s nothing like the aromas and flavours of meat hitting a hot skillet or pan. Sizzling first to get a perfect browned crust before adding in sauce. You won’t be cooking them all the way through in this step.

Space the meatballs out evenly into your skillet or pan by cooking in batches of three, instead of throwing them all in the pan together. This avoids the meat poaching or simmering in its own juices.

Rustic, homemade meatballs are never perfectly rounded, especially when seared first. Don’t worry if they begin to flatten in the pan. The blanket of melted cheese will cover them.

MEATBALL SAUCE

Our sauce recipe is easy, starting with onion and garlic to get those aromatics in. Tomato sauce, puree or passata is simmered with tomato paste, herbs, chili flakes (if using), salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar to cut through some of the bitterness, or use ¼ teaspoon of aluminium free baking soda to help neutralise the acid.

It’s really hard to overcook meatballs in your sauce, since they’re simmering in liquid. Braise them for about 15-20 minutes, turning the meatballs in the sauce to get those flavours absorbing evenly into the meat while simmering. I also suggest stirring the sauce to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

Top with cheese and finish them off under the broiler in your oven.

If you don’t have a broiler, continue simmering them until he cheese has melted.

There you have it! Cheesy meatballs!

Be the Rufus

75-year-old Leonard Bullock and his wife Dorothy have lived across the street from a railroad yard in Pendleton, Oregon since 1982. And over the years, they haven’t always had the money to maintain their house.

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A railway worker named Josh Cyganik has waved to Leonard on his porch almost every day for the last four years, but never actually talked to him until last month, after he heard two teenagers making FUN of the place.

They were joking that it looked so bad, someone should just burn it down. And Josh knew Leonard heard them too, when he saw the look on his face.

So a few days later, he asked Leonard if he and some friends could repaint the place for him, and got a hardware store to donate supplies. Then he posted about it on Facebook, and more than a HUNDRED PEOPLE showed up that Saturday to help.

They painted the house . . . fixed up the porch . . . made it wheelchair accessible . . . and bought everything they need to replace the ROOF, which is still in the works.

Josh says one of his friends drove by around 10:00 P.M. that night, and Leonard and Dorothy were both still out on the porch smiling.

Pepe Escobar: Putin’s DEVASTATING Kursk Trap SHOCKS NATO & Ukraine, WWIII Next?

What did the Germans do with all of the bombers that were shot down over Germany during World War II?

During World War II, Germany faced a significant challenge in dealing with the large number of bombers that were shot down over its territory. These downed aircraft posed various logistical and strategic concerns for the German forces. So, what did they do with all those bombers? Let’s dive into it.

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Firstly, the fate of each individual bomber largely depended on the circumstances of its crash and the condition of the aircraft. In some cases, German authorities would salvage as much usable material as possible from the wreckage. This included parts such as engines, instruments, and weaponry. These salvaged components were then utilized for repairing damaged German aircraft or for manufacturing new ones. The German aviation industry faced numerous resource constraints during the war, so repurposing parts from downed bombers helped alleviate some of these challenges.

However, not all downed bombers were salvageable. Some crash sites were too remote or hazardous to carry out extensive salvage operations. In such cases, the Germans would often strip the wreckage of any valuable equipment or intelligence materials and leave the remains to deteriorate over time.

Interestingly, the Germans also used captured bombers for their own purposes. When Allied aircraft were captured intact or in relatively good condition, the Germans would sometimes repurpose them for their own use. These captured planes were often repainted with German insignia and used for various purposes, such as training new pilots or testing new tactics against enemy aircraft.

Additionally, some downed bombers were used as propaganda tools. The Germans would occasionally display the wreckage of shot-down Allied bombers in public areas to showcase their military prowess and boost morale among the civilian population. These displays aimed to convey the message that the German forces were successfully defending their homeland against the enemy.

As the war progressed and Allied bombing raids intensified, the Germans faced an increasingly overwhelming number of downed bombers. This led to the establishment of specialized units responsible for recovering and processing crashed aircraft. These units would systematically document the wreckage, collect any useful equipment or documents, and dispose of the remaining debris.

In some cases, the Germans would recycle the wreckage of downed bombers. The metal from these aircraft was often melted down and repurposed for various military applications, such as constructing new weapons or reinforcing fortifications. This recycling effort aimed to make the most efficient use of available resources in a war-torn Germany.

UNBELIEVABLE Story About Chinese Police Doing Their Job!

Why can’t officers sit and eat with the enlisted if they’re all on the same team?

AMERICAN ANSWER

There are BIG differences between the services in this, and I mean the cultural gap is huge.

The American Navy descended almost directly from the British Navy and is hugely class-conscious. Officers and enlisted don’t mix. Officers, speak to chiefs and chiefs direct the men. There aren’t just two different messes, there are three — officers, senior enlisted and junior enlisted.

There is a reason for everything that persists. Life is very fragile on a ship—take a nuclear submarine: a wrong move kills everyone aboard. Familiarity breeds contempt. Better to let the Captain remain a godlike figure rather than Fred who likes knitting to relieve stress. A little psychological distance is a good thing.

The Army was heavily influenced by the proto-Germans (Prussians) and the French— a lot more egalitarian than the Navy, but still conscious of rank. We eat together in the field, there is only one mess hall, though we may be at separate tables. There was only one mess hall in Iraq — Generals and Privates ate in the same space.

The Air Force is directly descended from the army, and the least rank conscious part of the army, aviation. Their enlisted are smart, they are technicians, and they keep the planes in the air. The Air Force uniforms are more egalitarian, I do not think there is any problem with an air crew sitting and eating together in the air force.

So I think you need to calibrate your expectations to the service you are discussing.

Have you ever tried to fire someone and it backfired?

I have not. But my company made a three-part blunder that might qualify:

Part one: we had this very senior employee, about 70 years old, who was highly experienced with one customer system that was quite old, but still in use. Since we only needed one person who understood the ancient technology, nobody ever thought to assign someone for him to mentor in case he decided to retire. It wasn’t a major profit center, but the company made a nice bit of coin and kept a big customer happy by maintaining the antique.

He loved working on that old system, and had a fantastic relationship with that customer. He was long-since eligible for pension and didn’t need to work—the job was a paid hobby for him and kept him moving, thinking, and interacting socially. He did his job, caused no problems, was always ready to lend a hand or advice to younger engineers. Which of course was pretty much everybody. But he wasn’t looking to get ahead, get promoted or anything.

Part two: being a large corporation, we had a performance evaluation system that ranked people into four categories, from outstanding to needs improvement. And since there were lots of people, HR & finance took a statistical view which included a specific shape of the “bell curve”: So many people (%) in the top tier, so many in the next tier, etc. This was enforced at the 100-person level of the organization. So if we had a pretty good crew in one area of the business, they’d end up not being allowed to rank some people as high as we thought they deserved, while some other area had people who were actually not quite as good but ranked higher. None of the managers close enough to know the people liked it, but we had to do it. That ranking was the strongest factor in raises and promotions. So by mutual agreement, this amiable, useful old guy was always ranked in the bottom tier, freeing up a better ranking for someone who might otherwise get hosed.

Part three: HR came up with a policy that anyone who’d been ranked in the bottom tier more than a certain number of years in a row, was automatically either demoted (with a pay cut), or laid off. It was the employee’s choice whether they got laid off or demoted but one or the other was going to happen.

You can see where this is going. HR called the guy in—without consulting his management—and offered to let him keep his job by accepting a demotion. As a long time employee, if laid off he was entitled to 6 month’s severance pay (as a lump sum) and could immediately apply for pension payments. So he took the layoff right on the spot. HR hadn’t expected that for some reason and tried to change his mind. Now, another bit of policy was any employee being laid off got walked out directly from HR—management would then be notified to have someone clean out his desk and return personal items. So by lunchtime he was home, retired, applying for pension and thinking how to spend the windfall. It was later in the day before his management found out he was gone. The customer was extremely unhappy. Before management could even begin to decide who would take over the maintenance contract, the customer cancelled it. They explained that the former employee was going to work directly for them as a technical consultant, which meant his hourly rate was nearly tripled—he was getting the “overhead” and profit the company used to get.

He Laced Her Drink & Let The Football Team Run a Train On Her!

Daily Shorpy

Is it legal for a police officer to use a drone to look into someone’s home without a warrant or notification? What are the reasons for this?

I used my high powered, single shot, Ruger Number One (.458 magnum) to take a drone out which was hovering approximately 30 feet above my house, peering into my child’s window while she was getting dressed. She called downstairs and complained. I went outside and with a (very loud) single shot destroyed the drone which fell into my yard.

It wasn’t five minutes later that five police cars showed up and I was arrested for destroying police property. The rifle was confiscated. My daughter was questioned and I . . . went to jail.

Fortunately my daughter knew the law and said absolutely nothing to the police except, “If you want anything from me, you’ll have to provide me with an attorney,” and said nothing else.

My wife just smiled, handed out coffee (nobody took it) and said absolutely nothing. It was a deaf / mute scenario. The police had NO idea how to handle it. They were yelling, threatening, everything – all the while my daughter and wife smiled and said nothing whatsoever.

Eventually I ended up being booked into the county jail. The County District Attorney decided not to file charges. Is spying legal when the police do it?

I’m still trying to get my Ruger back. As a single shot, big-game hunting rifle it’s not quite what people consider to be an assault rifle – but damn, it did a JOB on that drone!

What are the craziest experiments done in the name of science?

Karl P. Schmidt, a renowned American herpetologist, chose to dedicate his final moments to science when faced with death, demonstrating remarkable dedication to his work.

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In September 1957, the Lincoln Park Zoo brought a 30-inch snake to the Chicago Natural History Museum, seeking help with its identification. Schmidt, who was highly respected in the field of herpetology and had several species named after him, agreed to examine the snake.

On September 25, Schmidt observed that the snake was African, with bright patterns and a head shape similar to a boomslang—a venomous snake from Sub-Saharan Africa. However, he was unsure if it was a boomslang because the snake’s “anal plate was undivided,” a feature inconsistent with that species.

While examining the snake, Schmidt made a fateful decision. He picked it up for a closer look, but the snake suddenly bit him on the left thumb, leaving two small puncture wounds. Instead of seeking medical help, Schmidt, ever the dedicated scientist, began documenting the effects of the venom in his journal.

“I took it from Dr. Robert Inger without thinking of any precaution, and it promptly bit me on the fleshy lateral aspect of the first joint of the left thumb,” Karl Schmidt wrote in his journal. “The mouth was widely opened and the bite was made with the rear fangs only, only the right fang entering to its full length of about 3 mm.”

Within 24 hours, he would be dead.

Schmidt may have underestimated the severity of the bite. He took a train home and continued noting his symptoms in detail:

-4:30 – 5:30 PM: Strong nausea, no vomiting. Took a suburban train trip.

– 5:30 – 6:30 PM:Experienced chills, shaking, fever of 101.7°F. Bleeding from the gums began around 5:30.

-8:30 PM: Ate two pieces of milk toast.

– 9:00 PM – 12:20 AM: Slept well. Urinated at 12:20 AM, mostly blood. Drank water at 4:30 AM, followed by violent nausea and vomiting. Felt better and slept until 6:30 AM.

The next morning, Schmidt carried on with his routine, eating breakfast and continuing to document the venom’s effects:

-September 26, 6:30 AM: Ate cereal, poached eggs on toast, applesauce, and coffee for breakfast. Noted continuous bleeding from the mouth and nose, though “not excessively.”

“Excessively” was the last word Schmidt wrote. After lunch, he vomited, called his wife, and soon became unresponsive. Despite attempts to revive him, Schmidt was pronounced dead at 3 PM, the cause being respiratory paralysis.

Boomslang venom is terrifyingly potent; just .0006 milligrams can kill a bird within minutes. The venom causes internal bleeding, leading to a slow and agonizing death. Schmidt’s autopsy revealed that his lungs, eyes, heart, kidneys, and brain were all hemorrhaging.

The Chicago Daily Tribune later revealed that Schmidt had been advised to seek medical help but refused, saying, “No, that would upset the symptoms.” Some say Schmidt’s death was a tragic case of curiosity overcoming caution. Others believe that, knowing the antivenom was only available in Africa, Schmidt simply accepted his fate, continuing his life’s work until the very end.

You be the judge.

PART 2 – Wife Of 7 Years Opened Our Marriage Without My Knowledge, Has BREAKDOWN When I Toss Her…

Two Deaths and a Glowing Plant

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt

Eyza H

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

“How much longer till we land?” Joan complained lazily as she swung her seat around, swaying her arms in their heavy armor. “Not our fault you were the first to gear up sweetheart– you should’ve waited a bit before putting your suit on” a man commented with a sly smile from behind her. “Don’t call me that!” she chided as she looked him, although with a small, knowing smirk.“Alright, you guys better strap in now. You know how it gets, and we don’t know the atmosphere of this planet yet” a stern voice sounded from the head of the small space ship, which was only carrying three passengers. “Roger that, Sir!” Joan said as she straightened in her seat, and adjusted its position. Pressing a button on her right caused multiple belts to wrap around her, keeping her securely in place. The other two men followed the same process, and readied themselves for the landing. “This is the part I always hate the most…” she thought as she felt her throat go dry. The man seated on her left was gazing at her steadily. “Just count to 15 and it’ll be over, yeah?” Something about the softness in his brown eyes calmed her, and she relaxed hands, which had tightened into fists. “Thanks, Nick. Kash, estimated time of arrival?” “Time, 98:34:02. Year, 3010. I’ve already logged it.” With that, the three began their descent onto a planet not yet explored by humans, 30 light years away from Earth.“Well, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Nick commented as he pushed a button to unstrap his belts. Joan got up slowly. “I’m still nauseous. Also, it was way more than 15 seconds, liar.” Nick let out a small, hearty laugh, as he patted Joan’s head affectionately under his large, gloved hand. “Come on guys, time to head out.” Kash commanded as he adjusted his headgear. Although he usually spoke in a somber manner, the other two were able to detect a slight curiosity and excitement, which laced his words. “Let’s go, Captain!”The three stepped out onto what seemed to be a large, empty barren land. The ground was a reddish pink color, littered with rocks and boulders of different sizes, with a backdrop of a turquoise sky. There were no clouds, although there seemed to be layers of some sort of mist mixing on the horizon, with bands of yellow, orange, and a light grey. The contrast of the deep pink ground against the strikingly vibrant blue sky was breathtaking. The three looked around at first with some degree of uncertainty, before looking at each other as smiles spread wide across their faces, even Kash’s. “Isn’t this… The most beautiful one we’ve been to yet?” Joan commented excitedly as she looked at Nick and Kash. The two hummed in agreement, with Nick adding “Of course you’d like it the best – the ground here is all pink!” Joan bounced airily towards him, and gave a small nudge. “Let’s get to business now, shall we? We can’t be here more than an hour. I’m going to begin our timer now – lets stay within the prescribed radius – don’t you two dare wonder off.” Kash instructed while fidgeting with some buttons on his right arm. “You’re the one who wonders off the most, Kash!” Joan laughed. Kash looked at her sternly through the transparent screen of his suit, before breaking into a gentle smile. “That’s no way to speak to your Captain. Let’s get to it, now.” With this, he began taking long strides away from the ship. Nick and Joan looked at each other as he left. “Just us two left now, huh?” Nick spoke into his intercom, with a smirk. Joan pushed him away lightly once more. “Focus on the job, idiot. I’m going in this direction.” She said as she pointed towards the right. “Alright, Miss.” Just as Joan began hopping away from him, he grabbed her arm and turned towards her. “Keep talking on the intercom so I know you’re ok, alright?” The lightness of his voice had now been replaced with concern, as his mouth straightened into a serious line. Joan gave him a sweet smile in response. “You do the same.” The two gazed at each other for another second before departing in separate directions. If they had known that this would be the last time they would see each other, perhaps they would’ve gazed into one another’s eyes for a second or two longer.-The following report has been compiled over a period of 5 years following the incident at Planet Y, where three of our astronauts tragically lost their lives in a series of events still shrouded in mystery. This is the first incident where astronauts have died have on a mission in 37 years – hence, the issue must be dealt with utmost severity, least we repeat the mistakes which led to this terrible outcome in the future.Within a space of 15 minutes of the landing on Planet Y, Joan Longwood, Nick Wrigh, and Kash Presnig were declared deceased. The following report is divided into three condensed components, following each of the astronauts, their logs from those 15 minutes, an analysis of what their logs could’ve meant – although this is mostly based on assumptions due to lack of factual evidence – and lastly, a summary of recommendations for the future to avoid any such incidents from occurring again.Kash PresnigKash Presnig was the Captain of the ship Orchid 367. He was an experienced man of 37, who had led multiple exploratory missions of this nature in the past. Nothing from the evidence collected indicates any mistake or wrongdoing on his part – the mission was led and landed successfully on Planet Y. He was updating his log, while diligently keeping track of his crew members. Unfortunately, he was the first to lose his life, within 12 minutes. The following passage recounts Kash’s logs in those minutes and his final few words as he tried to contact the space station.“Log.1. We have successfully landed on Planet Y. The land here is barren – there is no vegetation here, and the soil is dry and hard. It is of an odd pinkish red color, which has not yet been observed in any other planet. Rocks of varying sizes are scattered, although some seem to be unnaturally larger than others. The terrain is flat – there are no elevations or dips. The sky is a bright turquoise shade, with bands of gases layered one on top of the other. The identity of these gases is yet unknown.”“Log. 2. 30 meters from the ship. The terrain is still the same. Sample of the rocks and soil has been collected. There are no metals detected in the area. An odd fog is growing in the distance, about 10 meters away. Proceeding with caution.”“Log. 3. I have now stepped into an area covered with grey, yellow, and orange mist. It seems to be swirling around, although no wind was detected on the planet. Visibility is extremely low – Cannot see beyond a few meters ahead. The suit is unable to identify the gases – however, an absence of water vapor is noted. Gas sample has been collected for further analysis. Retreating to base.”“Log. 4. The mist is growing thicker, worsening visibility. It seems to be spreading from this point, outwards to the surrounding areas. No impact of the gas is notable – although it seems to swirl into oddly distinct shapes. Proceeding back urgently.”After the fourth log, Mr. Presnig contacted our headquarters directly – which has not occurred in 13 years. His panicked voice indicated that there was an issue which had to be dealt with immediately. The following are his words – with no amendments – excluding the responses of the team he spoke to at the time to get a concise account from his own narration.“Contacting… HQ… Kash Presnig speaking here. The mist… The gases, they are.. They are poisonous! I know the suit is impenetrable to any gas but I am sure… Yes, it has penetrated, somehow… I am having hallucinations of some sort. Yes, dammit, I am certain! Or else, why is there… why is there a man before me? A large man – no, an alien! Finally, we have found life – so far away… 50 light years…! Our dream, our mission has been realized! Yes… I am certain, it is a man, but he is… proceeding towards me at a high speed, or… no. He has slowed down. I can describe his face… It is alright, I am almost at the base, I think… His face… but his face, his glasses, his eyes, his nose… is this man… Me? It cannot… this.… it is!”

After this, the communication line with Mr. Presnig was cut. From his own words, as well as the autopsy report generated from his suit, we can conclude that Mr. Presnig’s assumptions of being impacted by a certain gas, or gases, had indeed not only caused hallucinations, but also poisoned his blood – he died within a minute of having inhaled the gas. How the gas penetrated his suit is still unknown, as no issues were found with the suit during testing. However, his death was not caused by gas poisoning.

This piece of evidence has been left confidential, and his family were not made aware of it, due to the highly sensitive nature of the issue. Mr. Presnig suffered a slash to his neck which almost entirely separated his head from his body, which was his cause of death. Had this not taken place, he would have indeed died of gas poisoning within 58 seconds. Source or cause of the slash are unknown.

Nick Wrigh

Nick Wrigh was a young and promising technical engineer of 28. He had been a part of several space missions before this, including 12 of exploratory nature. As this mission was deemed low risk, Mr. Wrigh was considered an ideal candidate to join the mission and sharpen his skills for the future. He was joined by his partner of two years, Joan Longwood, who had been on several missions with him before this one as well. Their families reported that the two had planned to get married upon their return, before this tragedy had taken place.

Mr. Wrigh died 13 minutes into his exploratory course, and had only registered 2 logs. However, pieces of his conversation with Ms. Logwood have been recorded, as well as his emergency call, which took place 37 seconds after Mr. Presnig had passed away. His last communication was with Ms. Longwood.

“Log.1. Landed successfully on Planet Y. The planet is beautiful – bare stretches of magenta with brown boulders and rocks, against an electric blue sky. There seem to be some gases layered on the horizon in shades of yellow and grey. Samples of rock and soil have been collected, as well as a piece of what seems to be an unidentified metal.”

“Log. 2. 40 meters from base. The rocks and boulders around me have grown huge – they are almost the size of small houses. They did not appear this large from a distance. If I look back, I cannot see our ship, as I am walking through a narrow path between large rocks covering my view. The rocks themselves are smooth, with sharp edges. I have tried to break a piece but failed, as they are extremely hard and dense.”

Mr. Wrigh did not submit any logs after this. The following pieces of conversation have been recorded between himself and Ms. Longwood 2 minutes before his death.

“J, this place is… the rocks are huge. Are they huge where you are as well?”

“No, it’s all flat here… huh, I don’t remember seeing any rocks that big when we landed.”

“I don’t know when they started getting bigger, but… it’s all I can see around me. They are beautiful, but a little…”

“Hah…Are you scared, Nicky?”

“Come on… anyone would be terrified if they saw massive rocks on an unexplored planet.”

“Just teasing!”

“Joan.”

“…Nick? Is everything alright?”

“Joan, the rocks… are moving.”

“How is that possible Nick? I don’t detect any movement on my radar for several kilometers around.”

“Joan, I swear, I feel like these rocks, they’re… moving in, towards me…”

“Nick, are you… come back. I’ll come back too.”

“J, there’s no path… I can’t see a path back. The rocks, they’ve all moved in!”

“Nick, I’m coming to you right now!”

“NO! Don’t, or you’ll also… Joan! I..”

“Nick? NICK? Can you hear me?”

After that, Mr. Wrigh made a call to the space station. He mentioned the large rocks which had seemed to be moving in to crush him. The personnel responding to him at the time told him to immediately go back to base, fearing his mental faculties had been compromised by the same gas which had poisoned Mr. Kresnig. They did not alert him about what had happened to Mr. Kresnig, thinking it would worsen his mental state. However, around 20 seconds after this communication ended, Mr. Wrigh had passed away, before making it back to base. His last exchange with Ms. Longwood is recorded below.

“Nick, where are you? I don’t see any huge rocks, Nick!”

“Joan… I can’t, I can’t breathe… I’m..”

“NICK! Please… I’m getting closer, I’ll find you!”

“I love you, J. Don’t worry, just..c-count till 15…”

According to the autopsy report, Mr.Wrigh’s cause of death was asphyxiation. However, there were wounds on his arms, chest, back, as well as his head. We do not believe that any “moving rocks” are likely to have crushed him to death, as the wounds would’ve been much more severe. We have ruled out gas poisoning as the autopsy did not indicate any such factor. This leaves the real circumstances surrounding Mr. Wrigh’s death completely uncertain. The only explanation may be that he had fallen somewhere, which had possibly damaged the oxygen tank in his suit, thereby causing his death. The wounds on his body may also be explained through some sort of fall, though not with absolute certainty.

Joan Longwood

Joan Longwood was an extremely gifted and inspiring member of the Space Exploration Association, 27 years of age. She was one of the youngest crew members to venture to space, only at the age of 17. While a technical engineer like Mr. Wrigh, she also had expertise in scientific and geographical aspects of space exploration, making her an apt decision maker in key situations. Had this incident not taken place, Ms. Longwood was on a trajectory to becoming a Captain within the Exploration Department within the next 5 years, having taken part in 24 space expeditions. Her logs are recorded as below:

“Log. 1. Landed successfully on Planet Y. The planet is a vast expanse of dry, pink soil, with a few brown rocks of varying sizes, and a vibrant blue sky. Bands of unidentified gases streak the sky in shades of orange, yellow, grey and white. Land samples have been collected. No metal or water has been detected.”

“Log. 2. 20 meters from base. The terrain has not changed, although there seems to be some change in the bands of gas in the sky. They are slowly disappearing in this direction – although there is no wind to shift them from their place. No explanation found yet for this phenomenon.”

“Log. 3. 30 meters from base. Vegetation has been detected – a small green plant growing on a rock. The plant has the same anatomy as those on Earth from the outside – a stem, some small leaves, and one flowering bud. The flower is an odd mixture of colors – each of its petals are of grey, orange and yellow shades, similar to the bands of gas seen in the sky. Correlation unknown. Collecting sample for analysis.”

After this, Ms. Longwood engaged in communication with Mr. Wrigh as recorded. She began retreating to base, as she had mentioned, upon hearing the distressed words of Mr. Wrigh. She tried to contact Mr. Kresnig after disconnecting with Mr. Wrigh, but was unsuccessful. She did not make any calls to the space station like her crew members. Her final log, before her death at the 15 minute mark, is recorded below:

“Log 4. Communication has failed with Mr. Wrigh and Mr. Kresnig. Their location on the radar is incorrect and keeps shifting. There might be an interference in signals on this planet. Reached the base. The plant has begun to glow. It glows brighter by the second – so bright I cannot look at it. Mr. Kresnig and Mr. Wrigh are dead. Their vital signs disappeared from the ship’s monitor. The plant’s light is surrounding everything. Don’t come here.”

After submitting the final log, Ms. Longwood exercised her right to Code X355D100, which states that an astronaut, under circumstances of certain death, has the right to end their own life through controlled means to avoid excessive and extended suffering. However, this decision is questionable considering that her vitals were healthy till the end, and she did not describe any threats to herself, as the other two crew members had. The glowing plant could be said to be the result of a hallucination, however, there is nothing to indicate there was any sort of hallucinogen in Ms. Longwood’s system at the time of her death. Our only explanation for her decision to execute Code X355D100 is due to extreme fear and trauma from the loss of her crew members, including her partner.

The events surrounding this incident have been kept entirely confidential from the public. The circumstances surrounding the cause of death for each of the crew members of Orchid 367 are inconclusive and uncertain. The next two sections cover an analysis of the possible scenarios which may have caused their deaths in more detail, as well as recommendations for the future to avoid another Incident Y from taking place.

Crescent Ragu Squares

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 small jar Ragu spaghetti sauce
1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated quick crescent dinner rolls

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
In frying pan, brown ground beef; drain.
Stir in Ragu sauce and mushrooms; simmer while preparing crust.
Separate crescent dough into 2 long rectangles.
Place in ungreased 13 x 9 inch pan; press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Seal perforations.
Spread meat mixture over dough.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is brown.
Top with cheese and bake until cheese melts.
Cut into squares to serve.

What do you dislike most about the U.S.?

An Uber driver told me something the other day that made me stop and think.

He came from Ghana 35 years ago to settle in the US.

“What do you think about America after having lived here for so long?” I asked.

“America is the best salesperson in the world. It convinces you that no matter where you are or what you have going on, things will be better here. It makes people all around the world drop what they’re doing and immigrate.”

“And then what?”

“You work your ass off until you die.”

I like talking to people.

Especially immigrants.

They have one leg in their home country and the other here. As a result, they see things that others don’t. They have a unique perspective.

They’ve all come in search of something.

Quality of life. Freedom. Money.

Some find it.

Many don’t.

They all miss the vibrancy of their home countries. Whether from Africa, South America, India, or somewhere else, they miss the colorful festivals, the sacred in the ordinary, the tight-knit family and community, the customs and tradition that make a place singular.

The US is marketed as the land of possibilities.

And for some, it is.

But most—like that Ghanaian driver—end up working very hard for little gain. On top of that, even though it’s a nation of immigrants, it doesn’t do a very good job of making newcomers feel welcome.

More like alienated and unaccepted.

What the immigrants I talk to dislike about the US—and what I tend to agree with—is that it engages in false advertising. It markets itself as the best, most advanced, and bountiful country on the planet.

The greatest.

But in reality, it’s not. I could insert a bunch of statistics here, but a quick Google search will reveal that the US isn’t number one when it comes to a variety of metrics such as tolerance, education, and quality of life.

Far from it.

Like every human being I know, it’s deeply flawed.

Except it won’t admit it.

“So what will you do?” I asked the driver.

“I’m going back to Ghana,” he said.

What is the reason for the high number of Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the US compared to other countries? Is there a specific strategy that sets them apart from other fast food chains?

All Chick-fil-A outlets are basically company owned.

If they used a franchise model, they could expand much faster. But they prefer a slower, paced development. Even it seems like a lot of locations, they have not reached saturation in the US market.

Expanding overseas provides a huge opportunity but also large risks. Developing an efficient supply chain is one of them.

What happens when private investigators get caught spying on somebody? Can they legally go to jail for stalking?

Funny you should ask.

Back in 1989, I had been hired to conduct surveillance on a car salesman in a small town about 150 miles southwest of Chicago. He claimed to be permanently disabled from slipping in wet grass in front of his employer’s location and injuring a leg. It had been more than a year after the initial injury and he hadn’t undergone any surgery, in fact a Chiropractor was allegedly treating the leg and certifying him permanently and totally disabled. The company said BS and suspected he was working elsewhere.

My normal practice was to contact the local constabulary and let them know I was in the neighborhood just in case someone called and reported a suspicious vehicle or person. I did so in this case too.

Nice little neighborhood, nice little houses, some cars parked on the street, too. That makes it easier to try and fit in. I was there well before dawn and parked about 4 houses down and on an intersecting street. Black felt capsule enclosure surrounding me in the back of my Trooper, I prepared the video camera on its secured tripod along with the Konica and long range lens. We were ready to rumble.

At about 8:AM a Sheriff’s department squad car rolled by me slowly, then pulls into my subject’s driveway. Sheriff Billy Joe Watkins gets out, holding two coffee cups from McDonald’s and is met at the door by my subject, who gives me the stink eye. I of course get a couple of good pics.

Half an hour later, Sheriff leaves, gets in the squad, subject steps out onto his front porch and watches as the Sheriff drives up to my vehicle, gets out, bangs on the side of my truck and yells “YOU GOT 5 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF TOWN OR YOU’RE GOING TO JAIL!”

He didn’t have to say it twice. I’m sure he would have found a reason to lock me up, impound my vehicle and make my equipment disappear. And I was 150 miles from home in Yee-Haw County. And the Sheriff was a friend of the subject.

That was the last time I made the courtesy call. Lesson learned.

With so many scam calls originating from India, why doesn’t the Indian government crack down on the people conducting these scams?

Not worth the cost

The Scammers are geniuses in Economics and Finance

They know high value scams can get them roasted in days

For instance if they went after Adani for ₹5000 Crore, they would be caught and hauled up in a week at the most

However the Scammers go for MASS and small numbers

Rather than dupe 1 guy for 10 Million Bucks, they dupe 10,000 guys for 1000 Bucks each

Now take the Police

Even if they slog and slog and somehow manage to arrest the accused

They need the witness statement of 10,000 guys

It takes 2–3 years to bring a case to trial

By this time all the people who lost their money are OK with it and have resigned themselves to their fate

They certainly don’t want to come to court and spend 6–7 hours waiting and maybe get called again and again

Those who do come, get offered 10 times the amount and they end up making VAGUE STATEMENTS that go 180 degrees against the original statements

Ultimately the Scammers get acquitted

Then they start again

Scammers get your account information from Banks through the BPO side

They target customers who won’t be devastated if they lose ₹30–40K

Targets are angry for a few days, a week maybe two and then they shrug it off and go back to their life

Police don’t strike when the iron is hot

They start after 1–2 years by which time the Target has long forgotten the issue

By this time he simply doesn’t want to waste too much time and won’t come to 4–5 sessions with the Prosecution, Cops and hearings before the court

Imagine they are NRIs in US??

They need to pay more for the tickets to come to India

Would you testify for a loss of ₹1 Lakh four years ago by spending ₹5–6?

No right

The Cost Benefit Analysis never works in favor of the Victims or Law enforcement

It’s why Scammers flourish on CARELESS PEOPLE

Project Camelot – Kerry Cassidy Interviews Ashayana Deane Part 1 (2∶36∶39)

I oh, so, miss are my USN issued flight boots

One of the things that I oh, so, miss are my USN issued flight boots. They would not let me keep them, and I had to return them when I was discharged.

Oh baby, were they fine.

They fit like a glove, and was sturdy but soft and subtle. They looked great and supported my foot, ankle and lower leg, and Many do I miss them.

I was able to keep my flight gloves, but the first opportunity he had, my brother took them and traded them for some drugs.

I had a flight suit that I eventually got rid of and some other gear. But I still, to this day, remember my flight boots. Those of you that know, really KNOW about how great they are.

Kudos on the makers of these boots.

If you ll ever get the chance, go ahead and buy yourself a pair. They are great!

Today…

In basic training, have you ever witnessed a recruit with serious martial arts skills take on a drill sergeant in a fight?

The Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) uses a heavy amount of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, although with different goals in mind.
When I was in Basic Training, one of the recruits with us just so happened to be some level of black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a very humble guy, and was about 5′ 10″, and weighed a whopping 140 pounds. The most skilled Drill Sergeant, at 6′ 2″ probably 220–230 pounds, was asking if any recruits wanted to risk sparring with him, and the humble recruit volunteered, being pretty confident in his abilities.
What followed is a contest I’m not sure I will ever forget. It was an incredible chess match between two individuals who seemed to see their opponents next move, and were planning 3 moves ahead. The recruit being much smaller, continued to try and draw the DS into his closed guard, which being down on his back seemed like a disadvantageous position to us inexperienced. They continued on for 10 minutes, and it became apparent the DS was becoming fatigued. The recruit, who was hardly breaking a sweat, methodically made moves to wear the DS down, moving at a quarter of the speed you would see collegiate wrestlers move at. Eventually you could see the DS failing, and his decisions and movements were becoming much more panicked, he began using strength and anger instead of skill, and the recruit exploited it. The recruit was inevitably close to locking a triangle from the guard when another DS intervened and ended the fight before the submission could be had, knowing that their ‘immortality’ would be shattered. None of the others ever challenged the kid.
It was impressive, a physically powerful and equally jiu-jitsu skilled DS was beaten by a recruit who was just a little more skilled.

Reeves Hot Doggin’

Breakthrough in Aero-engine Core Technology: the Latest Single-crystal Blades Finally Invented by the Chinese

The vigorous development of the aviation industry in recent years is inseparable from the painstaking scientific research and development of generations of workers.

China has a technological breakthrough that has broken the traditional foreign technology, and China has become the second country in the world to possess this latest advanced single-crystal blade technology for the new turbine engines.

In 2014, the self-developed fifth-generation rhenium-containing high-temperature alloy materials, ceramic-based high-temperature turbine blades and single-crystal turbine blade projects were officially put into production in China. This is a new breakthrough in aerospace engine and industrial steam turbine manufacturing fields. Currently, only China and Japan have successfully developed the fifth generation of high-temperature single crystal alloys.

The key link in production equipment is the heat treatment furnace and the most important equipment in the single crystal casting process, the single crystal furnace. Even if foreign countries block China, the Chinese scientists and engineers can all make breakthroughs in the fields by relying on their own self-reliance and hard work. In order to break through the West’s blockade of the core technologies, the Chinese entrepreneurs and scientists have boldly practiced and innovated. They not only created rhenium metal core components monopolized by Western countries, but also created new metal manufacturing methods.

At present, the first and second-generation single crystal blades independently developed by China have been used in the Shenyang WS-10 improved engine, and the third generation of high-temperature single crystal alloys have also been used in the Shenyang WS-15 engines.

That is the WS-15 engine.

The quality of turbine blades is also an important indicator of a country’s aviation manufacturing sector. The more sophisticated the engine, the more demanding it is on materials. Single crystal blade means that there is only one crystal nucleus on the entire blade, and other iron atoms are attached to this crystal nucleus and arranged in sequence. In this arrangement, the force between atoms is very large, and the allowable tensile stress is also very large. It can just meet the blade requirements of the current new high-thrust engines.

The mastery of single crystal blade technology means that China will greatly increase the production capacity of large thrust-to-weight ratio engines and will greatly extend the service life of original engines. According to research, every 25°C increase in the temperature endurance limit of a blade can triple its original service life at the original temperature.

Feminist REGRETS 304 Phase

How serious is the Chinese military’s lack of experience?

If a war does breakout, there’s not going to a lot of face to face combat.

It’s not likely to be a land battle.

If it involves nuclear, then there are no winners. It will be anialation of the huan race.

It’s more likely it will be cyberwar. Can the other country wipe out your data networks before you wipe out theirs. Or knockout their weapons systems.

Modern warfare is nothing like past wars.

It’s about strategy and planning. How well you can execute those plans.

China’s recent moon mission was well planned. With six steps that were critical. All steps went perfectly and the return vehicle was within 200 feet of where it was supposed to land.

Starlink was delayed and delayed. Now they may need to send another spacecraft to retrieve them.

Even America’s GPS is out of date. China’s system allows asynchronous communication. Vital to have two way communication for weapons deployment.

In peace times, we can also see how strategy and planning are executed. Evacuating Afghanistan was a nightmare. China’s relief operations with the PLA are spotless. Deployment is within hours and supplies and emergency housing in hours. That counts as experience.

TOP “The Crucifix Scene” Reactions! The Exorcist (1973) Movie Reaction! First Time Watching

Slow Cooker Ribs

Prep: 5 min | Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds pork baby back ribs
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups barbecue sauce, divided (store-bought or homemade)*

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with foil.
Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs: use your fingers to get underneath and loosen the membrane along one side of the ribs, and then pull off the membrane.
If needed, cut the racks of ribs into smaller sections so that they will fit better in your slow cooker.
Season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. If you’re cooking them immediately, proceed to the next step. If you want to season your ribs overnight for deeper flavor, cover them and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
Measure one cup of barbecue sauce. Place one rack or section of ribs in the slow cooker and cover it with a layer of barbecue sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining racks or sections of ribs and what remains of that one cup of barbecue sauce.
Cook on LOW heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH heat for 4 to 5 hours, depending on how many racks of ribs you are cooking and the temperature of your slow cooker. (If you have a small slow cooker and end up having to stack your rib sections more than two high, they will need more time to cook fully.) Burnt barbecue sauce is a pain to clean off of your slow cooker, so don’t leave these too much longer than the suggested cooking time. When the ribs are tender, gently remove the racks and lay them out on your foil-lined baking sheet.
Reuse those meaty juices and combine the liquid from your slow cooker with the reserved barbecue sauce, then reduce it over medium heat until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. (This is optional, you can also discard the liquid from your slow cooker and just use the remaining BBQ sauce as is.)
Allow the ribs to cool slightly before cutting them into individual ribs or portions. Brush the remaining one cup of barbecue sauce on top of the ribs.
If desired, you can also place the ribs under the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize and set the sauce.
Serve the ribs with extra BBQ sauce.

Notes

* I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s.

The Entity

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt

Rado Randriamamonjy

The smell of rotten eggs woke Harper from a dead sleep. Or maybe it was the waves of intense nausea. Her innards felt like they were being stomped clean, like dirty laundry in a remote, rural stream. Through eyes weary and half-shut, Harper watched a red light pulse. It filled the space around her with spasmodic, blood-hued flashes.Uggghh… Moving wasn’t high on her list of priorities. Her head was heavy. It felt like a pumpkin propped on a toothpick, and inside sloshed thoughts and images that threatened to fuse together but, instead, bobbed haplessly in the groggy backwaters of her mind.She closed here eyes and turned to lay on her side. Too difficult. She motor-boated her lips.That’s when the poem began. The absurd wordplay could have come straight out of the dusty vaults of Captain Beefheart. The strange sonnet danced on the tongue of some faceless woman as it corkscrewed into Harper’s consciousness, like a stream of buttercream frosting atop a cake.Harper grasped at it. It evaded her clutches, verbal confetti in a breeze.“Roll bed. Feel free to pull and retest it.”

What in the world?

“Toad said, its feet avulsed. Infected.”

Whoever was speaking whimsically sliced and diced words, the way those theatrical, knife-juggling chefs at the vintage Japanese restaurant chain (whose name escaped her) diced sushi. The vowel scheme, however, remained curiously consistent.

“Road bled. A vehicle dissected.”

She struggled to make sense of it. But she was no poet. She never had the knack. It was a god-given talent, she was always told, and, in her life, she had never taken seriously even the slightest inclinations towards being an artist. When she was young, however, she dreamed of being an astronaut. She recalled how the stars outside her childhood bedroom window would whisper to her at night. They would tell her of her destiny, of her future living in their midst.

“Joe fled. The bees on skull reflect it.”

As a matter of fact, now that she thought about it, she had a faint recollection of donning a spacesuit at one time: one limb at a time, into the suit, a silent dance, a sacred ritual, all in preparation for sleep.

Again came the verse. But this time, the words cut through the mental murk and dripped with a sobering clarity.

“Code red. Debris on hull detected.”

Oh god, she thought.

Harper blinked herself awake. She swam up through the mental soup, lifted a hand and pawed at the mask that was pumping oxygen and hydrogen sulfide into her lungs. She finally pulled it off and the smell of rotten eggs disappeared.

Harper grumbled. She slipped the IV from her arm and threw it somewhere next to her. She hoisted open heavy eyelids again and glimpsed the hyper-sleep chamber. The space was tight, just big enough for an average sized adult. A glass door lay above her, and on the other side of it, the flashing beacon intermittently bathed the large cryo-room in that haunting crimson glow. Between the scarlet pulses, the room would descend into darkness, lit only by the feeble lights of the keyboard panels which stretched across the room, under monitors that were inert and black with sleep.

The red alert continued to blare in her ear as Harper attempted to move her legs. She was numb from tailbone to heels, a result of the three year hibernation. The nifty LSD-style dreams were one of the perks of hyper-sleep too — a side-effect of the hydrogen sulfide. The gas slowed her metabolism, helping her body withstand the long trip on the scantest of nutrients. The rotten egg smell was just another bonus.

“Christ, Cheryl, enough with the goddam code alert, please,” Harper mumbled.

The onboard AI turned off its alert protocol, which, to Harper, had sounded like word-salad just a moment before. The rhythmic red light clicked off too, which immerserd the room in the twilight-like glow of the the keyboard lights.

“Welcome back, Captain Gordon,” Cheryl said, in an amiable female voice. Harper responded with a guttural noise that was somewhere between a grunt and a moaning.

The door above her hissed open. The air in the room permeated her nostrils with the trademark aseptic smell characteristic of sterile environments. She sat up in her cryo-bed, hitching forward gently on wobbly arms. Her blonde-dyed dreads fell down around sandy-brown shoulders. The white tank top and blue underwear she’d climbed into the cryo-bed with had lost their snugness, despite the small army of electronic muscle stimulators that dotted her body.

Harper filled her lungs with the cabin’s perfect mix of earth’s atmosphere, taking in a deep breath and stretching her limbs, which were coming back to life — slowly. For the time being, they moved like gum in molasses.

She shook the cobwebs from her head. “Status report,” she said.

“All systems are nominal, chief.”

“Really?” Harper tipped her head back and rolled it on her neck. “Then why wake me?”

“Well, as we crossed into the Perseus Arm, the ship picked up debris on the starboard-side hull.”

Harper arched her back, getting in a good stretch. She moaned in pleasure. “What kind of debris?”

“I’m not sure. My analysis didn’t match it to any known life forms in my database.”

“Life forms?”

Cheryl paused. “Yes.”

Harper shook her head. She needed a hot cup of coffee, one big enough to be hauled around on a dolly. With loads of cream. And sugar. And a jelly donut. She’d kill for a jelly donut.

“What kind of life form?” she said.

“That’s just it, I don’t know.”

Harper sucked her teeth. “How long has this… lifeform been clinging to the ship?”

“Three days.”

“Three days? Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” Harper said, furrowing her brows.

“I would’ve but… I ran the calculations: the debris posed no threat to the integrity of the mission.”

“And what changed?”

“It started… growing.”

“Growing?” Harper shook her head again and held up a hand. “Do you have an image?”

“Yes.”

A picture of the ship’s hull came up on a nearby screen. The image moved easily across it until it came to a stop at a series of bumps. The bulges were backlit, providing a hazy profile view. They were covered in what looked to be hair. And the hair was… moving, like it was grasping at things in the void. The protrusions were dark, maybe black, or purple. Maybe even a deep red. From the camera’s vantage point, it was hard to tell.

“What the hell?” Harper squinted and leaned towards the screen. She swung a spindly leg over the edge of the cryo-bed, touching a toe to the floor.

“Careful, Captain. Your muscles. They’re not —. ”

“I know. I’d make a scarecrow jealous. I’ll be fine. Shut off the gravity, will you?”

Cheryl slowed the spinning of the main bay of the ship, causing Harper’s belly to lurch. She belched in her mouth. Another delight courtesy of the space-trekking business. “How big is it?” she asked.

“When it first attached itself to the ship it was roughly three inches in diameter,” the AI explained. “It remained that size for three days. Today, within the last two hours, in fact, it more than quadrupled in size.”

“Quadruple?” Harper thought for a moment, wiping a lock of dreads from her eyes. The fuzzy mass moved slowly as it slid across her face, the artificial gravity wearing off. “So, a foot across now,” she said.

“Give or take, yes.”

“And you don’t know what it is?” Harper asked flatly.

“No. It’s not coming up in any known databases.”

Harper nodded, processing the information. Inside, her belly was waning towards full queasiness. Her body had lifted off the mattress. She grabbed a handrail that was attached to the cryo-bed to stabilize herself.

“Chances of it covering the ship?” she asked.

“I can’t say for certain. It could continue to grow at this rate, or grow erratically, or not at all. But if it does grow unchecked, I don’t see how it wouldn’t.”

Harper nodded. “So, at this rate, how long?”

“By my calculations, it could cover the starboard side in four days, and reach the starboard booster in five. That’s my real concern.”

Harper bit down on her bottom lip. Her gray eyes twinkled in one of the panel lights. “Yea, we can kiss maneuverability good-bye then.”

“Exactly.”

“And probably our asses.”

“Bingo.”

Harper fixed a blank stare at the screen as her mind sifted through alternative scenarios. She settled on two options, both fundamentally uncomplicated, neither very good. One: abort the mission — but that would mean the end of decades of hard work and the dashing of a life long dream. Two: sticking it out — and possibly getting it wrong. Dealing with this… entity poorly, though, could mean hurtling out into space. For an eternity.

Fun, she thought.

She chewed on it a while longer.

“Apprise Houston of our status,” she said. “Then prep my suit. I’m going for a walk.”

“I can’t clear you for a walk for at least 48 hours and not before a full physical, Captain. The effects of the hyper-sleep —.”

“Override,” Harper said. “Directive twenty-four point four.” The crisp edge of authority was sharp in her voice.

“Counter override, directive eight-alpha. Captain, I cannot in good conscience let you —.”

“Goddam AI, just…” Harper steadied her breathing. Her pulse throbbed in her ear and she had raised a clenched fist, unknowingly, ready to slam it against something. “Override,” she said, “directive two-four-two-seven. You will not keep me from checking on that debris. Unlike you, I have a heart and lungs and a brain, and along with all of those things — which are near and dear to me — I want to get my ass out to the California Nebula, then back home to Earth. Waiting 48 hours to check on this thing is not an option.”

A silence bloomed between them.

“The sarcasm is unnecessary, Captain. I may not have the same parts that you do, but I don’t want to die out here either. You’re not the only one who contemplates their mortality.”

Harper rolled her eyes. These things had become far too life-like.

“Protocol overridden,” Cheryl continued. “You’ve got your space walk, Captain. But I think it’s a bad idea.”

****

After her stomach completed a few back-flips, Harper adjusted to the zero gravity. She was in the belly of it now, floating along the starboard side of the Caelum, tethered to its polymer skin.

Her suit was bulky. Under the earth’s gravitational pull, in her condition, it would have been unwieldy. But in the vacuum of space, she moved gracefully in it, like a Mylar-clad athlete.

“Coming up on the foreign object debris now,” she said.

“Roger,” Cheryl responded.

Harper wasn’t sure what to expect. She had been with NASA for 32 years. Fresh out of the candidate program, she was one of only ten women who were accepted into the program. More than three decades later she’d been to Mars and captained three voyages across the solar system. And in all those years, not a single person had encountered an alien life form. Yes, they found bacteria within the crust of Mars. But had they made contact with anything larger than microscopic organisms, ever? No. It had never happened. And here she was, on the verge of discovering a new species.

She couldn’t tell if she was excited or nervous. Maybe she was just terrified and in complete denial — the potential downsides, despite the monumental discovery, were especially grim.

Harper pulled herself around the hull using the handholds that speckled the ship’s shell. She spotted the silhouette of the debris and pulled herself closer. When she swung herself around and on top of it, Harper found a cluster of spiny, spherical objects. They were purplish-black and each was roughly the size of a tennis ball. Long, slender spines radiated out from every organism’s center, reminding her of sea urchins back home — the little critters that gathered in tidal pools along the crisp Northern Atlantic shores. But there was a glaring difference: the eye at the center. Each of these creatures had an eye that took up at least half of its body.

The sight sent a shudder through Harper.

“Christ, are you getting this?”

“Crystal clear on this end,” Cheryl said.

“What the hell are these things?”

“I don’t know, chief.”

Harper leaned in. The set of eyes looked into hers, sending a qualmishness bubbling through her belly.

The irises were yellow stippled with green specks. The pupils were as black as the emptiness around her. But they moved. The spiral-shaped openings revolved, and spun in a swirling pattern.

Harper stared at them in awe, her respirator humming rhythmically in her helmet.

“Captain?… Captain, are you okay?”

“What?… Yea… I’m gonna get a sample.”

“Be careful.”

Harper paused. Her eyes narrowed. Ok, mom.

She prepared her drill and the empty bag that was typically used to hold drill bits. Crude tools, she thought, for collecting a species that will break science. But NASA hadn’t planned on her bumping into an undiscovered life form on this trip. She had to make due.

She pulled herself closer. The cluster of eyes followed her every move, squishing and squirming in their body-sockets. She held the drill over the tiny creatures.

“Here goes nothing,” she said.

She wedged the tip of the drill bit under a specimen on the edge of the group. The bit hardly slipped beneath it. She shifted the bag further up her shoulder, then tried with both hands. Still, nothing.

“Damn, these things are stuck on here good.”

“Take your time.”

Harper shook her head, again. Yes, mom.

Out of some deep-seated Pavlovian habit, decades in the making, Harper nearly flicked on the drill. Christ. She chuckled. Then asked herself if she was nuts. She took a deep breath.

Harper gripped the top edge of the animal with her free hand and slid the drill bit under the other side again.

She pulled on it.

Ouch!

Harper recoiled in pain.

She looked intently at her glove. It couldn’t be, could it? She flipped her hand over to get a better look. No way. It felt like the creature had bitten her. Through the Mylar, through the Dacron and through the Teflon-coated glove.

As she tried to process the queer sensation, the sight of the ship began teetering in her view. The critters and their curious eyes started spiraling in a blur further and further away. She was tumbling into unconsciousness, and she knew it.

Harper’s mind gradually became alert again amidst the blackness of catatonia. The profound silence there felt like it pervaded her very soul. An image crystalized. It crackled with color. It was a moving picture of a black hole swallowing up space debris. Among the flotsam, trapped in the thing’s maw, was the Caelum. And undulating across the ship from tip to stern was a purplish-black skin, glowing, rippling, with eyes, thousands of eyes along it, peering back at her.

Harper’s breath caught in her throat.

She watched the black hole suck in the ship, spinning it across its aperture, and down towards the chute of its endless belly. Inside the black hole, Harper could feel something, a being or a consciousness. It spoke to her in a deep, wordless rumble. A piece of it, a feeling maybe, or possibly a warning, slithered across the vivid vision and touched her, the sensation rifling across her chest. It pulled at her. Harper screamed.

“Nooo!!”

She jolted awake. Her respirator was whining in her helmet. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths. Harper looked down to find herself floating several yards above the Caelum, her tether at full length. Her head was pounding again and she felt weaker than when she emerged from cryo.

She peered down at the ship. The colony had spread. The creatures had commandeered nearly the entire starboard side of the ship.

“Captain? Are you okay?? Captain?” Cheryl said.

“Yes, yes…” she muttered. “The… the creatures, they’ve… taken over the… how?” Her voice cracked with anxiety.

“You’ve been out for more than three days. I tried to wake you, but there wasn’t much I could do from here.”

The hairs on the nape of Harper’s neck stood on end. She needed to be back on the ship. She needed to get ahead of this. She reached for the tether. Her arm barely moved at her command. Harper tried the other: a similar incapacity.

“Captain,” Cheryl said tentatively, “between the hyper-sleep, your unconsciousness and going without food for as long as you did, your body is terribly weak.”

Harper blinked uncontrollably, her mind grasping at the situation, trying to make it all stick.

“Slow movements, Captain. Take your time.”

“We don’t have time.”

“Time is all we have now.”

Harper gnashed her teeth. Her insides burned. She wanted to scream.

She could hear herself breathing, the respirator purring in her ears. Stars twinkled all around her. At length, she collected herself.

Cheryl was right. Mother-jokes aside, she was always right. Harper took a deep breath and reached out for the tether. It seemed like an eternity, but all she could do was move, go through the motions, try.

While stretching for the life-line, something below caught her eye. A long row of the prickly creatures, a bit smaller than the rest, were pulsating. They were mid-inception, giving birth to themselves. They encircled the colony, a fresh layer of lethal interlopers — their amber-colored eyes wet and fully formed, their spines stunted and still fleshy.

Harper’s jaw tightened as a heat rose like a halo through the top of her head.

“You bastards!!” she screamed. “You goddam… sons of bitches…” Her voice fell to a whisper. She bit her lip, holding back sobs.

The blanket of eyes looked up at her coolly, following each of her labored movements. They glowed and they squirmed. Then swiveled in their thorny sockets.

Wise words

What are some mind-blowing facts about Vietnam?

In Vietnam, there’s a shrine for Lady Horse (Bà Chúa Ngựa). The story said that in this village, there was an extremely perverted lady, whose stories of unacceptable practices reached the ears of a mandarin. He then put her in a horse-shaped cage so she would be raped by a male horse. She died eventually and people make a shrine out of her and go there to pray for good luck.

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Vietnamese are required to study Classical Chinese poetry, both Vietnamese and Chinese ones but rendered in Vietnamese alphabet, in school.
There was a period of time when skirts were banned nationwide in imperial Vietnam. That gave birth to the Vietnamese national dress, which has pants instead.

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Vietnamese hate the Chinese government, but love Chinese culture.

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There’s free iced tea littered across Vietnam for workers that need to drink. No paying, no nothing. You just go and drink it.

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UP traumatized Jane

How could the development of extremely long-range air-to-air missiles like the AIM-174B potentially change Chinese behavior in the South China Sea region?

No.

What you don’t know is that the PL-17 has just as long a range and is smaller, lighter, and shorter than the AIM-174B.

Ironically, the West has been claiming that the PL-17 is too large to hit a fighter. Strangely, the even larger, heavier AIM-174B is now able to hit fighters. Considering that the PL-17 terminal speed is Mach 5 while the AIM-174B (just a repurposed SM-6) has terminal speed of Mach 3.5, it’s rather weird that a slower missile can hit fighters while a faster one can’t.

It appears that the laws of physics is not the same for Western weapons as for the rest of the world. Nay, the rest of the Universe.

There Is No Hope For This Generation

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve gotten for an insanely cheap price?

I was having a mooch round the cheapo shop near my mother’s house, and up on top of the shelving was a shopping trolley, the sort you can sit on. I had problems with my feet, and although I could walk forever, as soon as I stopped, the pain began. I had been looking at trolleys like this, but they were over £150 and far beyond my means.

I asked the proprietor if I might have a look at it, and he got a ladder and brought it down. It looked perfect: I later worked out that it was a second, having a couple of tiny inaccuracies in the welding which were hard to spot and didn’t impair the action.

I asked him, how much?, and he quoted me £40, which was brilliant, but I didn’t have that much cash on me, and Mr Akram doesn’t take plastic. I asked him to keep it for me whilst I went to the cash machine round the corner. He asked me, how much cash DID I have?, which was £30. Obviously thinking I might not come back, he said I could have the trolley for the thirty. Result!

Eighteen years later, I still have and use it: it’s had an outing at least once a fortnight in that time, and, apart from a bit of fraying where the current cat keeps mistaking it for a scratching post, it’s still in good nick.

The same trolley was recently listed on Amazon for £163.

What role did the US have in the recent regime change in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh’s exiled PM said: had she surrendered to USA & let USA build a US military base in St Martin Island, she would have saved her PM position.

St Martin is strategically important for USA to install mid-range missiles there so as to threaten the safety of China, India, Myanmar & the entire southeast Asia ie Indo-Pacific region.

Some said the PM did not say that.

Does not matter. When we see USA threatening WADA & IOC officials in the 2024 Olympics just for gold medals, we can guess USA may have threatened Bangladesh for such an important location in Indo-Pacific.

USA is notorious in instigating riot/coup in other country & put a puppet gov there to take US orders.

Take care of your loved ones

How long do you count before throwing a grenade?

Originally Answered: Explosives: How long do you count before throwing a grenade?

This has already been covered really well, but I want to add a story from my grandfather’s training days, during WWII.

The recruits were training with grenades and the training officer noticed that my grandfather was pulling the pin and then throwing the grenade immediately, much too fast to control its destination. He just wanted that explosive FAR AWAY RIGHT NOW. Which is understandable! But not behavior you want from your soldiers.

So the officer waited until my grandfather had pulled the pin on another grenade, and then rushed in and clamped his hands down over my grandfather’s, and proceeded to have a little conversation. Where was he from, did he know anybody back home, what was his family like, etc. Meanwhile there’s the grenade, the pin pulled but the spoon trapped under my grandfather’s hands, trapped under the officer’s.

After a few seconds of engendering pure panic, and then a minute of weirdly casual conversation, the officer told my grandfather to always remember that it was the spoon, not the pin, that set the fuse off. As long as his hand was holding the spoon, he had all the time in the world to aim.

Here’s a picture of my grandfather today. You can’t tell in this picture, but both of his hands are still firmly attached.

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Do NOT feed the bears

Australian Wildlife

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How bad could the ongoing UK riots get?

I was thinking is that it? It’s over? Violent riots in Hong Kong lasted SEVEN MONTHS. UK riots barely lasted a few days.

But there’s an interesting parallel.

In 1966 there were huge riots in Hong Kong. The military was deployed on day 1 police and the military garrison shot into crowds killing many. The police also ‘arrested’ many riot leaders who then ended up dead shortly after.

They cracked down on the 1966 riots hard. The already incredibly harsh laws were enhanced so anybody could be arrested. It was business as usual, a year later even bigger riots broke out in 1967. The rioters had prepared and brought along IEDs.

So what of it? In 1966 the riots were crushed. In 1967 the riots were crushed. This lead to the 1981 riots.

The question is, are any of the actual root issues being resolved?

In 2019 there were huge violent riots, many disaffected youth and a large violent component. Many of these people buggered off to the UK (unfortunately some are coming back about 50% so far). However since 2019?

Wages have increased substantially.

There’s been public housing units (temporary) popping up everywhere in the countryside. People can rent such places for about $109USD a month. People are going to Shenzhen enmasse. The tycoons who were fucking the place over constantly have been told to behave.

10 Years in LA: My Shocking Truths, Biggest Challenges, and Unforgettable Moments!

After Chinese companies developed new AI chips, U.S. lawmakers wrote to the U.S. Department of Commerce that day, calling for no additional sanctions.

Since the Sino-US trade war officially started, the semiconductor field has become the US’s priority to curb China’s development. Since 2019, a large number of related companies have been included in the US sanctions list. Five years have passed, is the US sanctions really effective? Why did US lawmakers come out and call for not to increase sanctions first?

On August 15, the Russian Satellite News Agency briefly introduced the new AI chip of Chinese companies under the title “China releases new chips, ready to challenge the United States”, and believed that this new chip is comparable to Nvidia’s H100. According to reliable sources, the media analyzed that many Chinese Internet companies, including telecommunications providers, are now ready to purchase this domestic chip, which successfully demonstrates that Chinese companies have the ability to resist the US restrictions on the company’s access to advanced technology.

Overall, this domestic AI chip is at a relatively awkward time node, because Nvidia’s product line update time is very stable, basically updated every two to three years, and its new AI chip is expected to be released soon, with a large improvement. Although this domestic AI chip may be inferior to Nvidia’s new model, one thing that cannot be forgotten is that Chinese companies have carried out independent research and development under the background of the US ban, and not only have they produced finished products but also have caught up with the advanced level, which is already a big breakthrough.

What’s more, this domestic AI chip can be a good “starter”. If you aim for the international advanced level blindly, you may end up with nothing; start with the product down to earth, first have a user base and then further optimize according to feedback. Only by taking one step at a time can the foundation of domestic AI chips be consolidated. Most importantly, a reliable supply chain process can prevent the US from further increasing sanctions.

In fact, the US response is very telling of how significant this chip is. On the day when the Russian media released the news, US Democratic Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Zoe Lofgren from California wrote to US Commerce Department officials, calling for a freeze on plans to impose new restrictions on technology exports to China.

The two congressmen are very practical. They believe that the export controls imposed by the United States on China have actually damaged the competitiveness of the United States in advanced semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The two believe that in the context of allies not following this ban, the United States’s unilateral sanctions will not be very useful.

Of course, the two still stand on the position of the United States and require the US government to bring its allies along when imposing a semiconductor ban on China. But you have to know that the allies of the United States may not be in the same mind as the White House. They also need to maintain import and export trade with China to make profits. So far, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands have not completely stopped supplying China in the field of semiconductors. This also fully shows that the sanctions that have lasted for many years have not been as the United States wishes and have not successfully curbed the development of China’s semiconductors. The affirmation from the “opponent” can better illustrate the current development results of China’s semiconductor industry.

In short, the various sanctions imposed by the United States on China can certainly work in a short period of time, but the demand generated by a huge market of 1.4 billion people cannot be restrained by a ban. Even if the United States can work together with all its allies to impose restrictions, China can start from the beginning on the road of independent research and development. At present, China is taking various measures to support the development of the domestic semiconductor industry. The investment amount of the third phase of the National Big Fund alone is as high as 344 billion yuan. The momentum behind this series of actions cannot be stopped by the United States.

I Was An Engineer But Got Fired! Forced To Retire! How Did This Happen?

Only one party is ruling China since long. How is that China has not fallen to “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”?

Let’s see

How many ways can you become corrupt?

A. You can have a huge balance in a Swiss Bank Account

Unfortunately in China, you pay a price if you want power and responsibility and a seat at the decision making table

The Price is your life is under continuous monitoring and those of your Children too

You have to submit Assets and Liabilities every 3/6 months and any net increase over a fifth (20%) annually or 10% half yearly needs to be explained

If you have a Swiss account overseas even with $ 2 Balance and you didn’t declare the same, you get expelled and placed under restricted movement for 2–5 years meaning you can’t leave China, can’t leave Beijing, maybe can’t even leave your home except for a 1–2 km radius

Diplomats need to submit their overseas account statements every 3 months to the MSS representative in the Chinese Embassy of the country of their posting

Children of Diplomats/CPC Members studying in Overseas Institutions must submit their Account Statements every 6 months to the Chinese Consulate including Xi Jinpings daughter

Failure to declare overseas accounts led to many Generals getting expelled but also unable to leave China or even Beijing for the rest of their lives

Not just for them but for their families too

Hu Jintao had repealed the Families Rule in 2013 but Xi Jinping re established the law in 2018/19

Likewise Directorships in Non Chinese Companies headquartered outside China and HK need to be declared to the Party

Both by Party Members or their Sons or Daughters

Not declaring is a DISCIPLINE BREACH that automatically means you can’t leave China or maybe even Beijing and will be under 24*7 Surveillance

So the System is near AIR TIGHT

Maos legacy is still very strong and Mao is seen as a God in China, so very few people dare to modify his tough party rules

B. You can invest heavily in Land

Except that THE STATE OWNS ALL THE LAND IN CHINA

You own a lease and register the lease

In China everything is Digital now unlike India

Paper Sale Deeds etc are non existent in most Tier 1/2/3 Cities

Bottom line is if you register for property – THERE WILL BE A RECORD

Most Tier Cities have CAP on Residential Leases for Individuals

Also unlike India you just can’t convert Agricultural Leases into Residential Leases

It takes 7–10 years

So that won’t work

C. You can store wads of cash and gold

Nopes. Cash is non existent now. Banks report an average of 82.50% lesser cash withdrawn in 2023 against 2003

Holding over 20,000 RMB cash is rare even for Cafeterias or Meat Markets

So no point holding so much Cash

It’s paper and nothing else

Likewise Gold in China is registered

Every Bar has a Registry Number when sold to retailers and the Bank or seller will record these details before selling you the Gold

This way YOU CAN EASILY SELL THE GOLD OR PAWN IT WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION

However this also means you can’t just secretly buy gold and even if you do, you just can’t sell it because like I said everything is DIGITAL NOW and Cash is non existent

D. You can buy shares for a low price using Insider Information

Absolutely. Yet it’s LEGAL in China for CPC members to invest in Shares yet the sum is capped to 100,000 RMB a year (Approximately). This could ensure CPC members become Millionaires and that helps them further decide not to risk their positions with something stupid like Corruption

Why aim for 30 Million RMB and get into a load of trouble when you can make 10 Million RMB legally

Its why Singaporean Leaders get nearly 500,000 Dollars a month in Salary

There is a Sixth Reason – RESPECT AND HONOR

Membership of the CPC is a SYMBOL OF RESPECT AND HONOR for you that you are chosen to make decisions for the Country and State and sit with the best of the brains

It isn’t India where any Tom Dick and Harry with zero ability can become a MP or Minister or Chief Minister

Membership of the Politburo or Central Committee or Standing Committe is higher than ever

Xi Jinping is like a King in many aspects

He is the unquestionable leader and has reached that position where he will be revered for generations

Why sacrifice such a position which cannot be bought with money or land or gold???

It’s why Corruption in China is always at the low official to middle official level rather than even penetrating the Party Congress leadership

Status

Military personnel, what’s the dumbest thing you’ve heard someone in uniform say?

The captain stared hard at me. “Private, are you forgetting something?”

I was confused. “Not that I’m aware of, sir.”

“You always salute a superior officer.”

“Sir, we are in the field practicing wartime simulation. In war, out in the field, I would never salute a superior officer as a sniper would realize they were someone in charge and take them out.”

“We are not in an actual war. You WILL salute me, understand?”

“Yessir.” I popped off a salute, then handed him a card that said DEAD.

“What’s this?”

“Sir, I’m with the evaluation team. I set up the scenarios officers want so that situations can be evaluated to see how the unit deals with unusual circumstances. You were just saluted by a private and returned the salute. A sniper has killed you.”

He turned purple with rage. “You can’t do that! I have to be in the BTOC (Battalion Tactical Operations Center) in a half hour!”

The major in charge of the evaluation team whirled around and told him, “Shut up. Dead people don’t talk or stand. Lay down.”

The captain laid down on wet grass with ill grace.

The major laid another card on his chest that said “killed by headshot by sniper”.

The medic came by later and saw the cards. He and another medic put the captain on a stretcher after reading the notes and chuckled. “Let me guess. He wanted a salute.” (That’s because he knew the captain, and knew he was an a-hole.)

The captain spent the rest of the exercise lying on a stretcher for three days, only getting up to go to the bathroom or go get chow. He was NOT pleased.

So funny

Shorpy

What do billionaires do with their yachts? Do they use them to explore the ocean, or do they just park it in the middle of the sea and hang out there?

There are yachts, and then there are superyachts – the kind of yacht that is truly fit for a billionaire. And while boats are fun to own dear Jesus are they incredibly expensive to maintain. Most superyachts run well over $10 million a year in costs between staff, general maintenance, and everything else that goes into running these behemoths. So, what do billionaires do with their behemoths?

How about leasing?

One example of a leased mega yacht is the Serene 2, which at 439 feet in length makes it one of the largest yachts in the world. The ship also has an annual running cost ranging from $25 to $35 million.

Since it costs money to keep a ship like this running it only makes sense to try and make as much money as you can on it. The current owner managed to lease the yacht for a summer a few years ago to some guy named Bill Gates for a mere $5 million a week. The owner could have done worse.

Another notable example is the yacht Dilbar, which has been used for charters over the years.

The Dilbar is massive. In fact, it is stupidly massive and yet the Dilbar is only sixth in the world in length (511 feet) and third in weight (15,917 in gross tonnage) among superyachts. The cost was roughly $1 billion at the time it was built.

Between having a crew of 96 and an annual running cost of roughly $80 million a year it’s difficult to get an accurate price of what kind of clams would be necessary to charter this vessel. Yachts half the size of Dilbar will run you north of $1 million a week, so use that as a baseline. Unfortunately for you the Dilbar is no longer available for charter, so you will have to pick another yacht instead.

To conclude many owners simply travel the world and hangout wherever rich people do in unnecessary opulence. Others will charter their yachts out while they are away doing other rich people things. A small amount of owners have actually let scientific organizations lease out their yachts for research, like the late Paul Allen and his beloved Octopus.

How stupid are you

What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities?

Let me talk about MIT, which is largely missing from this set of answers.

I can talk circles about MIT not giving a lick about its undergrad population (oh boy, so much to dissect), or about the disparity between average highschool-smart kids and the IMO Gold Medalists in math classes, or about the fact that most of my classes are graded on a curve despite the fact that MIT pubs that they don’t do that.

But let’s focus on the saddest topic.

MIT is known for being one of the most intense, most rigorous, most high pressure universities in the country. It’s not because students are competitive (on the contrary, collaboration thrives and is often encouraged by instructors), but rather due to a combination of difficult coursework, extremely intelligent people everywhere that create insecurities, and a constant need to feel “hardcore.”

All this leads to one of the highest university suicide rates in the nation.

Just a few years ago, a girl jumped off the roof of my dorm, the tallest dorm in the school. MIT very promptly proceeded to investigate, and I’m not going into details, but let’s just say it was conducted extremely poorly.

The Institute is learning, though. Today, if you walk up a stairwell at MIT, it’s easy to deduce which door leads to a roof. It will have a sign:

There is help.

And really, truly, there is. We have a budding S^3 (Student Support Services) system that helps out a vast majority of students, a growing awareness about mental health in flyers and events and workshops…truly, this institution in many ways has tried to save lives.

But it’s not enough. And some of the decisions the administration have made recently haven’t exactly helped*. Just this academic year, a boy in my year committed suicide. A female grad student in my department. A 2016 alum who several of my newly graduated friends knew. And likely others who I haven’t heard about.

Rest in peace. You are missed, and you are loved.

*Go read any of the MIT Admissions blogs about Senior House. It’s more frustration than darkness, so I didn’t go into detail here.

Be the rufus

Since there is the hatred of US in the world. There is also the hated of China in the world. Why isn’t there the hatred of Taiwan in the world?

There is the hatred of US in the world, but not China. Taiwan is a part of China.

main qimg 112d42cd92b1bf69619aa76fb76677d5

China is a Challenger of the current world order. And the challenger is always lonely until it succeeds.

Before China becomes the Top Nation in the world, no other nations are willing to put all their money on China. Because they have to ask themselves: “What if China fails? If China fails, what will the US do to us?” That’s why China has no allies.

Before China, there have been many challengers: Germany, Russia, Japan. And they all failed. Throughout history, there were only a handful of countries that successfully replaced the No.1 Nation that has hegemony. Why is it so hard? Because it is always Lonely Challenger vs. The Entire World.

But if China does succeed, hundreds of nations will line up to be allies with China. This will happen overnight.

This is why no countries really have the balls to be real enemies with China right now. Because if China does succeed, China and its hundreds of allies will crash the crap out of these countries.

So China has no real enemies or real allies. All the countries are holding an attitude of “wait and see”.

Throughout history, the Law of Lonely Challenger never fails. Throughout history, the successful challengers always get allies overnight.And also, throughout history, the challengers who failed always ended up with piles of crap on their faces. Just take a look at Germany, Russia, Japan for examples.

China is the single country in the world whose top goal is to replace the US as the leading country. China has been talking about the Rejuvenation of China since the fall of Qing. When the US gained global hegemony, this Rejuvenation naturally became to replace the US.

In the current world, the international relations is , in its core, the relations between the US and China.

Behind every nation that has a problem with China, there is an onmipresent country called the United States of America. This includes the Taiwan question.

China has disputes with many nations around it. But these nations, like most of the nations in the world, have very strong economical ties with China. So they are not “enemies” in the traditional sense.

China historically stays out of other nations affairs. As a result there is very little outright hatred of China. Most are weary of being taken advantage of but all see China as a huge economic opportunity and trading partner.

You know, some countries are really suffering under USA rule, it would really be a huge improvement to align with China.

In other words, American allies are not actually friends, but simply because they are afraid of the United States.

They became allies of the United States not because they were attracted by the “high morality” of the United States, but because they were afraid of America’s abuse of power.

Russia Eliminated a Group of US Soldiers and Officers who Shelled KURSK with The Help of HIMARS MLRS

Would China go to war for Iran?

This question is important now more than ever.

US warships are closing in on the middle east, as a deterrence to Iran, and Iran wants to respond to Israel because Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. The most recent provocation from Israel, which happened two weeks ago, was the attack on Iranian soil, when they were hosting a foreign leader as a state guest.

Let’s say Iran attacks Israel and manages to cause real harm. Then, Israel will declare war on Iran, and like a puppet, the US will support Israel by invading Iran.

If that happens, will China go to war for Iran?

As much as I want China to go to war for Iran, I think China will do what’s best for their citizens — they won’t go to war.

There are two things China may do:

First is supplying weapons to Iran. It will win China support from the Muslim world. It will also be a chance for China to demonstrate the superiority of Chinese technology. They could do it secretly or openly.

The second, which would be the wiser choice but harder to pull off, is to collaborate with Palestinian sympathisers all over the world to impose sanctions on the US. If a significant chunk of the world’s countries join in, the US will fall.

It won’t be wise for China to impose unilateral sanctions on the US.

Even if China doesn’t support Iran in any ways, a US involvement in an Iran-Israel war is a win for the global south and by extension, a win for China.

In a way, this conflict is a great opportunity for China to demonstrate leadership in the world and their commitment to defending the world’s nations from US oppression.

What countries will you never visit again?

Saudi Arabia.

My wife joined me on a business trip. We picked a hotel that had fantastic ammenities — only to find that virtually none were offered to my wife, simply because she was a woman.

Men only.

The pool? Men only. The spa? Men only. Restaurants? Men only.

Men only.

Yes, this means my wife couldn’t grab lunch by herself while I was working. No, this was not during Ramadan.

Men only.

My wife had to cover up and largely make sure that she did not have any sort of interaction with men, whatsoever.

We had enough after the first day, and re-booked our hotel with an American chain, where my wife was allowed to order something to eat on her own.

I want to end this on a high note. After leaving Saudi Arabia, we went on to Singapore.

Men and women are allowed in hotel pools in Singapore.

We both loved Singapore. The hospitality was fantastic. The city is amazing. Yes, Singapore is a conservative place, and I’m well aware of it’s strict laws. Still, it didn’t feel anywhere near as punitive as Saudi Arabia. We could share a spa experience. Amazing.

My wife could go sightseeing, or shopping or take herself out to lunch. She didn’t have to be sequestered in her room, simply because she is a woman.

Singapore. 10/10 would recommend.

What, if any, are potential effects on Imane Khelif’s lawsuit over alleged cyberbullying during the Paris Olympics?

Bully is WRONG. But …

Let say her gender is truly questionable. Then the question has become …

is hitting/boxing a biological female correct?

I do not know Khelif’s case. I had the following post:

In the 2024 Olympics, there were “questionable” female boxers against biological females. Intl Boxing Assoc pushes IOC to think deeper “what a true female is”. Birth certificate is not reliable. Why not? What about chromosome or gender hormone?

Let us look at 4 scenarios.

1, gender change due to accident

A person was born male. During male circumcision when he was a baby, his gender organ was accidentally cut off. His doctor then made him a female on his birth certificate. His parents raised him as a female. At puberty, he started to take female hormone.

But he was never a true female biologically. He cannot get pregnant (dont argue some females cant get pregnant either). Despite hormone, his voice still cracked. I dont know his bodily build.

If he ever competes in Olympics, he can easily get gold medal because of his (male) strength.

Worse, he can legally hit/box a female & endanger the health/brain of the female. Do we want to see this “legal” beating of females?

My point: to determine a person’s gender by BIRTH CERTIFICATE is not reliable.

2, gender change due to birth defect

Some are born with defect eg the male organ is too small. The doctor & parents thus remove it & make him a female.

Birth defects happen to some people eg limbs not same length, 2 heads, 4 legs & more. Doctors do not remove the extra head or legs. These people accept their birth defect. Why not accepting a defective gender organ (unless the defect threatens the person’s life)?

As said in (1), unless the person is proven to be female by scientific means, the person is still physically (strength) a male.

3, Some are born with both sets of gender organs.

I suggest to leave the way it is unless the defect threatens the person’s life. Leave it until the person is old enough to decide for himself/herself.

Humans always make mistakes. Let us leave it to Mother Nature/Creator. Teach the person to accept birth defects like the 2-headed person does.

What makes parents & doctor as a human think they are wiser than Nature/Creator?

What makes parents & doctor think they can decide for another human being?

Is this a form of child abuse?

By the way, circumcision (both male & female) is considered child abuse in the 21st century.

4, Are transgender female same as a non-trans?

For the SAME height, male in general has longer arms & feet than female ie trans has longer arms.

Non-trans female has a rounder/bigger bottom. Something a male can do but not a female.

Has research compare the muscle mass, strength & balancing between trans & non-trans?

Question

Chromosome XX is female & XY is male. Is this reliable?

What about deciding the gender by the amount of male & female hormone in a person?

EU confesses ‘our prosperity was based on China & Russia’: cheap energy, low-paid labor, big market

What do Japanese and Korean people think of China?

Pretty chill.

China’s a pretty big country, and most (educated) Koreans know that. They also recognise the fact that, China’s quite different from us, although we share a lot of culture and history.

First off, China in itself is, once again, EXTREMELY LARGE. China has the world’s largest population, ranging in at somewhere around 1.3~1.5 billion, compared to the 50 million of the ROK, which pales in contrast. This means that China inevitably has a lot more going on over there, and we can’t exactly categorise the entire Chinese population into one stereotype.

Take, for example, the common misconception that all Chinese people are poor people who don’t shower and eat weird food. Sure, some people may not have the privilege of daily showers, but that doesn’t mean that the entire population hates hygiene. It’s just that if, say, a tiny 10% of the population was in poverty, that’s still a whopping 15 million, 3 times the entire population of Korea. We statistically KNOW that China isn’t like that, but what we actually SEE, is rather different.

And on another point, I personally say that China has influenced a lot of NEA’s culture, including both Korea and Japan. (And Vietnam) Not to say that we outright copied China, but there’s a lot of visible evidence that we, at one time, used to view China as a father/big brother country, with the Opium wars triggering the slow collapse of that kind of viewpoint.

Back to the present though, we see China right now as a… rival? Can’t really find the right term here, but to put it in other words;
China has a lot of shared industries with us, namely the IT industry and general production. (Samsung, Hwawei and the sort)
China sided with North Korea in the Korean War, which a lot of our elders still regret.

However, we do recognise that China is an enormous powerhouse and will probably catch up enough to completely smother companies like Samsung and LG. (Within the next decade or so)

We also know that a large portion of our economy consists of trade with China. When the THAAD problem was a thing and China smacked us with the sanction hammer, our economy quite literally fell over for while.

In the end though, I’m personally more of a “Asian Union like the European Union” kind of guy, and I envision the day when we can finally overcome our differences and grow together.

(End Note: None of these apply to the uneducated racists/extreme nationalists)

妄言多謝, Jasper

Pierogi

Pierogi are dumplings that are delicious fried and served with sour cream. These are also good filled with fresh blueberries mixed with sugar for a super dessert.

Ingredients

Dough

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups water

Filling

2 to 3 medium onions, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup (1 to 2 sticks) butter
6 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed or put through a ricer
1 (8 ounce) package farmers cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Dough

Mix the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the eggs, butter and water (starting with 3/4 cups if the dough is dry, adding 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding up to an additional 3/4 cups if needed) pulsing until kneaded by machine and a ball is formed, or you can use a mixer to do this process.
Remove dough from bowl and let sit in a warm place for about 15 to 30 minutes.

Filling

Melt butter in a large fry pan and add onions. Sauté until onions are lightly browned; set aside.
Combine potatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and as much of the sautéed onions as you like, reserving the rest to toss with cooked pierogi. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.
Divide dough into 3 to 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut a 3 inch round circle with biscuit cutter. Place one tablespoon of filling on one side of each round. Using your finger, moisten one side of dough with some water. Pick up the circle and fold dough over filling and pinch edges together to firmly seal the filling (this is critical – if you don’t pinch the dough together tightly, you will have gaps and when you boil the pierogi, the filling will come out).
Place the filled pierogi onto a lightly floured baking pan; cover until you finish with remaining dough and filling.
In a large wide pot, fill with water and bring to a boil over medium to high heat, when water is at a rolling boil, drop 5 to 6 pierogi and cook while stirring gently with a wooden spoon until they float to the top of pot. Cook a couple minutes longer.
Remove with a slotted spoon, toss with reserved sautéed onions, if desired, and place in a warmed deep glass bowl.
If desired, saute the pierogi briefly in a small amount of equal amounts of olive oil and butter (as shown in photo).
Serve warm with some sour cream on the side.

The China The Media Never Shows! 🇨🇳 Our First Day in SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG

Raw Doggin’

There’s a new “thing” that is sweeping the world by storm. It’s called “Raw Doggin'” and while that’s a terrible name for it, it really means something completely different.

It’s all about men, and their behavior.

Imagine a man.

He’s waiting in an airport, or waiting for a train. he’s eating alone at a restrurant, or getting a coffee at a cafe. He’s waiting in a dentist waiting room, or has some time to kill.

Instead of playing games on his cell phone, reading a book, or reading Kindle… Instead of fiddling around with a spinner.

He just sits.

Calm. Peaceful.

Sitting.

Enjoying his moment of quiet.

Oh, sure the world flows around him like a crazed foamy ocean. But he just sits there. Calm and immovible.

Like a rock.

That’s “Raw Doggin'”.

And you know what? That’s what we all need in this world of over-hyper stimulation.

We need men… who are calm and stable. Mean who are rocks while the rest of the world buzzes in discord.

Be that rock.

Go Raw Doggin’

Today…

What are some facts that only rich people know?

I happen to be “well-off”. Retired in 1990 with a lot of bucks.

I can do what I want, when I want, and buy what I want. I know a LOT of people much richer than me. Here’s what we found: It’s true, money does not make you happy. It gives you pleasure, but pleasure disappears after a time and you have to recharge it. A new car is pleasure. A hot woman is pleasure. A luxury trip around the world is pleasure. Buying six or seven custom-made 3-piece suits is pleasure. But none of that is being happy.

Look at any of the popular magazine covers and they are filled with rich unhappy people.

I remember taking a motorhome to Cabo San Luca in 1992 with my kids. This was a top-of-the-line motorhome and we had reservations at a 3-star condo in Cabo.

My home life was the pits. My wife didn’t like me and I didn’t like her. She had different friends than me. I was being screwed in some corporations I still owned pieces of and was going to court.

I drove past a little house along the road. The place had a dirt floor. There was a guy and his wife outside laughing and playing with their three kids. They LOOKED happy. They had nothing, but they sure seemed happy. When people are truly happy, you can tell. They were truly happy.

I finally knew the difference between pleasure and happiness. It took 15 more years to finally be happy.

I drive a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. I can buy a new Ferrari for cash, but my 4Runner gets me where I want to go. I wear jeans and tee-shirts and a Timex watch. I tossed my smartphone five years ago.

I read. I had three boats and sold them all. Now I fish from the beach. I’ve cut off all the crap that gave me temporary pleasure.

Oh, and married an Asian woman 27 years younger than me 14 years ago and we are together 24/7. Only six disagreements in 14 years.

She understands happiness too. My kids keep trying to get her to have me buy new cars, a bigger house on the beach, new clothes, fancy food (my favorite is spaghetti), and all that, but she knows how I want to live.

Happiness doesn’t come from “stuff”. It comes from being free. I think rich people discover that or they end up miserable. Poor people think having big bucks will make them happy. Not true.

Ukraine Attacks Russia Using U.S. Supplied ATACMS Missiles

Hal Turner World November 19, 2024

Ukraine has carried out its first strike on Russian territory with US-supplied long-range missiles just days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light despite fears it could escalate the conflict beyond control.

A fiery explosion at an ammunition depot in Karachev around 75 miles from the Ukrainian border in Russia’s Bryansk region lit up the night sky early this morning on what is the 1,000th day of war in Ukraine.

Eyewitnesses and Russian military bloggers first reported the attack, with Ukrainian military officials later confirming to RBC Ukraine the strike was indeed conducted with the US-manufactured ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System).

‘The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against it with the use of conventional weapons,’ Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Russia this morning.

His statement followed Vladimir Putin’s approval of an updated nuclear doctrine that allows his strategic forces to deploy nuclear weapons if Russian or Belarusian territory is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power.

Threats that could make Russia’s leadership consider a nuclear strike include an attack with conventional missiles, drones or other aircraft, according to the updated document.

A Ukrainian strike on Russian territory with US-supplied missiles meets these criteria, raising fears that Moscow may now consider a dramatic escalation in the conflict.

WoCuDaDeMa

How safe is China?

I have lived in China for 14 years distributed amongst 4 cities in different parts of the country and visited many others cities.

I am a woman, and whether it is Shanghai, the bustling metropolis or Chongqing , a much more ‘Chinese’ city in the South West, or Shenzhen where I live now, I’ve never been teased on the street, ogled or leered at or, forget about being groped. I have had to walk home from metro stations at weird hours of night sometimes but have never felt scared.

A taxi driver once told me the reason why taxi in Shenzhen is safe, even at 1 am at night- ‘there are so many cameras around on the streets. It would have to be a mad person to try to do something.’

The young girls here can literally get away with wearing anything, and NOONE seems to pay them ANY attention on the street.

My daughter is 11 years old and recently I have started allowing her to take the metro on her own when needed. I wouldn’t dare do this in many other countries.

Sure I’ve heard about pick pockets and the like, but as far being ‘safe’ on the street is concerned, China has to be one of the safest countries in the world today.

What’s the funniest, sweetest, or most cringeworthy opener a guy has ever texted you?

I met a guy at the gym. Didn’t think much of it.

Six months later while on lunch break at work, I ran into him again. “You work in Downtown? Which building?” Turned out we worked across the street from each other. He asked if I wanted to grab coffee that afternoon at the Starbucks between our buildings. I said yes.

But… I kept worrying about it when I got back to my desk. And then I texted him. Not a cool text, but a neurotic one which went something like this… “This is just coffee, OK? It can’t be anything else. We’re just friends. But not friends friends because we don’t know each other. You know what I mean. Did I mention I’m already seeing someone?” I hit send, then realized how ridiculous my text was.

When the little envelope symbol popped up on my phone indicating a response, I did not know what to expect.

But he very cooly replied, “Relax. Just coffee. It’s not like I’m asking you to marry me. See you at 3.”

That was the first time he made me laugh.

I arrived at Starbucks. I purchased and slowly sipped my coffee alone for 20 minutes. “Hmm… he’s not coming.” Just as I was about to get up to leave, he arrives coffee already in hand.

Him: This is not the Starbucks between our buildings. This is the Starbucks between your building and the other building over there.

Me: Oh.

It was silly of me to believe him when he said it was just coffee. Good thing he found me waiting at the wrong Starbucks because three years later, he did ask me to marry him. And he has been making me laugh ever since.

My Patrons Want To Make Me Cry!! Gladiator | First Time Watching

45 people sentenced to 50 months to 10 years in jail over “conspiracy to subvert the state power” in Hong Kong

Forty-five people convicted of “conspiracy to subvert the state power” were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 50 months to 10 years in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday held a hearing at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to deliver sentences for the case of “conspiracy to subvert the state power” in Hong Kong.

Among them, Benny Tai was sentenced to 10 years in jail, Owen Chow to 93 months, Gordon Ng to 87 months, Gwyneth Ho to 7 years, Andrew Chiu to 7 years, Lam Cheuk-ting to 81 months, Cheng Tat-hung to 78 months, Alvin Yeung to 61 months, Joshua Wong to 56 months, Wu Chi-wai to 53 months. The remaining defendants were sentenced to between 50 and over 80 months in jail.

In January 2021, Hong Kong police arrested more than 50 people suspected of organizing or participating in the so-called “primary election” in 2020, allegedly breaching “conspiracy to subvert the state power” under the national security law in Hong Kong. Among them, 47 were prosecuted by the Department of Justice of the HKSAR government. They included Benny Tai, and former lawmakers such as Wu Chi-wai, Lam Cheuk-ting and Alvin Yeung. They were charged with one count of conspiracy to subvert the state power.

The case was first heard at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts from March 1 to 4, 2021, before being transferred to the High Court for further proceedings. During the trial, 31 individuals pleaded guilty, while 16 refused to plead guilty.

After continued hearings, on May 30, 2024, the court delivered its verdict on the 16 individuals who refused to plead guilty. Fourteen were found guilty and two were acquitted.

The High Court on Tuesday held the hearing to deliver sentences to the 45 individuals who were found guilty.

What story of survival blows your mind every time you think about it?

Harrison Okene survived for two and a half days trapped in a boat at the bottom of the sea, 30m (~ 100ft) underwater.

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He was a 29-year-old Nigerian cook, working on a tugboat that was about 32km (20 miles) off the coast of Nigeria. 2013.

The tugboat capsized due to strong waves and sank to the seabed, where it came to rest upside down.

Luckily, there was a small pocket of air trapped in the lower front of the boat. He found his way there.

Imagine being stuck: alone, in the dark, in cold water, and with the bodies of your crewmates around you, knowing it’s just a matter of time before the air runs out.

“I was so hungry but mostly so, so thirsty. The salt water took the skin off my tongue.”

“I could perceive the dead bodies of my crew were nearby. I could smell them. The fish came in and began eating the bodies. I could hear the sound.”

[1]

Awful.

After 60 hours, he heard sounds that were similar to knocking sounds. He saw lights in the water, then saw figures moving. He reached out, grabbed the hand of one of the divers.

I imagine it must have been quite a shock for that diver. You’re swimming deep in the sea in a sunken boat, you know everyone’s dead, you’re navigating carefully through the wreck. Then suddenly, a human hand just reaches out from nowhere and grabs you! Would have scared my socks off.

Rescuers had assumed everyone on the boat had died when it sunk. In fact, the team that found him had gone there to retrieve the bodies; it wasn’t a rescue mission.

He reports that he still has nightmares about the whole ordeal.

“When I am at home sometimes it feels like the bed I am sleeping in is sinking. I think I’m still in the sea again. I jump up and I scream.”

Still, he faced his fears, conquered them and went on to become a certified diver.

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Footnotes

Nigerian survives two days at sea, in underwater air pocket

What is the appropriate response for the US to China’s claim on the South China Sea based on historical reasons?

After WW2, according to 1943 Cairo Declaration & 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, the defeated Japan must return all SCSea islands/reefs to their rightful owner(s).

According to Chinese history, most SCS islands/reefs belong to China but were occupied by Japan before & during WW2.

In 1947, US warships accompanied Chinese warships to reclaim all those islands/reefs.

In 1948, China published a SCS map, so-called the 11-dash line. No country opposed to it. The map has been tacitly agreed by other countries.

Old maps of USA, UK, USSR, France AND Philippines all showed the 11-dash.

But USA (unilaterally) changed its mind in 1951 & SCS disputes started since. That is all.

Half Of Americans Say They Will Need A Miracle To Retire

How long would a good fighter normal person, last in a ring against a really good pro boxer?

Years ago I was in a gym working out, and there was this guy working out in a makeshift boxing ring on one side of the gym, so I went over and talked to him. He said he was a semi pro boxer from Nevada, in my town with his wife for Christmas. After I talked with him for awhile I asked him if I could go a couple of rounds with him, and he agreed. So we went up to the front desk and I got a mouthpiece, some gloves, and that padded thing you wear on your head to keep from getting hurt. He didn’t have anything else but his gloves, which kinda pissed me off. He’s thinking I won’t be able to hit him. At the time I was young and in the best shape of my life, and although I knew I wouldn’t be able to beat him, I thought I would be able to get at least a few punches in. I wasn’t even close.

The first round he didn’t try to punch me. He just kept me from punching him. Easily. Every time I threw a punch he just batted it away. We moved around a bit, and I kept throwing punch after punch, and none of them even got close. After five minutes or so we took a break, and he told me that during the second round he would try to punch me. So we started the second round.

I couldn’t stop his punches at all. He didn’t even try to hit me hard, but it still jerked my head back every time. His gloves were next to his body, and then in the next instant my head was rocking back. That really pissed me off. I told myself that the next time he throws a punch, I’m not going to try to stop it or dodge it. I’m going to swing at him at the same time he swings at me. Maybe I can land one while he’s distracted. That didn’t work too well. He hit me in the face, and just batted my punch away at the same time.

If he had been really fighting I wouldn’t have lasted ten seconds. I was way outclassed. He did give me a compliment, sort of. He said that he was impressed that I would keep fighting, even though I was getting the crap beat out of me. He also said he was impressed when I tried to punch him while he was punching me. Of course he saw it coming a mile away, but he said that showed that I learned fast, even while I was being pounded to a pulp.

So, to answer your question, a normal person, even with some training, isn’t going to last very long against a pro boxer.

Lisa’s Crispy Chops

Ingredients

6 pork chops
3 eggs, beaten slightly
2 cups crushed soda crackers
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Instructions

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Dip pork chops into egg, then roll in dry mixture.
Fry over medium heat in a small amount of oil until dark, crispy brown.

Mid

What’s the most ridiculous sexist remark you’ve heard and how did you respond?

Happened back in internship days.

I was roaming around in a mall (not actually a mall, more like a market) and as I got off the stairs on the food court I saw two of my batchmates (girls) sipping coffee, I thought I should just carry on with my stuff and not disturb them but one of them waved at me. I again thought it would be rude if I ignored them so I went ahead, sat with them and ordered a coffee.

After almost an hour long discussion about our colleges, studies and the company we were at for internship, now it was the time to bid adieu. After we greeted each other with byes, see yous, both of them stood up and started walking to the stairs. I searched for a waiter and waved at him for bill.

FYI my hearing skills are excellent. I definitely wasn’t supposed to hear it and they probably thought I couldn’t hear them talking from that far. One of them said “We didn’t pay for our coffee and snacks.”

The other one (the one who waved at me) says “Aren’t guys supposed to pay for girls? And he’s bound to pay for the fun he had sitting with us anyway.”

I responded with paying the bill, tipping 10 bucks to the waiter and never waving back at’em ever again. I would have paid for it anyways but that particular remark by her made me think I was better off being rude. I didn’t know what to call it, humiliation, insult or something else but later I got to know about sexism. That was it, since then I remind of the incident (not sure if this is the right word lol) whenever I hear the word ‘sexism’.

Edit : Just discovered she’s on Quora. I want her to read this.

Edit 2 : Finally, it reached her. She read it and has officially apologized to me for the incident (She found my number through a common friend that we had over the years) and she told me how ashamed she is of what she said about me and now understands what it felt to me and said she would never do anything like this again, it was just a phase that she went through. She regrets saying that.

Also, a request to please not post humiliating comments, I feel guilty of insults she’s getting here, even though I kept her anonymous.

This Is An Act of DESPERATION! Ukrainian Army Began Using Chemical Weapons in KURSK!

What significant diplomatic developments or conflicts have emerged between major world powers in the past month?

On 2024/7/22, China brokered unity of 14 Palestinian militant groups. So-called Beijing Declaration. Paving the path for a united Palestine to become a UN member so that UN can militarily protect Palestine “state”. After that, Chinese ambassador to UN urged Israel to withdraw its troops in Palestine.

Predictably, Netanyahu is mad, mad & mad. He went to USA on 2024/7/23 to meet both Harris & Trump. He spoke in US Congress. He urged USA to organise a Mideast version of NATO.

He then propagated the threat of Iran. He accused the Iran-backed Lebanon of attacking the Israel-occupied Golan Height on 2024/7/27 though Lebanon denied it. In “retaliation”, Netanyahu attacked Lebanon & threatened to turn it to a full blown war. Israel has assassinated Hezbollah Commander Shukr.

The world smelt fish.

On 2024/7/29, Turkey threatened to (militarily) protect Palestinians if Israel creates fear & regional conflict.

Russia warned Israel not to change the status quo in Mideast.

USA, France, UK & Germany urged Israel to stop the Lebanese conflict. And urged Iran not to escalate the tension due to Golan.

Iran, Iraq, Syria all said, judging from the debris, Golan was hit by Israeli rocket.

2024/7/31: Hamas leader Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran when he attended the swear-in ceremony of the new Iranian president. Who did it? Somebody who has both high-level intelligence & precision missiles like Israel & USA. (Aug1 news said the short-range missile was made by Israel.)

US Defense Secy Austin refused to comment. State Secy Blinken denied knowledge or involvement in assassination. but not yet Israel.

Other than Hamas leader, another top Hamas who was detained by Israel in West Bank suddenly died of an “illness” within days of Beijing Declaration.

United States Is Australia’s Foe

United States worked with former Australian leaders to turn their peaceful country into a weapons platform to use “to attack China”, an astonishing new book reveals. The move was a key element in the long-running US campaign to prevent Asians ruling Asia, it is revealed in ‘Nuked: The Submarine Fiasco that Sank Australia’s Sovereignty’, by Andrew Fowler (Melbourne University Press).

United States was unhappy that positive relationships were growing between Australia and its Asian neighbours, and particularly China, which had become the country’s biggest trading partner. United States also disliked Australia’s involvement with France, seen as too friendly to Asian nations. American military strategists decided to reverse that by getting Australia to jettison the French, and tying the southern continent to the US and UK with a war submarines deal known as AUKUS, the book reveals, in an extract printed in Declassified Australia.

To enable the plan to go ahead, mainstream journalists launched a major campaign saying that China intended to invade Australia – a story that had no basis in fact. A key player behind the scenes was Andrew Shearer, a former Australian national security adviser who had worked with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an American think tank fixated on using American money, influence and military force to halt the development of China with a war – preferably fought by others. Shearer returned to the Australian government and ended up in the high-powered role of Cabinet Secretary under Scott Morrison, Australia’s 30th prime minister, elected in August 2018, the book says :

“From the moment Shearer re-entered government, the tempo of the argument about which submarine to buy shifted from the best for defending Australia to the best for attacking China,”

Fowler writes. While the deal was presented to the public as defensive, the players were clearly in attack mode. The book says :

“In December 2018, the Morrison government announced that the first new submarine would be named HMAS Attack”

But despite the media’s best efforts to vilify China, the Australian public soon realized that AUKUS, forced on the country with no consultation, was a terrible deal for the country. United States was using Australia, harming its trade deals, and putting it in significant danger – and Canberra was not only letting this happen, but was buying it with a vast sum of the Australian people’s money. Worse, Australia’s leaders appeared to have literally surrendered the country’s sovereignty to United States, with American agents placed in top positions of governance. A growing movement to reclaim Australia’s independence started to grow.

Author Andrew Fowler is an award-winning investigative journalist. Declassified Australia is part of a network of independent journalistic groups that produces news that bypasses the biases and covert agendas of corporate mainstream media.

[1] Nury Vittachi (@NuryVittachi) on X

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Footnotes

[2] FRIENDS OR ALLIES – Declassified Australia

What are your 10 laws of manhood?

Talk less, DO MORE…
Know how to control your temper and emotions
Life WILL beat you down, you stay down for a while, rejuvenate, get back up and kick a**
DO NOT BE AFRAID.
Hate failing but DO NOT BE AFRAID to fail. Take risks.
When it’s seeming like the argument isn’t going help either way, just cut it.
A Man without goals is a man without passion. A Man without passion is a dead man. Dream big, accomplish bigger.
RESPECT YOURSELF. RESPECT YOURSELF. RESPECT YOURSELF!!! When you ask her out and she says no, understand it’s a NO and move on to the next girl. If she verbally abuses you, physically abuses, if she doesn’t appreciate you, no one told you there was not an exit… unless you are married.
Be on your grind. Grind while they party, grind while they sleep, grind while they have fun. Because in the future, when everything goes well, you’ll be having a better life than if you’d chosen to party your youth away
Refer 1

Shorpy

What are your 10 laws of manhood?

Learn to give zero fucks. Nothing demands your reactions. So stop fiving fu*ks about everything.
Dress well. If you dress well, you can speak with confidence. Confidence is the key.
Always consider being superior to everyone. If you are not superior in your own eye, how will world consider your superiority.
Learn how to deal with woman. Dont fall for looks, cleavages and ass. Dont chase girls. Chase the real woman. Respect them like a gentleman but you should know how to reply them at nonsense by being in limits.
Keep your social media activity less. Have some real conversation.
If girl doesnt text you. Dont bragg them. It seems like a looser. If you brag, it shows your desperacy and she not gonna reply you either. Just learn to keep moving. She will one day. My ex replied me after 5 years and I still dont give a shit. Hope she reads this on quora.
Avoid arguments. Make arguments better by valid points instead of raising voice. Argue with intelligent people who are at your level.
Stay away from politics. But know how to impact it by keeping distance. Great people never discuss politics.
Dont watch tv. Exercise and watch some real sports. Instead watching try to play sports.
Never say never to friends and family.
Don’t rely on god and luck, do hard work and make a luck.
Avoid sharing issues, they are sign of weakness and real men dont have weak points.
Face your problems of your own, dont facebook them.
Dont give up after falling 100 times. Rise again and roar like a tiger.
Always play to win big instead of loosing small.
Play for the purpose wining not for purpose of participation.
Dont try impress everyone, you cant impress all 7.6 billion people on this planet. Be yourself.
Try to dominate, if you create domination by winning then nobody will question on your defeats. For example Virat scored 3 tos in 3 games, nobody will question if he gets out on duck in next 4 innings. His average will still be above 50 if he scores 50 ducks in next 50 games. Domination makes champions.
Most important excuses, Excuses never makes champions. Dont makes excuses. Ever wondered why Micheal phelps has the most olympic medals? He swims 6–8 hours everyday. Still after retirement.
Never commit suicide.

SO get the job done.

Thailand Massage Girl Shares Secrets And Brutal Truths About Attraction

What is the biggest shock you’ve ever received in a courtroom?

I certainly don’t relish telling this; it was not my finest hour: In my late 20s, I got a DWI. I think my BAC was .12. Over the limit by 4 beers. — Still, quite illegal, and not something I’m happy about; glad I didn’t hurt anyone.

I was guilty, so I called a criminal attorney friend of mine and asked, “Do you still need an attorney if your goal is just to plead guilty?” — He said that everyone needed an attorney, so I went with it. But, I didn’t leave everything blindly up to him.

I looked up the relevant statute, and it clearly said that everyone convicted of DWI 1st Offense would serve 3 days in the county jail. — Unfortunate. I certainly was not looking forward to it; I’d never crapped in front of other people before.

BUT …. my attorney said that this could be worked out a different way; you would go in on a Friday afternoon and come out on a Sunday, and 1, 2, 3: That’s the end of it.

And, most importantly, the timing of this would be worked out with the probation officer. It would not, of course, happen immediately upon my entering a guilty plea, as the law I read seemed to imply. — The Penal Code is, of course, available to anyone, in full, on the internet.

I guess the lined-up misdemeanor pleas came in all at the same time. Rather than seeing the criminal court-at-law judge, who was an attorney and dealt with these matters, usually, it was taken on by the County Judge, with no law degree. — All of that is fine.

I appeared with all of those others, and we, individually, went down the line and swore that we would tell the truth, the whole truth …

And then, I heard that I was about to go to jail for three days. Immediately, upon final judgment being entered.

Absolutely not why my attorney had said; what I had been telling him would happen; what was happening.

At the time, I was office manager at the biggest construction corporation in town, and it was a Thursday. Payday was Friday. If they put me in jail, I wouldn’t get out until Monday, but the only part that really mattered is that I would not be at work on Friday.

Immediately after I was hired on, I was told, by the President of the corporation: “Jared, whatever you do during the week, pay your people on time.”

It’s not that missing payroll would get me fired. It’s that missing payroll was wrong.

And, it’s also a crime.

—

If my attorney had told me before that I wouldn’t be at work the rest of the day, and the next day, after the court appearance, I could’ve made that work.

But, that’s not how it happened.

So, I spoke up. I pointed my finger at my attorney — (I was not pleased) — and said, “I told you this was going to happen. I told you this is what the law said. The judge just asked me to swear that I’d received competent advice from you, and that’s patently false!

“What am I to do now? — Ask the judge to accept me firing you and rescinding my guilty plea??? That will sound good! And, then I’ll have to sue you for damages. Not necessarily because I may get fired, but it’s about more than that. You are my fiduciary, and you were wrong.

“That’s not going to work. Fix this, or I’m going to ask the judge to forgive me for hiring you.”

—

The judge, of course, could hear all of this.

It worked out in my favor; I’ll leave it at that. — If this had been the attorney’s plan all along, he would’ve been a genius.

Ten rules of being a man

Be self-sufficient. Unless you’re 4, do your own laundry, cook and feed yourself, clean up after yourself. Pay your bills. Be a grown up.
Respect women. Yes means yes. No means no. Don’t be a jerk, don’t discriminate and don’t think in stereotypes.
Be driven. Don’t be an amoeba. Strive for something. Doesn’t matter what. Have a passion. Ambition.
Have courage. Stand for something. Even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.
Be clean and well-groomed. If your hair refuses to grow in an organized and attractive way, shave it off.
Be kind and generous to service staff. Always.
Take care of your parents. Make sure they’re healthy, want for nothing, and see your face reasonably often.
Have clear boundaries and don’t let other people trample upon them. No matter how attractive they are.
Be funny.
Be curious and explore the world. Travel, try new things, learn and grow constantly.

HK’s top court dismisses final appeal by Jimmy Lai and former lawmakers

Hong Kong’s top court has unanimously dismissed a final attempt by Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and six former lawmakers to overturn their convictions for participating in an unauthorized march in 2019.

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Lai, Martin Lee, Albert Ho, Margaret Ng, Lee Cheuk-yan, Cyd Ho, and Leung Kwok-hung were found guilty of organizing and taking part in the procession on August 18, which followed an approved anti-police demonstration led by the now-disbanded Civil Human Rights Front.

While a lower court earlier acquitted them of organizing the assembly, it upheld the participation convictions.

The final appeal had centred on the issue of “operational proportionality”, a principle set out by two decisions of Britain’s Supreme Court.

The appellants argued that the court should conduct proportionality tests when passing a verdict and that a conviction would be a form of restriction that infringes on the fundamental constitutional rights of the freedoms of assembly and expression.

But judges at the Court of Final Appeal on Monday rejected the argument that the arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentence must be separately justified as proportionate, saying a separate proportionality inquiry was “inappropriate and uncalled for”.

“The defendants’ convictions and consequent sentences do not stand alone. They are the result of the judge applying the law to the evidence and being satisfied individually of their guilt,” the ruling said.

“The same pertains to the defendants’ proposition regarding arrest and prosecution. Those actions similarly do not occur in isolation. They represent steps taken to enforce particular offence-creating laws.”

Two presiding judges, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung and Roberto Ribeiro, said the two British legal precedents cited by the appellants “should not be followed in Hong Kong” because of differences between the two jurisdictions.

“In Hong Kong, statutory and other provisions which are found to be unconstitutional may be struck down as invalid whereas in the UK, a provision that is declared to be incompatible continues to be enforced as a valid law, with potentially different issues regarding proportionality arising thereafter,” the judges wrote.

Fellow justice Johnson Lam added that there is no basis in the SAR to consider the prosecution, conviction, and sentence as “distinct, standalone restrictions” from the rule creating the offense relating to freedom of assembly.

Lord David Neuberger of Abbotsbury, a non-permanent judge from Britain, said the constitutional differences in Hong Kong and the UK “do not mandate a different approach when it comes to considering whether a restriction on the freedom of assembly is proportionate”, but they “do require a different approach if the court concludes that the restriction is not proportionate”.

Ng, who attended the hearing, said it was inappropriate to comment on the ruling.

“We haven’t had a chance to examine this very important judgment. This is not the right time to make comments. We just want to take this occasion to thank our legal teams and all the people who have been supporting us all the time,” she said outside the court.

Lee, meanwhile, left the court, saying he had “no comment”.

Wife Asks For An Open Marriage INSTANTLY Regrets It

Has anyone ever accidentally overheard something about themselves that they shouldn’t have? How do people typically react in this situation?

Yeah , it happened to me. Let me tell you , it sucked.

It was in the evening one night and I called a friend who lived in the cottage behind me and asked if I could borrow a couple of eggs. She said yeah , come over and so I did.

When I got to her place she had a house full of people . It was still summer and though it was dark outside , all of her windows were open. Everybody was talking so when I knocked I didn’t get heard .

While standing there knocking , I heard one person say , “ is someone coming over?” And my friend answered “yeah , Wendy is.” Well that response opened up the floor to a bunch of negative comments. There must have been 10 people there and I heard bull shit out of at least 7 of them. I had no idea that this many people disliked me. And all the comments were hurtful.

After hearing enough , I turned around and started to leave when the front door swung open and there stood my friend. She was only one that stated that I “wasn’t that bad” while a few others said nothing to defend me .

Now I’m standing there with Hugh alligator tears trying to break free , when it dawned on me that these people were spinless , no good , fake pieces of crap. All of them had been at my door at one time or another during the past week, asking for a variety of things. All of them got what they wanted. All of them came over every morning for a cup of coffee and they got that to. Several of them knew that I was pretty good at mechanics and they came by asking what I thought was wrong with their car and I told them and I was right too. Basically I treated them like a friend , but tonight was the night that everyone hated me and they were quick to put in their ,2¢ .

Let’s just say that I was pretty hurt by their comments , but before I left , I faced each one who had said something and I repeated their words back to them. I wanted them to know that I knew exactly what they said . Then I just shook my head no and I walked out.

I can’t say that I was happy when I left , but there wasn’t any more misunderstood words or feelings and I was able to free myself from those people and their fake ways of life. I cried a lot that night and for many nights after , but at least I was clear headed about my so called friends and in the end I was better for it.

China’s Taichi-II Chip: World’s First Fully Optical AI Processor Outperforms NVIDIA H100 in Energy Efficiency

Beijing researchers have unveiled the Taichi-II chip, the world’s first fully optical AI processor, which outperforms NVIDIA’s H100 in energy efficiency.

…

Introduction

In a remarkable advancement for artificial intelligence (AI) technology, researchers from Beijing have introduced the world’s first fully optical AI chip, known as Taichi-II.

This innovative chip has set new standards in energy efficiency, surpassing NVIDIA’s renowned H100 GPU by a significant margin.

Fully Optical: Unlike traditional chips that rely on electronic signals, Taichi-II operates entirely on light, leading to significantly reduced energy consumption.
Energy Efficiency: The chip boasts a remarkable six orders of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency compared to conventional methods in low-light imaging scenarios.
Performance: In addition to energy efficiency, Taichi-II has shown a 40% accuracy boost in classification tasks compared to NVIDIA’s H100.
FFM Learning: The chip utilizes a novel training method called Fully Forward Mode (FFM) learning, enabling parallel processing directly on the optical chip.

Taichi-II: A New Era in AI Technology

The Taichi-II chip represents a major leap from its predecessor, the original Taichi chip, which had already set impressive records for energy efficiency.

Earlier this year, the Taichi chip demonstrated energy efficiency surpassing NVIDIA’s H100 GPU by over a thousandfold.

Nvidia’s H100 AI GPUs Projected to Surpass Energy Consumption of entire nations

The newly unveiled Taichi-II builds on this achievement with further advancements that enhance performance across various applications.

Developed by Professors Fang Lu and Dai Qionghai from Tsinghua University, the Taichi-II chip was officially revealed on August 7, 2024.

This breakthrough promises to transform AI training and modeling with its cutting-edge optical technology.

Intel Hits Key Milestones with 18A Chip production, Reinforcing Foundry Leadership and Future Innovation – techovedas

The Advantages of Optical Computing

Unlike traditional electronic-based AI training methods, the Taichi-II chip utilizes optical processes, which drastically improve efficiency. The shift to optical computing is a significant breakthrough, allowing Taichi-II to handle complex computations with unprecedented energy efficiency.

Key advancements of the Taichi-II chip include:

Training Speed: The chip accelerates the training of optical networks with millions of parameters by an order of magnitude.
Accuracy Improvement: Classification tasks have seen a 40% boost in accuracy.
Energy Efficiency: In low-light imaging scenarios, Taichi-II’s energy efficiency has improved by six orders of magnitude.

These enhancements set a new benchmark for AI hardware, highlighting the chip’s potential to revolutionize the industry.

The Technology Behind Taichi-II: A Deep Dive

The Taichi-II chip represents a significant leap forward in computing technology, leveraging the power of light instead of electricity. To understand this breakthrough, let’s delve into the core concepts:

Optical Computing vs. Electronic Computing

Electronic Computing: Traditional computers use electrical signals to represent and manipulate data. This involves the movement of electrons through transistors, which can be energy-intensive and limited in speed due to electrical resistance.
Optical Computing: This emerging technology uses light to perform calculations. Photons, the particles of light, can carry information at much higher speeds and with less energy loss compared to electrons.

How Taichi-II Works

Fully Forward Mode (FFM) Learning: This novel training method is central to Taichi-II’s operation. Unlike traditional backpropagation algorithms used in neural networks, FFM allows for direct processing of information on the optical chip, eliminating the need for data transfer between different components.
Optical Neural Network: The chip essentially creates an optical neural network, where light is used to simulate the behavior of neurons and synapses. This enables parallel processing of information, significantly accelerating computations.
Optical Interconnects: Instead of electrical wires, Taichi-II uses optical fibers to transmit data between different components. This reduces signal loss and increases data transfer speeds.

Key Advantages of Optical Computing

High Speed: Light travels at incredibly high speeds, enabling faster data processing and transmission.
Low Energy Consumption: Optical components generally consume less power than their electronic counterparts, leading to increased energy efficiency.
Parallel Processing: Optical computing allows for massive parallel processing, handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
Reduced Heat Generation: Optical components produce less heat compared to electronic components, improving system reliability and reducing cooling requirements.

Challenges and Future Directions

While Taichi-II is a promising development, there are still challenges to overcome:

Optical Components: Developing efficient and cost-effective optical components remains a significant hurdle.
Interfacing with Electronic Systems: Seamless integration of optical and electronic components is crucial for practical applications.
Algorithm Development: New algorithms and software tools are needed to fully harness the potential of optical computing.

Despite these challenges, the potential of optical computing is immense. As research and development continue, we can expect to see even more advanced optical chips with broader applications in fields such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and data centers.

Fully Forward Mode (FFM) Learning: A Breakthrough Technique

A standout feature of the Taichi-II chip is its use of Fully Forward Mode (FFM) learning. This innovative approach allows for high-precision training directly on the optical chip, enabling parallel processing of machine learning tasks. According to Xue Zhiwei, lead author of the study and a doctoral student, FFM learning supports large-scale network training with exceptional accuracy.

The FFM learning method leverages high-speed optical modulators and detectors, offering performance that could potentially surpass GPUs in accelerated learning scenarios. This technology shifts optical computing from theoretical to practical, large-scale applications, opening new possibilities for AI.

Strategic Implications and Future Prospects

The release of the Taichi-II chip comes at a crucial moment. With the US imposing restrictions on China’s access to advanced GPUs for AI training, Taichi-II provides a viable alternative that could help China overcome these limitations.

This innovation is strategically important as it enables continued progress in AI technology despite geopolitical challenges.

Moreover, the timing of Taichi-II’s introduction is significant in light of reports suggesting NVIDIA’s high-tech AI chips may be reaching Chinese military officials. The Taichi-II chip’s performance and availability could play a key role in China’s technological advancements and defense capabilities.

Malaysia Targets $270 Billion Semiconductor Exports by 2030 to Become World’s 6th Largest Chip Exporter – techovedas

Conclusion

The Taichi-II chip represents a major milestone in optical computing and AI technology. With its exceptional energy efficiency and advanced performance, Taichi-II sets a new standard for AI hardware.

It also offers a strategic alternative in a fast-evolving tech landscape. As research and development advance, Taichi-II highlights the remarkable progress in AI and optical computing.

Linda’s Easy Lasagna

This is my favorite lasagna recipe because you do not cook the lasagna noodles first. I have always disliked cooking the lasagna noodles, so this is a great solution for me. This turns out perfect every time.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey or Italian sausage*
1 jar spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 tomato sauce can water
2 pounds ricotta or cottage cheese, mixed with 4 eggs
12 ounces lasagna noodles, UNCOOKED
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder
Salt

Instructions

Brown meat. Drain.
Add sauces and water.
Spoon a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of a lasagna pan or a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Place a layer of UNCOOKED noodles (overlapping slightly), one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and one-third of the shredded cheese.
Pour about one-third of the sauce over the top.
Repeat twice more. Cover with more cheese.
Bake, covered and sealed with foil (DO NOT LET THE FOIL TOUCH THE CHEESE), at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer to brown the top.
Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

* Remove Italian sausage from casings and crumble as it cooks.

I usually make this with Italian sausage, but I have also used sliced cooked meatballs. It’s yummy whatever you decide to use! Of the two spaghetti sauce options, if you have time, go with the homemade sauce!

You can also bake for 1 hour without the cheese on top, then put the cheese on top and bake 15 minutes longer uncovered.

WHEN LIFE GETS TOUGH – Powerful Motivational Speech

Little Red Balloons

Matt Strempel

I can’t put my finger on why I murdered Jerry, because I lost my fingers in an accident.Accident. That is to say, Jerry hit the go button on the waste disposal unit while I was fixing it, and it munched my right hand off at the wrist. To be fair, the robotic prosthetic is about a thousand times better than my real hand was, but it hurt like hell at the time. He maintains I said, “Hit it,” but what I said was, “Quit it.” I was always telling Jerry to quit it. He was the most infuriating guy in the entire universe, I’m telling you. I should know; as a DSD I’ve seen more of the universe than most.A DSD is a Deep Space Diviner. In short, we look for water out in the dark corners of the universe in the hope of finding evidence of alien life. I used to get work out on farms and such, walking around with a curled piece of wire waiting for the thing to snap down towards the ground. That’s when I’d tell the boys to get digging. I never missed. Went all over the country helping folks get water out of the ground. I’m telling you, I could find water in the middle of a goddamn desert. Now I follow my hunches into deep space.When I heard they were asking for water diviners to head into space I thought it was some big joke. Checked the date to see if it was April 1st and everything. But it’s no joke. Turns out it’s cheaper to have guys like me out in space than sending probes from Earth.So anyway, they’ve had us out in Sector 35 for two years. Me and Jerry Portman. I told them I could do it on my own, but company regulations state I gotta have a partner. Jerry goddamn Portman from Chicago. I couldn’t stand him.How do I explain this to you? I mean, how do you come across a guy that can make you feel claustrophobic in the vastness of space? Even when I couldn’t see him, it was like he was right next to me with his stale open-mouth breathing. I’ve sent countless requests to be transferred, or have him transferred, or sought permission to blast him out the goddamn airlock, but no luck. I knew nothing was going to come of all the complaints, but it was the only way I could get the frustration off my chest.It’s true that in space no one can hear you scream, but email works pretty good.Anyway, that opening line about not being able to put my finger on why I killed him on account of not having any fingers? That’s the type of corny gag that Jerry loved. Drove me crazy. Is there anything more infuriating than a guy who laughs at his own jokes? I must have heard him use variations of “lend you a hand”, “right-hand man”, and “second hand” about a million times. He laughed every single time like it was the first time anyone ever said, “Get a grip” to a guy who just lost their hand and was rolling around on the floor spraying blood all over the goddamn ship.You ever see a gushing wound in zero gravity? It’s really something. It looks like the wound is spurting little red balloons. Or, it’s like looking at cells under a microscope.Space does that. Changes your perception of size. Entire planets appear tiny, then, the next second, a speck of space rock hitting the ship could end your entire existence. Big is small, small is enormous.Anyway, the latest thing with Jerry was he wanted to head out on this new vector. I’m telling you right now, where he wanted to go is a bust. Oh, but he’s “got a feeling”. Feeling, my ass. This guy hadn’t found a goddamn drop of water in two years. Plus, we would have had to go through a goddamn asteroid belt.It’s not that he was bad at his job—he was terrible—it’s that he was bad at everything. I mean, literally, everything. You ever meet a guy who couldn’t even use the goddamn toothpaste properly? I mean, who squeezes from the middle? Leaves the lid open so I’ve got a tube that’s flat through the centre, with all the good paste at the bottom, blocked by dried toothpaste at the top. He was such a goddamn imbecile.The thing is, though, medically speaking—on paper—he was a goddamn genius. Like, off the charts smart. He’s just got no common sense. Know what I mean? As in, he could solve the most complex mathematical equation known to man, but he’d set fire to his helmet. He really did that. Tried to make some modifications and shorted the regulator. Nearly killed us. He was always nearly killing us.I’ll say it: Jerry Portman was the stupidest guy ever to be classified as a genius.I swear he has nearly killed me at least a dozen times. Obviously, losing my hand was pretty bad, but he’s also shut off my oxygen while I was outside repairing a cracked solar panel. I was under 50% oxygen saturation when I finally got back inside. That much carbon dioxide in your lungs? You can’t take that too long. When I hit the emergency retract button on my umbilical to get back inside, well, let me just say, if I’d had the strength to even stand up, I swear that would have been it. I would have murdered Jerry right then.I think the worst one was when he opened the bay door—that’s where we keep the drones—before I was in my suit. I know it’s against the regulations to be in the drone bay without your suit because of the potential for that exact situation, but fucking Jerry, man. The guys who wrote the regulations must have been like, “What’s the most galactically stupid thing anyone could do in any given situation?” and then they’d write a rule just for kicks. They were probably laughing their asses off the entire time. “No one could be that much of a moron,” they’d say. But guess what, fellas. Jerry Portman is your guy. It’s just lucky there’s a ten-second warning before the doors open.You know the worst thing about guys like Jerry? It’s never their fault.“It was an accident.”He said it every goddamn time. It’s always an accident with these guys. Like that absolves them from any wrongdoing. As if just because you didn’t do it on purpose, all is forgiven.Imagine opening the bay door while there’s a guy in there working on the drones.Speaking of the drones. Jerry lost another one yesterday. This should come as a great surprise to exactly no one, but even for him, this was stupid. That’s three of our six drones lost. Don’t worry, Jerry. They’re only worth about half a billion dollars each.“But they’re fitted with a homing device to automatically self-dock if they lose the control signal” I hear you say. Yeah, well, you haven’t met Jerry. He’s the kind of guy a car salesman tells, “Pal, if you’re the kind of guy that accidentally locks his keys in the car, then this is the car for you. You can’t do it, see? It’s impossible.”Then, a week later, Jerry’s back and tells the guy he’s locked the keys in the goddamn car.Can you imagine being stuck in space with Jerry Portman? I’m telling you, it’s the pits.The first drone Jerry lost was on account of him tinkering with it. He was trying to make the water sensor more sensitive after striking out on another of his feelings. He’s always making excuses that it’s the equipment’s fault when he strikes out. So, yeah. The first drone he tinkered with—well, we don’t know what he did exactly—but the first time we took it out after he fiddled with it, it took off like a bullet and it was gone.I can still see Jerry watching the screen as we lost the signal. He was like a kid who’d taken his model plane out for its first flight and watched it disappear over the trees never to be seen again. Only this model plane cost half a billion dollars.The second one, I’m not sure about. He swears he didn’t touch it. For all his million faults, one thing Jerry wasn’t, was a liar. Maybe we chalk that one up to bad luck. Maybe the drone was a dud.But the latest one? Jesus Christ. I won’t bore you with a bunch of technical crap about how the drones work, let’s just say in the simplest terms, it confirms the presence of water in any form within a given target. Most commonly, this means we find a meteorite that we feel has potential, and the drone sends out a probe to take a sample. It’s basically a drill that bores into the target and removes a metre-long cylinder of material. If there’s a trace of water—it’s ice, of course—there’s a bunch of readings and measurements done by the computer and it sends the data back to Earth for further analysis.As you can imagine, a machine that performs this function is incredibly complex. So you don’t just open up a panel and start poking around with a goddamn Phillips-head. Well, you and I wouldn’t. But you know who would?So, yesterday he’s telling me, “I know what I’m doing this time,” as if he’s read the manual since losing the first drone. I just shake my head and leave him to it. I used to argue with him all the time, but I learnt pretty quick what a waste of breath that was. He’s one of those guys that when they get something in their head, you can’t shake it no matter how much sense you’re making. They could be wearing a red tshirt and you say, “Nice red tshirt,” and they say, “What’re talking about? It’s blue,” and you just have to say, “Fine, you moron. It’s blue,” and walk away.That’s what Jerry was like when he was tinkering. Maybe part of me thought he’d electrocute himself so I wouldn’t have to murder him.When he finished playing around with this drone, he came back into the control room and placed these screws and some other little bits and pieces in a drawer. He did it as if he didn’t want me to see it, but I saw it clear as day. You know when someone gets home drunk and they’re trying to be quiet but they make way more noise than if they just stumbled around? People trying to be discrete just scream I’m up to something fishy.So I say to Jerry, “What are those, from the drone?”

And he just says, “They’re spare. We don’t actually need them.”

Then I go off on one about how every single thing on this ship right down to the tiniest screw has been reduced in size and weight to make everything as light as possible—like, the angle of trajectory for our landing factors in the weight of the urine that will be in our bladders—but sure, Jerry. They’ve included a bunch of spare parts. “It’s not a goddamn IKEA chair, Jerry” I remember saying that to him like he was hiding some leftover dowel he forgot to put in.

Well, sure as eggs, Jerry sent the drone out yesterday and I’ll give you one guess what happened to it. You’re goddamn right it blew up. Nearly killed us.

He’s just lucky the drone was far enough from the ship that the explosion didn’t do any damage to the ship. Nothing that the self-diagnostics picked up, anyway. Naturally, I did my block at Jerry for nearly killing us again and I said someone’s going to have to go outside and have a closer inspection of the hull. Now, normally I’d be the guy that does that. I mean, you can’t leave something that important up to Jerry goddamn Portman.

Then I had a thought—maybe I would send Jerry out. It would be a real shame if his umbilical somehow untethered from the ship and he floated out into space…

Ashamed as I am to admit it, this was not the first time I’d thought about killing Jerry.

Did I tell you about the time Jerry destroyed one of my samples? You know how people who can’t cook, they say “Oh, so-and-so could burn water.” That’s what Jerry did. We got this sample back on the probe one time and it had all these microorganisms in it. The core sample was about 85% ice. Normally, we’re lucky if it’s even 5%. The core analysis told us it contained 37 different forms of bacteria plus a bunch of other unidentifiable crap all suspended in ice. It was the most exciting goddamn discovery since penicillin. So I placed the core in the freezer and looked forward to the fame and fortune awaiting those DSDs lucky enough to find something. I couldn’t sleep that cycle I was so excited.

Of course, back then I didn’t have a complete understanding of the magnitude of Jerry’s stupidity. Had I known better, I would have guarded that freezer with my goddamn life.

Now, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least to discover Jerry had destroyed my sample by switching the freezer off by accident. These things happen to the best of us. But Jerry isn’t your average moron. No, Jerry decides he wants to take a look at the sample himself under the microscope. Only, the microscope doesn’t work with a chunk of ice, you gotta melt it down to go in a petri dish. So Jerry puts the core in the blast box—the blast box, I should explain, is this unit that works like an oven or freezer depending on what you need heating or chilling. Only, the blast box will roast or freeze something in three seconds. In hindsight, this is exactly the sort of thing you could see happening, but the designers of the blast box would have been counting on the operators being actual scientists, not Jerry goddamn Portman.

Now, someone like you or me, we’d take a small piece of the sample if we wanted to take a closer look. Not Jerry, though. Jerry Portman’s the kind of guy who takes your alien lifeforms precariously suspended in million-year-old ice and microwaves them to kingdom come. “Why the hell did he…? Oh, never mind,” I hear you saying. You’re getting the picture now. He cost me a lot that day. Maybe not money—who knows—but certainly renown. They probably would have named one of the bacteria after me.

That was two years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Yesterday, when Jerry was out on the spacewalk, I considered trying to make it look like an accident. But there are so many instruments taking every goddamn reading on this ship that they’d know for sure I had something to do with it. I mean, no amount of tinkering could have got the drone to accidentally deploy its probe with such surgical precision right up Jerry Portman’s goddamn ass.

I’ll be leaving Sector 35 for Earth in a year next week. When I splashdown and I get arrested on live television, it’ll be because I murdered Jerry Portman. They’ll drag me out of the ocean next to those giant orange balloon floaties and put me straight in handcuffs but I’ll be laughing my ass off. You can’t spell manslaughter without laughter, right?

I’ll be thinking about the last thing Jerry saw as he was fatally probed: me in the cockpit with the drone remote, my smiling face looking out through the glass where I’d stuck a piece of paper saying IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

Thousands of little red balloons.

I just want them to know I was provoked. I was standing my ground. I feared for my life, Your Honor.

It wasn’t self-defence, really, more like self-preservation. I’m not sure if there’re any laws about killing in self-preservation but if I didn’t kill him, he was going to kill me. I’m absolutely goddamn sure of it.

Men Start Trend of ‘Raw Dogging’ Flights

Why are Koreans and Indians so confident and always think that their country is better than China?

The rationale is completely different for the two peoples.

For Korea, we can examine 90s Korean dramas for clues.

Korean homes had tiny dining tables with short legs, bedrooms had no beds, and few or no furniture.

Pork belly was a special treat, while beef was an extravagance.

I didn’t understand these cultural stereotypes until I briefly dated a Korean girl, who patiently explained that Korea has always been an impoverished nation, being stuck on a harsh peninsula that was subject to regular conflict both domestic and foreign, and natural disasters aplenty.

That is why sejong developed hangul to supplement hanja, or Chinese block writing, which remained the court language to facilitate exchange with the Chinese dynasties.

He wanted to arrest Korean sinicization, because contrary to conventional wisdom, Korea received way more benefit from the tributary relationship than it paid out, other than the swallowing of national pride.

Chinese block writing enabled the Korean literati to unlock the intellectual treasures of Chinese civilization, as generations of Koreans made a beeline for Chinese cities to learn governance, medicine, farming, construction, warmaking, the arts, religion and philosophy. Trade with China was also crucial to the Korean peninsula, which lacked the production capacity of the mainland.

In both Koreas today, individuals are given 2 or 3 monosyllabic character names, despite Korean being a spelled multisyllabic language. To the uninitiated, Korean names spelled in the Latin alphabet can easily be mistaken for pinyin Chinese names.

The south Korean flag, the taegukgi, is composed of the taoist symbol for yin yang and divination symbols from the yijing.

Deep Chinese roots underpin the answer to “what does it mean to be Korean?”

The only way to arrest the slide is to put up walls and insist “we have evolved, we are unique, we are better”.

Otherwise Korea won’t stay Korean.

As for India, domestic politics require distractions. And China is a very good card to deal when domestic pressures build up, or to trade for advantages with major powers.

India has received little blowback for a string of bad behavior in recent years, because it is seen as a vital American partner to contain China. India is reselling Russian energy, assassinating foreign citizens on their home soil, denying market access on whim and refusing investors a square deal on FDI. But it receives in turn high end military tech transfers, access to arms and trade and tech privileges with the first world.

India shares a long border with China, though it is across the mostly impenetrable himalayas. The Indian military has been unable to beat the PLA the past 6 decades, and no Indian leader has been willing to back down from jawaharlal’s strategic overreach and reset relationships, much less exhort the electorate to “learn from China”.

The option remaining is to drum up passions and stir the pot, squaring the circle by hijacking the narrative with gems such is “India is china’s big brother, civilizationally” or “China should be grateful to India for the gift of Buddhism”.

The himalayas have limited contact between the peoples but India will seize on every excuse to claim credit—and elevated superiority—when none is due.

This fever will continue until a leader strong enough to challenge jawaharlal’s legacy emerges.

China’s Economy, Tech

Another brilliant post from Godfree Roberts

This week

Installed power generation capacity reached 3.0 billion kW, up 14.1% YoY. 38% of that came from wind and solar. America’s total installed capacity is 1.2 billion kW.

State Grid—the world’s single copper user—will spend $83 billion this year, beefing up its UHV network that covers 80% of China and carries power from western deserts to eastern industries. [China consumes twice as much electricity as the USA, where generation capacity is falling–Ed]

Lithium phosphate batteries are $53/kWh, down from $95/kWh last year. There is now parity between ICE vehicles and EV manufacturing costs. China has cornered the market on LFP.

China is first to create nuclear fusion plasma, way ahead in the most important race of all.

Apple dropped out of the top five smartphone sellers in China in Q2. Though smartphone shipments grew 8.9%, to 71.6mn units, Apple’s declined 3.1%. [Of Apple’s top 187 suppliers, 157 have factories in China].

The Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) omitted a bill to ban the sale of DJI drones in the United States after it passed in the House. The absence does not yet mean the act is dead, but it is a positive step in the eyes of those who support the Chinese drone company.

China is building a national pilot testing system of ‘enlarged laboratories or shrunken production lines,’ to support key industries’ connection to the industrial internet, the Internet of Things and 5G technologies, supported by machine vision and industrial AI, to optimize process efficiency “through comprehensive perception, real-time analysis, scientific decision-making, and precise execution.” Chengdu’s proposed $750 million ‘pilot platform construction fund’ aims for 100 key pilot testing platforms and 500 products launched onto the market, and 100 innovative companies incubated by 2025. In Wuhan’s Optics Valley, three key pilot testing platforms are set up, targeting laser processing, drug development, and new display technology. Research suggests that the success rate of industrializing laboratory research is 30% without pilot testing, and 80% with a pilot run.

Ignore China’s share of total global exports and look at their share of manufactured exports, which has been stable at 20% for several years. The headline numbers say Chinese exports to the US have taken a big hit, from 22% of US goods imports now down to 14%. So is China losing a lot of market share? Most of that reduction in value is not real. Chinese solar panel makers can’t ship directly to the US because of tariffs. So they set up a factory in Vietnam and Malaysia and send it there, but it is still a Chinese-made product.

BYD just hired 10,000 recent graduates, 70% of whom have masters or doctoral degrees, 80% of them for R&D. BYD’s research team was awarded 15 patents/day last year. While BYD has been extremely fast at pumping out new products this year, it will be even faster in the future and its additional headcount will allow exploration into new areas. We will have to wait to see what those are. TP Huang

A sunlight-powered MAV drone weighing as much as a sheet of paper, just 4.21 grams, with its 20-centimeter wingspan, represents a dramatic downsizing from previous flying machines, which were typically meter-sized and weighed kilograms. This breakthrough, also published in Nature, opens up exciting possibilities for ultra-long endurance micro aerial vehicles. Such devices could potentially stay aloft indefinitely during daylight hours, making them ideal for applications like environmental monitoring, communication relays, or search and rescue operations in remote areas.

The jobless rate for the 16-24 age group, excluding students, dipped to 13.2% in June from May’s 14.2%. For the 25-29 age group, also excluding students, was 6.4%, a third consecutive month of decline. The rate for the 30-59 age group remained at 4%.

Apollo Go driverless taxis, launched in Wuhan in 2022, has expanded to ten other Chinese cities …. Its service has carried out 6m rides nationwide since launching. It now has more than 400 driverless cars on the road in Wuhan and plans to have 1,000

running by the end of this year. Most of its cars in Wuhan have “level four” autonomy, which means they do not require human intervention in most situations on the road but can get muddled in areas such as parking garages—which might explain why it asks customers to trudge through the city’s sweltering heat. The reason Apollo Go has … gained such favor with riders is that it is astonishingly cheap. Your correspondent’s 11-minute spin cost just 9.84 yuan ($1.35). Such fares are possible thanks to the largesse of Baidu, which is covering around 60% of the cost of a ride. That is not sustainable. But, thanks to plummeting costs, the company reckons its robotaxis in Wuhan will break even by the end of the year and turn a profit in 2025. In May it unveiled its sixth-generation vehicle, which costs less than half the previous model. As the business has expanded the supply chain has matured and Baidu has been able to spread the cost of developing and updating its technology over more vehicles. Last year General Motors, an American carmaker, suspended operations at Cruise, its robotaxi business, after one of its cars injured a pedestrian in San Francisco, leading California to revoke its licence to operate in the state. On July 23rd it said it would relaunch the service in Dallas, Houston and Phoenix, but with a human supervisor in the vehicle. That same day Tesla, America’s electric-vehicle giant, said it would push back the unveiling of its robotaxi from August to October. In May China’s government offered to let the company test its service in the country. If it does, expect more hand-wringing from China’s taxi drivers.

China creates its own money and controls its credit system. It’s also invested in modernizing its high-speed railroads, modernizing its communication system, modernizing its cities, and above all its electronic internet system used for monetary payments. China has liberated itself from debt dependency on the West – and in the process, made the West dependent on it. This could only have been done by government investment and regulation under a long-term plan. The Western financial model lives in the short run. If you’re going to allocate credit and resources to make fortunes by living in the short run by taking as much as you can as quickly as you can, you will not be able to make the capital investment to develop long-term growth. That’s why American information technology companies have not been able to keep up with their Chinese counterparts. Financialized “market forces” oblige them to use their income for stock buybacks and to pay out of dividends. That is the case with U.S. technology across the board. China’s companies investing in information and internet technology plow their profits back into reinvestment in more research and development. Such innovation has shifted from the West to the East, which has rediscovered the logic of industrial capitalism developed by the 19th century’s classical political economists.

The last time the ‘king of the manufacturing hill’ got knocked off the throne was when the US surpassed the UK just before WW1. It took the US the better part of a century to rise to the top; the China-US switch took about 15 or 20 years. In 2020, China made up a staggering 35% of global gross manufacturing production. That is more than the combined output of the United States (12%), Japan (6%), Germany (4%), India (3%), South Korea (3%), Italy (2%), France (2%), and the United Kingdom. By 2030, the world will only have two industrial sectors, China and the world.

“Raw Dogging” Is The Newest Viral Trend, But It’s Not What You Think

Tales of the sea

Have you ever been the victim of medical malpractice? What happened?

My stomach was removed in 2007 for cancer and I was placed on an anti-cancer pill every day. There is only one pill for my cancer, Gleevec ($144,000 a year in the US for 400 mg a day, when it costs $250 to manufacture a year’s supply in the Swiss corporation’s factory in India — the pharmaceutical manufacturer waives the patient 20% copay so as not to jeopardize the insurance coverage 80%.)

One year later, my liver reacted to too much cancer drug at a time by accidental dosing error and my liver started dying. The doctors immediately stopped the cancer medicine and gave me the steroid prednisone for a month to calm down the liver inflammation. The doctors said I couldn’t take the drug anymore due to the drug now being toxic to my liver.

I asked, so now what happens? The doctors said, your cancer comes back and then we cut it out a second time. I asked, what then? The doctors said, the cancer comes back a third time only quicker, and we cut it out a third time. I asked, how long can this go on? The doctors said, about six times then you’re dead, probably in about five years from now.

So, logically, I asked, what about a solution to the liver toxicity — is there a work-around? The doctors said, we don’t know. I asked, will you think about it? The doctors said, no.

I was puzzled. I told the doctors I was a lawyer and anyone who came to me with a problem, I immediately started thinking about how to solve the problem. So I asked the doctors, why do you say you won’t think about my problem? The doctors said, we’re too busy with regular problems.

The cancer tumor returned in three years in 2011. I met with the doctors to plan the second surgery and asked the same questions again, and got the same answer: no, we’re too busy to think about how to get your liver to accept the cancer medicine again.

After the surgery in 2011, the cancer returned in 2012. I met with the doctors to plan the surgery and asked the same questions and got the same answers. So I told the doctors, “time out” — I’ll go on the Internet on PubMed and google “Gleevec liver toxicity” and get back to you.

In about five minutes, I found a solution by a doctor in Milan Italy while no doctor in America had any idea. The solution was to co-administer prednisone with Gleevec like a fireman with a hose entering a burning room. I compiled the science, printed it out, and told my doctors, give me $6 worth of prednisone a month and coadminister it with the Gleevec. The doctors said, we can’t do that: prednisone is a steroid and it will make you manic. Puzzled, I asked the doctors, so your plan is “I’m dead”? The doctors looked puzzled and then said, okay, let’s try it.

I took prednisone and Gleevec daily for 2–3 months before the surgery after baseline imaging showed a 27 cm^3 tumor while my liver proteins remained stable. Then the surgeon in late 2012 cut out a 3 cm^3 shrunken tumor and inside the tumor was very dead cancer cells. The surgeon said, I’ve never seen deader cancer cells. One month later, I stopped the prednisone and have had no liver issues since.

I haven’t sued but I always make sure everyone on the medical staff recalls why I’m still showing up for MRI scans, lab work, and consult visits.

What are your 10 laws of manhood?

Class’ over ‘Swag’.
Never be the first one to punch. But make sure you break a jaw or two when the fistfight starts.
Stop pursuing her after a NO. No chases, or stalking, or messaging, or trying again and again.
Learn to say NO. Whether it is the boss at office, or a girl at a bar.
Know your cologne or deo well, and stick with them. Avoid flower fragrances and chocolate.
Every once in a while, when you face a situation which forces you to come out of your comfort shell— say “F*ck it!” and do it anyway.
Scour the Internet and look for hair & beard styles that agree with your face type.
Once you find a gifted barber, stick with him. He knows your hair & beard better than your girlfriend.
Career = Relationship = Family = Yourself; make time for all and don’t ignore any of them.
Writing is the best meditation.

Extra perk : Avoid smoking at all cost. Others might find it cool, but honestly, cancer sucks.

MM’s art experimentation

I’ve gone a little off track with some experimentation.

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Don’t people in China wish to live in a democratic country?

I work in Hong Kong but my work enables me to meet people from different parts of China. They are fully aware of that China has a different political system from the western countries. They also know that China is not as democratic as the West, but this is a blessing indeed. The chaos of the democracies in the West as well as Taiwan, the horrors resulted from the Spring of Arabs, and the insatiable greed of the American imperialism under the veil of democracy have all intimidated the pro-democrats in China. Many Chinese people come to believe that democracy is a plot to disintegrate China and put China in a position never able to compete with America again. Many of them used to have fantansies with the concept of democracy but now come to realise that every political system has its own limitations. There is no such a thing as one size for all. The present government wins her legitimacy by leading the country into spectacular economic success, and by providing social security system within the limit of resources. The people would not risk losing the quality of life and their future prosperity for empty words or concepts, which was the tragic path that Libyans and Syrians had gone through.

If your car is stolen, and then you just so happen to stumble across it parked in the street, are you legally allowed to steal it back then and there without calling the police or anything in the USA?

About 20 years ago, my Jeep was stolen from in front of my building. I immediately made a report and called my insurance company because I knew I would never get it back. One other thing I did was change the message on my voicemail to tell the caller that if the call was in regards to my jeep, to please leave a message where it was and I would pick it up, no questions asked.

About a week later, I got a very cryptic call with the location of my Jeep and immediately headed over to see if it was there, and sure enough, it was. As I stood there next to it, I called the police and told them I was standing next to my Jeep and I would be recovering it. I was told to stay where I was and someone would be with me ASAP.

It took 45 minutes and 4 calls to the station, but I finally had a police officer show up. He took my info, checked the registration to ensure the Jeep was mine, and told me I could take it home.

What was so ridiculous about the entire theft was that the only thing they took two things. One was my soft top and doors. It was an aftermarket roof and doors, and without the hardware, I had installed when I put it on, it was absolutely useless! So basically, they had risked a felony for a top that was worth $400, and in the end, they couldn’t use LOL

FYI, it would have taken them just 2 minutes to stip off the roof and not risked a felony.

The other was my license plate. I was contacted 2 years later about a bank robbery because they had used my plates on the getaway car. It wasn’t that they thought I had committed the crime, it was just to see if I had any idea about who had stolen my jeep in the first place. Had they printed my Jeep at the time, they would have actually had a lead but they don’t waste their time on things like that for simple auto theft.

What is the best move you pulled off in a fight?

My best friend since 3rd grade was sucker-punched by some punk outside a bar on pearl street in Boulder, CO back when we were in college at CU. The punch cut my friend’s head and drew blood. My friend was disoriented and attempted to retaliate but was not able to do so with the crowd of people trying to break it up. I was in a sling from a torn pec injury so I kept my distance from the commotion. However, I noticed the punk who sucker-punched my friend trying to slowly disappear from the scene. He backed away then he started running away. I followed.

He ran pretty fast for about 4 blocks to the south back towards campus before his run turned into a jog, I continued to follow from a distance. Then a couple blocks later, once he thought he was in the clear, he started walking. This is when I made my move. I quietly approached him from behind and quickly picked him up and put him in a firemen’s carry with my healthy arm/shoulder. (he was no more than 160 lbs, maybe 5′9″ and at the time I was pushing 280 lbs and pretty fit despite my injury as I was playing DT for the Buffs so this little punk was pretty easy to manhandle even with only one healthy arm)

I said, “I got you mother fucker.” He squirmed like a little bitch begging and pleading to let him go. I said, “you’re going to jail for assaulting my friend.” It was quite the amusing walk back towards the scene with him over my shoulder as the scene was now filled with a number of Boulder Police. As he saw the police lights his squirming got worse, he started punching and kicking and he even offered me money to let him go.

I walked up to the scene with him on my shoulders, walked right into the middle of a bunch of policemen and women standing in a circle and placed him down in the middle and said “officers, this is the guy you are looking for, he is the one that started this whole thing by sucker-punching my friend” My best friend was standing there with a face covered in blood as they asked him if this was the guy. He said “yes” and they cuffed him and took him to jail.

I guess the whole thing started because my friend was wearing a Yankee’s hat and the punk was running his mouth, something about baseball. (he must have been a Red Sox fan?) My friend’s cut on his head was pretty bad, he had to go to the ER so we all were glad justice was served to that punk!

Asian Passport Bro Sharing his Experience in Dating Western vs Foreign Women (MAJOR Differences)

Are there any Chinese Communist Party members on Quora? Can they talk about their experiences?

I’m a 10 years CCP member, I don’t feel much different from normal Chinese people. The major differences are:

Party membership dues are 2% of my salary.
Every half year, we need to write a short summary about our political thought. Such as what we have learnt from recent political events, do we have new understanding about Communist.
Criticism and self-criticism. We will organize some offline sync, to discuss about Socialism, Communist and Capitalism; and refresh our understanding.

Basically I’m proud to be a member of CCP. I think most members are nice people, and open minded.

Shocked in China! Arriving in Shanghai (A Different World…)

What did your boss ever say in the office that caused you to resign?

Mine was two things, bam bam, back to back.

We had a mid-size company, and I was running the small factory building pallets. Not very sexy, but it’s a commodity the world needs. I had brought on a co-op student from the local university over the summer, kind of a fresh-eyes approach, getting a smart kid to hang around for a few weeks on the cheap. So we talked and explored some ideas and measured some things, had regular ongoing conversations. And then he developed this program using Mini-Tab (showing my age) and it showed how we could lay out a super-efficient way to build the pallets; it divided up the work into this aspect that went slowly and this part that went quicker. We could flex the crew to have more people on the slow tasks and fewer people on the quick tasks, and overall the throughput was much higher, like 25% faster. I showed my boss and I was so impressed with all the little red dots flowing through the schematic and watching the numbers tick up, I was so happy….and then he said “if there was a smarter way to build pallets, I’d have discovered it already.” Ouch. Take all your fancy education and go sit down.

Same boss, same day, right after that sentence, he said he wants to review last month’s numbers. We covered all the regular P&L items, spends and expenses and yadda-yadda, and then we got to the bottom of the page. This is the line item where the plant’s profit is listed, and is where my bonus is. Literally, my bonus was a percentage of the profitability for the month. It showed zero. The plant profitability added up to being positive (and above budget I may add) but then there was a negative amount to cancel it out, and my bonus was zero. I had never seen a zero before, maybe I’m reading this wrong? “No, that’s correct. See there’s this other plant in another state, and they got in trouble. They were fudging their numbers and overstating deliveries to the customer. So overall the corporation got our wrist slapped and we agreed to zero out the profits in order to pay back the customer.” “My plant?” “No, this other one.” “Then why is my plant zero?” “The corporation agreed to take everyone’s profits as payback to the customer.” “So where’s my bonus?” “Well you get a percentage of course, and a percentage of zero is zero, so there’s no bonus.” “Oh no, wait a minute; you’re telling me that my kids eat less because somebody else cheated? You are literally taking food off my table because of some other guy? And that guy (whom I knew) still has a job here?”

I’ve had enough; I quit.

China’s economy has slowed down, and the USA’s dependence on China is gradually decreasing.As the threat grows, will China shift from a defensive policy to an offensive policy, creating conflicts and clashes to increase the USA’s dependence on it?

It’s amazing how people can twist the reality 180 degrees.

Name ONE major on-going conflict without the US standing behind, please.

Gaza Genocide, directly supported by the US
Russia-Ukraine conflict, directly supported by the US
China-Philippines SCS conflict, directly supported by the US
Taiwan Strait issue, directly supported and manipulated by the US
EU, directly manipulated by the US
Every coup in South America, directly supported by CIA.

The US has been trying to drag China into the same arms race as in the previous cold war against USSR, and hope China to fall into the same trap as USSR did.

The US has passed 11 anti-China acts within 24 hours.

Do you see China doing the same?

Then from where did you get the conclusion that China is becoming more aggressive?

Men Are ‘Raw Dogging’ On Airplanes

Dammit Deano you are now a Handsome Man!

I’ve been checking in on my old classmates and friends back in the states. I was surprised how many had died, but was pleasantly surprised with what happened to others.

For some reason, fate, or chance most of the guys that I hung out with were usually younger than myself. Often five to eight years younger. I never did fit in with the older kids. Perhaps that was because I never got the chance to meet any of them.

I didn’t have any older siblings. I was, after all, the oldest.

Ah, when I did, maybe in Junior year, they would take a “shine” to me and I would go under their wing. But yeah… most of the time I was always the oldest one in the bunch.

Anyways, let’s go back and way back to early elementary school.

My boyhood “best friend” in elementary school; “Deano” was a kid that lived across the street from me in East Brady, PA.We attended both elementary, and High School together…

I used to play with him, and then when I was in my teens, with his brother Dan. We (by the way) both worked together at the local supermarket “Shop & Save”. But this isn’t about Dan. This is about Dean.

Oh…

Here’s the Middle and High School of East Brady. The “Old building”.

They closed the school down in the 1990’s because there wasn’t enough students and consolidated it with another school, and the building was repurposed to a local town office.

Now, my friend, Deano, well, I haven’t talked with him since my exit from the Navy and a brief stay at my mother’s house way back in 1981.

At that time, he was working for USS Steel.

And he was laid off, as I was later once I got out of the Navy, and on my MAJ path.

Turned out that he found a job in New Kensington, Pa and worked there for like forever. Lucky guy. “He got into windows”. Boring, but stable. And he rode out the 1980s, the 1990s, the 2000s, the 2010s and the COVID era. Eventually retiring with full pension and social security benefits on top of his 401(K).

Fun fact, I briefly tried to contact him back in 2018 or so to supply some window components to him. I sent him a pamphlet, but he never responded. Probably tossed it away.

For me it was four decades of layoffs. One after the other after the other. Yah. He did far, far better than me.

You Bastard! Love you though!

Good for ya!

Now, Imagine my surprise that I read what he was up to. Well, I was surprised that immediately after he retired, that he moved.

Well, he moved to Pattaya, Thailand.

Ah. good for him. I’m sure that he’s single and enjoying the life as a “Handsome Man”.

You don’t move to Thailand with a family. Don’t you know. It’s highly unusual.

You move there after a divorce, or when you are single. Few, move there with a wife. It happens, but not often. Most men arrive single. And, there, they enjoy the life and pleasures of being single.

I did have an opportunity; a very high paying one in Thailand.

I was offered a CEO position with the largest appliance company in Thailand, for great money. 

But my wife said "absolutely NOT!".

She didn;t want to discuss things. She didn't want to hear the pros and cons. She didn't want to know the potentials for us.
She said NO.

And you know, as they say; "that was that!".

I hope that he spend the rest of his days enjoying the relaxed life, good food, and friendships that he will make there. He’s an avid golfer, and I’m sure that after a life of corporate work outside of Pittsburgh, he wants a real change.

Yuppur!

Enjoy your life, you deserve it!

I don’t have Facebook, so I haven’t contacted him. But I am really happy to know that he is retired and living “the life” not too far from where I live.

Go Deano!

…

Another guy is Peter.

He was one of my “best friends” when I attended university. He and a classmate, also a great friend; Jay shared a dorm room, and I was always there enjoying our times together and drinking beer, smoking cigars, chatting it all up, and studying together.

They lived in Day Hall; eighth floor. The “penthouse” floor of the tallest skyscraper on the highest hill. Only eight floors. LOL.

When we graduated, I went into the Navy to fly, and you all know my story. Well, Peter went into IBM. Where he stayed and then retired out.

He opened a page in LinkedIN, and never updated. His picture is and has been decades old. But why update? He never ever got a different job. He was a stable worker. A work horse. A loyal follower.

While I was an explorer, a dreamer; a risk taker, and always had my “head in the clouds”.

So yeah. He’s still on LinkedIN.

Never made waves. Never updated.

But myself, well it’s the opposite.

I’m perma-banned. I live in “evil” China. So I must be a non-person.

Anyways, as he never updated it, but after decades and decades of cobwebs, there was a final update. He added a statement to say that he retired.

I did try to connect with him about ten years ago, but he never responded. I know he got the message. My COMM line lit up confirming that contact. But he didn’t want to reconnect. *sigh* I guess he wanted to move on.

Well, he is retired, and great for him. I wish him the very best.

I am confident that he has a nice retirement plan and is doing well. Wherever he is. You go Peter!

Here’s some of his latest pictures (un-accessible to myself) on his Facebook page…

I imagine that he is going to settle down and just keep on being himself in the town that he grew up in, and the region that he loves. It’s his way, and I am sure that he is doing just fine.

Everyone is retired and moving on.

Gosh. I can hardly recognize anyone. They all look so different.

Me, I think that I will continue to work and do what I am doing until I die. I’ve found a sort of lifestyle cubby-hole that I am somehow fitting in right now. But that is good enough for me.

No retirement for me.

Just a lower level of activity, but still jam-packed days.

Like running two companies, and producing videos, metallicman content, and raising a little girl. My engine is stuck on full throttle.

Oh, speaking of content…

In case you all haven’t been told, I was interviewed by Jeff on Radio sinoland. Maybe I mentioned it before. Ah. I don’t remember.I put it on a Quora post. I don’t remember if I put it here.

But if you haven’t seen it, you can watch it by clinking on this link below…

Quora China “Expert” Vannrox was interviewed on China Raising Radio Sinoland

Here’s my interview with Jeff on a wide range of topics regarding China. I hope that you will all take a moment and hear out my thoughts on what is going on in China. In the interview, we discuss the latest changes in strategic direction, the growth of the largest metro area in China, Macao, and what will happen to the QUAD and much more…

Video interview plus transcript HERE.

I’m still a pluggin’ away. Livin’ life.

I’m not the kind of guy that is gonna fade into black. Fade into the background. Grow silent and disappear. No. I’m the kind of guy that is drinking a glass of wine while I slide onto home plate with a lei of flowers around my neck.

Today…

Have you ever been invited to something that turned out to be another thing entirely?

Yes, Unfortunately. I met this woman and we started dating. Sort of casual I guess. We had only been out five or so times. We weren’t intimate or anything. Just getting to know each other.

She asked If I wanted to go to a barbecue of sorts her ‘good friend’ from her old neighbourhood was hosting. Apparently , there was going to be a group of her old friends there.

We arrived at the house and her friend came out of the house. The two women were obviously excited to see each other , having not seen each other in a while. They were all hugs, and ‘oh how are you.?” Finally the woman I’m with, says, “this is Rick” Her friend looked at me, ,looked me up and down. Didn’t say ‘hello’, or , ‘glad you could come’ – nothing. And she was the host . She then turns away. The two are chatting wildly and walk toward the house. They enter the house and closed the door behind them. I’m still standing in the driveway. So now I’m not sure what to do. I was embarrassed.

I found out later, they both went to the backyard, and my friend was walking around greeting everyone. Then someone asked her, “Did you come alone?” She looks around and notices I’m not there. She said to her friend, “Where’s Rick? Did we leave him in the driveway.?”

She came out to the driveway, just in time to see my car turning out of the subdivision at the end of a very long street. A while later, my phone rang. I didn’t answer. It rang again later that night. I didn’t answer it.

The next morning, Sunday, my phone rang around 11a.m. It was her. She said, “What happened yesterday? You left?”

I said, ‘Yes, I did. You invited me to a party. Your friend, the host, was rude. She did not even bother to say ‘hello’ She just stared at me like she didn’t want me there. Then you walked into the house and shut the door. I was standing in the driveway by myself like an idiot. Did you think I was just going to hang around out there by myself?”

She got sort of quiet, then said, “I’m sorry” Obviously she realized what a position she had put me in. I was embarrassed and felt pretty bad about being invited to a party to meet some new people, then not even being invited inside.

The conversation didn’t go well from there. I think she realized she had blown it with me. Too bad, because I was hoping for more, but this really just made me feel very negative, especially since I had gone out of my way to make sure she had a good time whenever we were together.

What is legal in Germany but illegal in the United States?

There are some things. The most stunning for me are the first two:

It is not illegal in Germany, to break out of a prison. Why? Because the German law considers “being free” as a human need, like eating and drinking. So a prisoner who escaped can’t be blamed for his action. Of course the police will do everything to get him/her back into jail, but no additional charges will follow as long as no other laws were broken. So in this case, hold my beer: Germany has even more freedom than the U.S. of A. 😉
Alcohol: Drinking beer, wine and champagne is legal at 16, everything else with higher percentages is allowed at age 18.
Public drinking is allowed in most places and cities of Germany. Some have laws that forbid public drinking, but these laws are legally controversial and no cop will care anyway as long as you act normal.
2/3 of all areas on the “Autobahn” freeways have no speed limit at all. The standard speed for most of the other sections is 81 mp/h, or 130 km/h, plus a 3% tolerance.
Besides “normal” milk you can also buy raw milk (non-pasteurized) in supermarkets across the country. AFAIR this is not legal in many U.S. states anymore (for some reason not even from the farmer), because of the risk of typhus. Listeria is the risk/reason the US doesn’t allow for unpasteurized raw milk.
Yes, you were perhaps waiting for it: Kinder Eggs.
Cuban cigars like Cohibas and Havana Club rum can be sold, bought and traded ever since. But OK, this is a very US specific thing.
Consensual sex is allowed from age 14 on, if the other person is not older than 21. In case of doubt, officials are asked to research and check that no one got talked into sex.

I bet there are many more things that I’m not aware of or can’t recall atm.

The kitten did not stop crying at the shelter, but suddenly he heard a familiar voice…

Reincarnation story about a kitty.

What was the first thing you did after separating from your husband?

My ex wife moved out. First thing I did was to stop paying the mortgage and put the house up for sale. Then I found a nice apartment and moved.

During the separation and I was in the home she made my life absolute hell. I would return from a weekend trip to a wrecked home; she’d used the time I was gone to destroy the home. When I returned home I’d spend the rest of my Sunday through Tuesday cleaning up. I’d leave the home spotless. After 20 years in the military I can assure you the one thing I absolutely knew how to do was clean.

Moving into my apartment was liberating. Peaceful, just amazing. Felt like I had been a prisoner in my home for years.

she saddled me with as much of her debt as she possibly could. Did everything she could to go after as much of my income as she could.

I started my life over. I’ve built a much better life for myself alone. I’ve forgiven her for everything she’s done to me.

one day I did call her and apologized for my part in the downfall of the marriage. That was only met with her claiming that she was the perfect wife.

that day I realized that I’d never be in a relationship with a woman who could never admit and acknowledge her faults.

the woman I’m with now took the opportunity to thank my ex wife for divorcing me. Because that put the best man she has ever met into her life.

I live a happy life with little drama. Her and I share so many similar passions in life. We do so much together and for each other.

Have you ever told off another person’s child? What for?

I was in a shoe shop the other day with my elderly Mother – she is 87 and not very steady on her feet. There was a lady in the shop with two kids – a little boy of about three and a little girl who was four or five years old.

The kids were racing round and round in large circles shrieking and squealing. The little girl ran straight into my Mum, who I managed to steady before she fell to the ground. I also put one hand out to stop the little girl as she still had forward momentum. I quietly and calmly told the little girl to stop running around and to be careful. The mother of the kid looked up and went ape-shit at me for touching and telling off her daughter. I explained that she had nearly knocked over my 87 year old Mum. She didn’t care. She said that my mother hadn’t fallen (thank goodness – or she may have broken a hip or something) and therefore I had no business telling her child off. She was yelling at me, accusing me of being racist, assaulting her child, etc etc. I apologised, explained my reasons again, and turned my back on her to pay for Mum’s new shoes.

The kids started running around the shop again, knocking over piles of shoe boxes and a display. The shop worker asked the kids to settle down and stop running. No raised voice, but firmly spoken. I finalised my transaction and the shop assistant started clearing up the fallen shoes, together with the second worker who had emerged from the store room with shoes for another customer. The kid’s mother started yelling at the shop assistant, again, accusing her of being racist and that she had no business telling her kids what to do. Goodness knows why she accused both of us of being racist – the issue was with her child’s behaviour and her indifference to it, not about colour.

As Mum and I were leaving the store, I heard the shop assistant politely asking that woman to take her two children out of the shop. Not sure what happened next, as we moved on in the mall to a coffee shop, because Mum wanted to sit down. She was quite distressed by the whole episode (she has early dementia and is easily confused by what is going on around her).

F*@k the Media! I Went to China…(Truth about Shanghai)

What is the most ridiculous reason for which a flight was delayed?

In 2016, a woman boarded a flight from Philadelphia to Syracuse on American Airlines.

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After she settled into her seat, she noticed the passenger next to her scribbling in some strange writing. Curious, she took a closer look to see what her seatmate seemed to be so busy working on.

She recognised none of it. It was in some strange language she couldn’t understand. It was probably code for something, possibly something sinister.

She took a closer look at the man, and found him a little alarming. She noticed his rather unkempt hair, his darker complexion.

She asked him if he was from Syracuse. He curtly answered that he wasn’t, still focused on his work. She noticed his foreign accent.

She felt unease, that she was in grave danger.

She decided to write down something of her own. She quickly wrote a note, called the attention of a stewardess, and handed her the note. She also claimed she felt too ill to take that flight at the moment and needed to disembark.

Their plane continued to made preparations to take off, but then seemed to abandon that and returned to the gate. The next thing he knows, her fellow passenger was asked by the stewardess to leave his seat and come with her.

He was taken off the plane and into a waiting room. Later, he was questioned by security.

He asked them what it was about. He was told a passenger reported him on suspicions of being a terrorist. How come? He was writing strange things on a pad of paper.

They interrogated him for two hours. (That’s not necessarily out of the ordinary as airline companies generally take terrorism allegations very seriously.) They had to make sure he was absolutely not a terrorist. Once they did, he was allowed to re-board his flight which by then had also been delayed by two hours.

The man was Guido Menzio, an Italian economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

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He was heading to Queen’s University in Canada, to give a speech.

What was that strange writing that started all this hassle?

Differential equations. Algebra. Maths.

The man was working on maths.

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Footnotes

Professor: flight was delayed because my equations raised terror fears

Professor suspected of being a terrorist because of a math equation

NEW Butler Bodycam Shows Officers CONFRONT Trump’s Would be Assassin

What was Singapore like in 70’s?

What do ‘Chewing gums, long hair on men, and the Rolling Stone’ have in common in the 70s?

Never a time where life was such a bore in Singapore as it was in the ‘70s when countless of items were banned in the Republic of Singapore.

That was the time Singapore’s first generation after independent- it’s known as the pioneer generation who were the victim of Singapore’s progress ( Sorry folks! I don’t beat around the bush)

In the 70’s was the best time I witnessed what life in Singapore and it didn’t look like Singapore you know today at all.

To begin with.

A taxi driver who asked me where to? After I told him, and he said, “Sorry bro, I won’t go!” and sped off.

Another time, a hawker’s assistant told me, “ Know or not, bro? You can’t sit on this table if you don’t order from us.”

On one night, I was looking for block 8 at Whampoa drive, I couldn’t see the tiny zinc block number sign (with no light) – my friend said to me —“Go and complain to the PAP, lah” I didn’t know who that was.

When it rained, the entire Bukit Timah Road was flooded and a woman was reported to have drown in an open drain.

At the ‘Thieves Market- at Sungei Road’ I spotted what looked like a brand new ‘Seiko watch’ but 1/4 of the price- I asked was it real why so cheap? “ Bro. you know what is this place called or not? He grinned.

At my last trip to Singapore last year, I complimented to my buddy, a retiree in Singapore: “ Now, you got covered walkway to your block and don’t get wet- why didn’t you guys ask for it in those days”—I meant when he moved in during the 70’s — That’s what he answered “ Guy! We didn’t know what to complain and how to complain- that fellow throw you in jail then you know!”

In 1974, exactly 50 years ago when ABBA won Eurovision with ‘Waterloo’ you will never though that in this part of the world is just another day- No cheers, no jeers, and no qualms but every young man and woman was joyous in celebration only behind the closed door.

It reminds me even though it’s just a tiny nation but Singapore was known to the the world when Singapore government’s policy forbidding any male with long hair went into effect in the ‘70s— Even the Beatles freaked out and scared to death while hiding on the plane at Paya Lebar airport.

That was in my memory what Singapore was like in 70’s

What is the pettiest complaint you have heard from a home-owners association (HOA)?

Not my story, this came from a former US resident when the subject came up.

He and his then GF had a nice house, centre of the cul-de-sac, drive straight in, drive straight off.

Some of his best fines were:

A garbage can being left out too long, he was on a day off and he heard the truck come and go but was busy with some jobs at the time, about 20 minute later, he opened the door to find a fine ready attached to the door, it had been there 10 minutes. Someone expected the bin to be back behind the house, with 10 minutes of being emptied, on a weekday… 3/4 of the street were working and wouldn’t have it taken in until after 5.

Having ‘his’ car parked in his driveway instead of the garage for too long. It was his parents car, they were there for an hour dropping off some gifts for his birthday.

Music too loud, but it wasn’t him, it was the property behind him on the next street.

Lawn was in disrepair, this was after the HOA PRESIDENTS kid, drove home drunk and drove onto his lawn. This was backed up with video evidence.

There were dozens of fines over the course of the year, he finally decided enough was enough and took a few weeks holiday from work. Revenge was afoot.

He spent the next 2 weeks being the most petty homeowner on the block, he reported every, single, infraction. Backed up with a highlighted copy of the rules in every case and a photo.

He caught out the HOA President with the wrong colour paint, another board member with their bin out for 2 days, another with a large patch of grass missing, grass too long, branches too low, fences damaged, cars being left in disrepair, maintainence needing done. Every single one was a HOA Board member. He did pin a few other residents for some of the things he was caught for.

The HOA tried to sue him for harassment, he countersued with evidence that every single thing he had been targeted for, was being done worse by the HOA and other residents.

Ultimately he won, all his fines were dropped and a new board was soon voted in, the ‘old boys club’ was no more. About 6 months later he decidd to move to the UK, he’s been here 5 years and said if he ever moves back, no HOA.

Teen Killer Thinks He’s Going Home After Murdering His Mother

What are the qualities that make women envious of men?

Oh, there are a lot, seriously.

No menstruation issues. No periods. You men really have no idea how lucky you are, when it comes to this.
Not having to worry about pregnancy when it comes to sex.
Thinking of going out? All they need is 5 minutes to get ready, and they’re out of the house.
Be it any function, there’s always one black suit that just works every single time.
Travelling? Few shirts, one jeans and bam! Packing done!
Night outs? Late night parties? No questions to answer! All they need is their ‘mood’ to say yes!
Can choose to wear clothes or not!
The “Bro Code”. Enough said.
Their friendships. Way more honest, upfront and amazing than women.
They just don’t get tensed up about anything. Even if the world is ending next moment, just chill, everything’s cool.
Suddenly nature called? No problem, the world is their bathroom!
Their power to just forget stuff so easily. Sometimes, that’s all you need!
No uterus, no labor pain, no baby coming out!
The way they can sit idle and think nothing. Like really, nothing. You ask them, what are you thinking? ‘Nothing!’ How on earth do they do that?
When a man truly loves you, you just know it. They give you their everything. Be it Dad, boyfriend, or husband, the way they love is beyond comparison!

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

A friend (not a friend-of-a-friend, somebody I know directly) became a manager in a company that provides support services to the airline industry. I cannot name the firm, they are still very much active and a quasi-government outfit. Justin was made head of a group of 28 and HR handed him an inventory of his reporting employees. He went through the list, arranging one-on-one meetings, just to touch base, get an idea of the mechanics of the place, that sort of thing.

After he had seen his 27th employee he started to look for Mr 28. Scanning the open-plan office he could not see anybody that he had not already spoken to. He walked up to his nearest minion and said “I am looking for, erm [reads paper] … Dave.”

“Oh, Dave hasn’t worked here for a long time.”

“How long?”

“Maybe 2 years’ or so.”

Justin called HR and told them the employee list was wrong.

“Can’t be,” explained HR “that list was pulled from the current payroll and Dave is on the payroll.”

The organisation was based in Switzerland, Dave had an apartment and lived locally; HR had his address. Justin guessed that the address might be out of date.

He went back into the office area, “does anybody have a contact number for Dave?” Somebody did, a UK mobile phone number and the suggestion that he lived somewhere in London. Well, maybe not exactly in London itself, possibly near to London or, at least, in that half of England where London is. Ok, I’ll be honest, nobody was really paying attention when Dave left, but he definitely mentioned getting a flight to London.

Justin called the number, it was answered quickly. “Hi Dave, this is Justin, your new manager at xxxxxxxx.”

“Oh, hiya’, I am just heading out the door to go to the dentists, can I call you back in about an hour or so?”

But, dear reader, Dave did not call back. Not even after several hours. Justin called later that afternoon and got several “invalid number” messages before realising that there was no point in trying again.

Turns out that Dave (an Australian) had resigned over 2 years’ previously but the HR process had not been followed correctly and they continued to pay him. Dave didn’t complain and nobody noticed. Dave’s bank account was routinely emptied (by ATM withdrawals, never by wire or trackable transfers) and it was closed immediately after Justin called him.

Nice one Dave.

The Car Market is a Joke …… Part 2

Can you describe the experience of being an idol in Korea? Why do you think there are not many foreign people becoming idols?

There are a total of 2 million K-pop trainees in Seoul, but only a handful can become idols.

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If you want to become an idol, you must have a lot of resources to buy advertisements, front pages of news, and prime time on TV. You must get the help of Korean chaebols, and the favor of news media executives to have these resources.

But ordinary people do not have such resources. They can only approach the Korean chaebol and news media executives through sexual bribery and other methods to win the support of them.

Here is a list of Korean artists who committed suicide:

On 22 February 2005, actress Lee Eun-ju, the star of hit films including Taegukgi and The Scarlet Letter, died by suicide at the age of 24.
On 21 January 2007, performance artist U;Nee died by hanging at the age of 25.
On 2 October 2008, “The Nation’s Actress” Choi Jin-sil died by suicide at the age of 39.
On 7 March 2009, actress Jang Ja-yeon died by suicide at the age of 29. She left a letter alleging violence, abuse, and sexual exploitation by several people in the entertainment industry.
On 19 November 2009, supermodel Daul Kim died by suicide in Paris at the age of 20.
On 18 December 2017, Kim Jonghyun, a main vocalist of South Korean group Shinee, died by suicide at the age of 27. He was found unconscious in a hotel room by paramedics after sending a suicide note to his sister and was later pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. A suicide note was found highlighting his struggle with depression that he had spoken about over many years. In it were words such as “I am broken inside”, “I hate myself”, and references to a doctor who blamed his depression on his personality.
On 14 October 2019, Sulli, an actress and former member of f(x), died by suicide at the age of 25. She was found dead in her home by her manager.
On 24 November 2019, Goo Hara, an actress and former member of Kara, died by suicide at the age of 28. She had attempted to end her own life once before, on 26 May 2019, but was found in time and taken to hospital.
On December 27 2023, Lee Sun-kyun, an actor who was best known for his international role in Parasite, died by suicide at the age of 48.

Among them, Jang Ja-yeon was particularly eye-catching. After she committed suicide, she left a suicide note and a list of people who sexually assaulted her.

In her suicide note, she revealed:

From 2005 to 2009, she was forced by her agency to provide sexual services to senior executives of large companies, news media, and men in the entertainment industry.

Even on her parents’ death anniversary, she was forced to provide services.

She was raped by men, forced to take stimulants and drugs, and the men even used various props, such as wine bottles and golf balls, to insert into her vagina.

She was still unmarried and was forced by her agency to go to the hospital for sterilization surgery in her 20s so that the chaebols could have sex with her without wearing condoms and ejaculate inside her.

She suffered from excessive torture and became incontinent. In severe cases, she could not even walk.

In her suicide note, she cried: “Once, I entered a hotel and found that I had to provide sexual services to 4 men at the same time. I was not even as good as a hotel prostitute.”

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Jang Ja-yeon – Wikipedia

South Korean actress (1980–2009) Jang Ja-yeon ( Korean : 장자연 ; 25 January 1980 – 7 March 2009) was a South Korean actress.

She was born in Jeongeup , North Jeolla Province, South Korea. She debuted in the entertainment industry when she appeared in a television commercial in 2006.

She was known for being part of the KBS television drama series Boys Over Flowers as Sunny, one of the antagonists of the series, at the time of her death. She died by suicide on 7 March 2009 at the age of 29.

At the time of her death, Jang had been suffering from depression , and it was revealed in 2019 that the initial investigation into her death in 2009 had been corrupt.

[ 1 ] The 2009 investigation had concluded that her death was a suicide, but the investigation was reopened in 2018.

[ 2 ] Her death caused a national scandal in 2009 when it was widely reported that she had been sexually and physically abused by a number of prominent entertainment executives during her career, including the CEO of Jang's former talent agency, The Contents Entertainment, Kim Sung-hoon.

[ 3 ] After three witness testified against the CEO, Kim was found guilty of abuse by the Korean courts, specifically of forcing girls from his agency to come to his birthday party where he forced them to sexually entertain the executives.

[ 4 ] 2006–2009: Acting debut with Boys Over Flowers [ edit ] Jang made her debut in 2006 in a television commercial.

[ 5 ] Her big break came in Boys Over Flowers playing the role of Sunny, one of a trio of girls who antagonize the female lead played by Ku Hye-sun . At the time of her death, Jang was awaiting the release of her first two films, They Are Coming and Penthouse Elephant. Jang was known to have had difficulties with her management agency.

[ 6 ] Since the death of her parents in a traffic accident in 1999, Jang had been living with her older sister and younger brother.

[ 7 ] Prior to her own death, Jang had been suffering from clinical depression and had received medical treatment for her condition during the past year.

[ 5 ] Death and later investigation [ edit ] Jang died by suicide. She was found hanging in her home in the Bundang district of Seongnam , Gyeonggi province , on 7 March 2009. During a phone call at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, Jang had complained to her sister about the "overwhelming stress" she was under, saying that she "wanted to die".

[ 5 ] Having later been unable to reach her on the phone, Jang's sister returned to their shared home at 7:42 p.m. to find her body hanging from the stairway banister.

[ 8 ] A police investigation concluded that her death was a suicide,

[ 8 ] and found no evidence of foul play.

[ 7 ] Jang is believed to have killed herself at around 4:30 pm.

[ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] According to widespread South Korean entertainment news reports, it was believed that Jang claimed that her agent Kim Sung-hoon had regularly beaten her and forced her to sleep with a string of VIPs, including directors, media executives and CEOs. Ki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jang_Ja-yeon

This is a common experience for Korean idols. Do you think foreigners will accept this kind of experience?

If a foreigner is killed in South Korea, the embassy of his or her country of origin will intervene, which can easily escalate into a serious diplomatic issue.

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Executives of major Korean companies, news media executives, and men in the entertainment industry dare not do this.

On the other hand, Without these, foreigners would naturally not get many resources.

There are so many K-pop trainees in HYBE, SM, YG, and JYP, why did they have to choose you as the top star? Why?

Advertisements, front-page news, prime-time television time, etc. all cost money to buy.

No such thing as a free lunch, everything needs to be exchanged.

College Girl Goes Missing Until Cops Discover This CCTV Footage

Arizona Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

About 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chopped green chiles*
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Grated Cheddar cheese, about 1 pound, divided
10 to 12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces
Vegetable oil

Instructions

Boil chicken and then shred it. This is easily done using an electric mixer! Set aside.
In large pan, add both soups (do not add water or milk), green chiles and chopped onions. Add chicken and heat to a slow simmer.
In a separate pan, heat about 1/4 to 1/2 inch oil. Add torn corn tortillas and soft fry them. You don’t want them crunchy. Drain excess oil from tortillas on a paper towel.
Add soft fried corn tortillas to the chicken mixture. You will need to play with the amount of tortillas you add until it looks like you have enough tortillas added without making it too dry. Turn off heat. Add about 1/2 of the grated cheese. You may also add some sour cream to this if you wish.
Spread mixture in a greased baking dish. I normally use a 13 x 9-inch pan for this. Top with more grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.
To finish this off you can top with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole.

Notes

* I buy Hatch green chiles from New Mexico in season, roast them and freeze them in freezer bags. They’re the best! We are fortunate that we can buy them freshly-roasted right in front of our local market also.

Have you ever had to remind a guest that they are a guest in your house? If so, how did the guest respond?

My wife and I have four daughters. One shares our DNA and three do not. They came to us in their early teens from severely abusive homes.

Our second daughter, ‘Beth’ had only been us for about three months and was still learning to trust us.

My wife’s mother, Jane, was visiting. At some point, Beth came from her room with her dirty clothes and dumped them on the floor of the laundry room, then started back to her room to bring down her bedding. From the kitchen Jane said something to the tune of, “I hope you’re not going to leave those there!” Beth responded, “It’s none of your business now, is it?”

Before my wife, who was also in the kitchen, could intercede, Jane said, “You better learn some manners if you’re going to be a member of this family, young lady.”

Before Beth could respond, my wife put her arm around her, looked at her mother, and said something akin to, “Mom, Beth doesn’t have to learn one fucking thing to be a member of this family, she already is. There is nothing she can do to change that. Now apologize to my daughter.” I think Beth was caught off guard that she wasn’t the one in trouble and was being stood up for.

To her credit, Jane did apologize. Beth was, at best, lukewarm in accepting it. As far as my wife was concerned, she didn’t need to accept it at all.

I will say it wasn’t Jane’s intent to be nasty. In her mind she was just reinforcing one of the assumed rules of the house. For her it was the kind of thing grandmothers do.

Later that afternoon my wife took her out on the patio for some mother/daughter time. She explained our home ran differently than the home in which she grew up, and no, this wasn’t a criticism of how she was raised. They agreed that it would be best if Jane refrained from parenting our daughters. Jane wasn’t particularly upset and they moved on to other things.

Surprisingly, at least to us, Beth was cordial to Jane at dinner. This was a victory as in those days Beth often held grudges.

DECEASED 1920’s MAN DESCRIBES THE AFTERLIFE

Interesting.

Shorpy

GHOST DESCRIBES THE AFTERLIFE | A British WW2 Sailor’s Experience

I had a tomcat called 'pyewacket ' who was a beautifull natured boy, silly funny and got on well with our other 2 cats and all the other cats in the neighborhood, but 6 years ago someone poisoned him, we had to have him put to sleep, this was especially hard because he was only 5 , one sunny summers day I was sitting on the couch thinking about him and how we missed him so, then I thought to myself I wonder if animals pass over to the other side, just then I spied a tiny white feather coming down from the ceiling and settling on my lap, make of that what you will but I'm not a big fan of coincidences , I still have the white feather.

How do Tibetans feel about being part of China? Do they want independence?

Hello, I am Tibetan. Born in the outskirts of Darjeeling, India and now immigrate to USA.

Should Tibet be apart of China ? Yes. It has been since the old times and we have absorbed most Chinese culture (chop sticks, food, instrument, clothing, language, etc)

Do I seek independence ? Little bit but what will the outcome be if Tibet was independent ? We would probably be invaded by India just like how Sikkim and North East India turned into be. Let me tell I would hate to be apart of India since my last trip to Sikkim. Sikkimese are now second class citizens in their ancestral homeland since Indians breed like rabbits, different race and thinking. We also have racial tensions due to our racist tribalism nature. Also we are mongoloid race and Indians are Dravidians or Aryans so we have nothing in common other than religion or writing. Since the Chinese are Mongoloid race I would rather be apart of them. Seeing Tibet now with devolpment and infrastructure. Many exile unbrainwashed Tibetans would agree with me and go back. The brainwashed tibetans would likely stay in india suffering from racism and living in slums or get their daily paycheck from the corrupt Tibetan government in exile.

Let me tell you I used to be a brainwashed Tibetan listening to these foreign Caucasians and Indians telling me lies about what the Chinese did to Tibet and now I know the truth and I am very angry for them lying to me. Seek the truth.

Today’s MM art

It’s a mixed bag. Lots of nudes, but also many distortions. I’m disappointed.

Many men with woman’s faces, and distortions of various types.

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Man’s body, woman’s face.

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Some are fine, but are missing “something”.

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This turned out… interesting.

Same with this one…

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I do love the expression on the face of Bacchus.

Nice, but twins?

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Messed up female genitalia…

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Might be more interesting with some nice clothes…

Now here’s sort of what I am striving for.

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And this. But there’s a lot that needs to be corrected.

Wow. A lot going on here.

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A winner… almost.

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So so.

The spitting of the wine will need to be photoshopped out.

Fine.

This is one of the best of the bunch.

And I do like this one…

When did you realize your parents were cool?

When my father got Hugh Hefner to lend him the bunny jet to evacuate Vietnamese orphans during the Fall of Saigon.

It was part of “Operation Babylift,” an effort to bring about 2,000 displaced children, most of them orphans, to the US amidst the chaos of the American pullout from Vietnam.

In the 60s, my parents started a nonprofit to support Vietnamese children who were orphaned or affected by the war. My mother travelled there several times during the war and came to know the children, staff, and volunteers of some of the orphanages around the country.

Among the volunteers were US servicemen, one of whom picked out my sister for adoption by my family. I also gained an adopted brother in a similar manner.

Through the nonprofit they started, my mother made hundreds of Vietnamese adoption placements, including several to celebrities. During the late 60s and early 70s they built quite an extensive network around their nonprofit activities.

So when President Ford announced the creation of a special fund to expedite the evacuation and adoption of Vietnamese orphans during the Fall of Saigon, my father called Yul Bryner and got him to prevail on Hef to lend them the bunny jet for Operation Babylift.

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The operation itself was controversial. There were later claims that some of the children were not actually orphans. My mother had been to the orphanages where many of these children came from. She knew the staff and volunteers who worked there. A mixed race kid like my adopted brother Danny had no future in Vietnam. That is certain.

It was a chaotic time. There was tragedy, too.

The first flight out on Operation Babylift, a C-5 cargo plane, crashed shortly after take-off, killing 78 children and 50 adults of the 300 aboard. My parents knew several of them.

I was a teenager when it happened and got to know some of the survivors, who would come to stay with us and live out the trauma of their ordeal in the aftermath. People we knew gave their lives to bring those children here.

Fifteen years later, my father was on one of the first flights from the US to deliver relief supplies to Lech Walesa and the Solidarity strikers in Gdansk, Poland in 1980. He returned with a new suit he bought in Poland for about $15. He called it his “socialist suit” and he was very proud of it.

Clearest Footage of THEM Ever Released

Interesting.

But the “scary music” is just plain juvenile.

‘Mean’ Cat That No One Wanted Falls In Love With New Dad

Have you ever told a parent something their kid had done, and they stopped talking to you afterwards?

Yes, and the mom—my friend—was there. She had two daughters, three years and five-years old. We were all sitting around at my house and she asked me if I had some paper and crayons, so they could draw some pictures.

Of course I said yes, and set the girls up. A while later the oldest came running up with the youngest right behind her. They were both giggling. The oldest handed me the worst drawing I had ever seen. It was a picture of a—what looked like a girl, with short hair that stuck straight up, weird, crooked, pointy, tooth-like, projections, and tons of black dots all over the face. I thought it was a monster. So I said, “wow, nice monster.” Nope. The little girl said—all proud of herself—to me, “this isn’t a monster. It’s a picture of YOU. You’re UGLY.”

I was mortified. I had struggled my entire teenage years with horrible acne that was a result of kidney problems. Although, at this point I only had the residual scarring. I had always been very self-conscious, but it was hardly noticeable at the time this happened. Regardless, I felt like I had just been kicked in the stomach.

Their mother—my friend—looked at me, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “kids are so honest, they just draw what they see”.

Maybe I am just being stupid, but this really hurt my feelings. I kept being nice, but I’m sure she could see the hurt on my face—however, she never acted like it. The visit was over anyway, and she and her spawn left a few minutes later.

I talked to her a few more times. What really ended up being the last straw was when she complained about her oldest daughter’s second grade teacher teaching about dinosaurs. She said that the teacher should NOT be teaching about dinosaurs. “Dinosaurs” she said, “DID NOT EXIST!!!! Dinosaur bones were put there by Satan, trying to TRICK us!!!!!”.

What was your “Wow, monsters hide in plain sight!” moment?

About a year ago, my wife got a phone call STUPIDLY early in the morning. She missed getting the phone in time, but saw what friend it was from, and got in touch with her immediately.

Our friend was incredibly distraught, saying she’d learned she’d married an absolute monster.

My wife and I had been couples-friends with this couple for over fifteen years.

The husband was arrested for crimes against children. Yes, THOSE kinds of crimes against children.

It messes me up to know. I know I just said “we’d been friends for over fifteen years”, but we haven’t lived near each other for a long time. Most of our interactions were incredibly limited to Facebook interactions and a visit to one another’s area once every 4 – 5 years. But still.

It messes us up because you’re SO SURE that you’d know. You think you’re a good judge of character.

My wife is still flabbergasted, to think of it. We agreed that it was so out of nowhere. She told me “Of literally everyone we’ve ever met, if I were being asked to rate how sketchy I thought they were, he wouldn’t have even made the top ten!…”

It’s been so long, and it still messes me up to think about. Why? It’s not like there’s any reason I should have ‘clued in’ that something was going on. There were several people who hung out with him regularly and none of them knew. His brother and parents didn’t know. Hell, HIS OWN WIFE didn’t know—and she’s not a stupid person.

We still beat ourselves up mentally and emotionally, scouring for what potential clues there may have been that we overlooked. But be reasonable: that many people never knew.

But it messes you up. You think that you’d know.

Hassayampa Casserole

This casserole is an original and was named after the Hassayampa River that flows in Wickenburg, Arizona.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons chili powder
3 teaspoons cumin
1 (8 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced
10 ounces frozen corn, thawed
1 cup sliced black olives
3 large green chiles, chopped
1 pound shrimp or imitation crabmeat
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12 corn tortillas

Instructions

Sauté onion in oil and add cinnamon, chili powder and cumin.
Stir in enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes. Set aside 1 cup sauce.
Add to remaining sauce the corn, olives, green chiles, shrimp or crabmeat and 1 cup cheese.
In a 3 quart shallow casserole dish, cover bottom with some of the tortillas.
Spread 1/3 of shrimp/crabmeat mixture over tortillas; repeat with 2 more layers.
Top with remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Through a Great Distance

Matthew Klingforth

Through a Great Distance

“Andrew, God, I can actually hear your sulking,” Becky said across the hull to the large man sitting with his head hanging and his back facing her. “It’s like I have the endangered, sniveling vagina bug crawling in my ear, right now.”

“I am not sulking!” Andrew informed her angrily as he lifted his head and stared ferociously at the corner. “As a matter of fact, I was just now having a soliloquyial discussion on the selfish disregard of ingratitude and how Princesses only crap on other people’s property!” He screamed at her from his walled in position and Becky rolled her eyes in return.

“Look, man, the alfredo sauce was too salty, I don’t know what to tell yah,” she replied with a guiltless shrug. “Maybe, next time, I don’t know, don’t add the entire salt lick to the pot.”

“That is a reward winning recipe!” Andrew bellowed and turned his purpling face towards her. “And I’ll let you know that having all of the culinary delicacy of a frozen lake, does not excuse, nor forgive, straight rudeness.”

“Whatever,” Becky grumbled and returned her attention to the blinking lights of the ship’s internal computer.

“Fine,” Andrew agreed to her resolution and sent out a cold silence across the room.

“I don’t think that, “soliloquyial,” is even really a word.” Becky poked and to her delight, the bear stood-up and stomped out into the hallway.

“There are rules of engagement!” Andrew roared and jabbed his pudgy finger into the chest of no one as he clomped down the hallway. “Once an argument is clearly at the point of appropriate silence,” he said while gesturing wildly with his hands. “I mean, that’s it, you just shut-up. But no, not her, she always has to get that last little…” He paused, too angry to finish the sentence and, instead, bit down hard onto his knuckle. “I want my GD dog back!” he finally screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Becky! Becky!” Andrew yelled desperately as the terrified animal clawed free and leapt from his grasping arms. “No, no, bad dog!” he scolded the Pomeranian, but another crack of lightning from the newest freak storm put her tail between her legs and sent her scampering into the throngs of the many on-lookers and partiers across the barricade.

“Japan…swallowed…unprecedented tsunamis,” Andrew heard the radio from the nearest booze and food tent scream in between its static and he helplessly turned and looked at his escape vessel.

“Becky?” He whimpered with his whole body moving in feeble motions and the tears choking out his breathing. For the briefest of moments, he considered leaving without his precious Becky, but then he remembered all of the hard work and strings that he had to pull to gain passage to the new world and procure his own personal carriage. Failure was not an option.

“You sir!” Andrew pointed and yelled with newly found determination as he marched across his lot towards the security at the gate. “I will have a moment with you,” he said and pushed his impressive mass in between a small helmeted guard and the rest of the world. “Do you know who I am?” Andrew more demanded than asked.

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, sir,” the guard said with what he thought was machismo. “I am assigned to your post, sir, I’m, I’m your takeoff guy” he added lamely and immediately regretted it.

“Good,” Andrew replied with zero satisfaction as he assumed his own notoriety. “Then you know that I am never, EVER, without my Becky!” he blustered as the guard tried to catalogue every piece of information that he had on the man and a wife Becky seemed to ring a bell.

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, that is well known,” he decided to answer in the positive.

“Well?” Andrew asked as he looked around himself incredulously. “Do you see my Becky with me?”

“Oh, oh, no sir,” the former shoe salesman caught the drift and put his two weeks of military training into action. “Where was the last place you seen her, sir?”

“She ran off into that damnable ruffian tent,” Andrew answered with distaste. “She is very likely right at the entrance, trust me, she won’t wander far from a constant source of sausage.”

As the guard struggled with a reply, he was spared by the sudden upheaval of the earth’s crust, causing all to stumble and cheers to erupt from the tent dwellers.

“Listen,” Andrew said in a sudden rush, trying to quickly compensate for the earthquakes two-day early arrival. “What’s your name son?” he asked the guard.

“Thomas Jensen,” Thomas Jensen answered astutely.

“And now, Thomas,” Andrew said in his straight business voice. “I can assume that you’re not one of these tent cretins, right? That you plan on leaving this degenerate planet and make a fresh start on the new world? Yes?”

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, our craft leaves tonight.”

“Good Thomas, I’m relieved to hear that,” Andrew said while putting his meat hooks onto the guard’s slender shoulders and drawing paternal serenity onto his face. “Thomas, I need someone to march into that Hell pit and get me my Becky,” he said while pointing at the tent. “And whoever that person is, well, let’s just say that they will be very well rewarded in the new world,” he stated and then paused for dramatic affect. “Do you think that you could be that person, mister Jensen?”

“Yes sir! Absolutely sir!” Ole’ Thomas was pretty sure of himself.

“Excellent!” Andrew applauded. “Bring her to my sleeping quarters, get us off this God forsaken planet and I assure you that the goose will be splendid.”

Andrew stared out the bedroom window as the world deteriorated around him. “Where are you?” he whispered harshly and took his third pill in less than ten minutes. “I do not feel calm!” he screamed at the window and shook the pill bottle angrily. “Stupid—useless…,” he mumbled softly as his chin dropped down into his chest and time slowed down around him.

“Who the Hell is this?” the drunken slur of a tiny, blonde woman and the sound of a locking door caused Andrew’s eyes to flutter open.

“Becky,” he pleaded unconsciously as the engines started to rumble and the planet Earth began its long series of chain explosions.

“I want my GD dog back!” Becky heard Andrew yell from across the ship and she immediately felt a twinge of regret for that last jab.

“Ah, the big lug,” she said as she drew her legs up onto the chair to hug her knees, thinking about their first conversation.

The world, she believed, was gone. The navigational system, fried on take-off. We could be the last two human beings alive in the Universe and dude couldn’t stop blubbering about his stupid dog.

“Cute little shit,” she said with a sigh and grabbed her rubber ball to squeeze.

The mix-up, she supposed, was favorable to her. She should be dead and at one point and time, it was all that she had expected, wanted, maybe. She was in a weird place at the time. Still though and in retrospect, she made out pretty good. The vessel was equipped to accommodate and feed eight people for no less than ten years. There were like a zillion different movies and video games to play and the regurgitating ventilation system provided a lifetime of low-quality, but breathable air.

The dog, she felt, would have been very happy here.

Words can’t really describe the awkwardness of getting to know the last remaining member of your species. The last real face that you would see in your entire lifetime. Uncomfortable, she guessed. Discomfited? But, after a long mourning and bonding period, it took them all of fifteen seconds to realize that they were trapped in space with a complete and utter moron. He was a proclaimed dog person and she held firm that Becky was really more of a cat. He was a staunch Republican and she didn’t really care what you called a crook. How was it possible that she got stuck with the one person who could witness the explosion of their planet and still continue to deny global warming?

It was the absolute worst possible case scenario for the both of them.

Becky smiled and gave the ball two quick compressions.

“No, no, you’re doing that all wrong,” Andrew said as he watched her gaming in the family center and grabbed the controller out of her hands.

“Oh, really?” she asked, a little shocked at his playfulness, as they had been on a, as needed, communication schedule for the previous three months. “You know how to play Super Mario Brothers?”

“Oh yeah, my brothers and I ate up the classics,” Andrew answered as he deftly moved the courageous plumber across the screen. “I saw Zelda in the game catalogue,” he said while pausing and smiling over at her. “Have you ever played it?” he asked with a school boy innocence that would eventually charm his way into both her pants and their first marriage.

Andrew had considered all four of their marriages as a silly waste of time, but, Becky, although far removed from her deflowering, was a traditionalist. Not so much the religious stuff, but a commitment was needed if you wanted the long-term, personal attention sex. She was, after all, a lady.

Initially they had the children conversation, you know, the old, save the homo sapien rally, but ultimately decided against it. Their little family, alone in the middle of outer space, trying to maintain the human race was, well, just gross, once you ran the numbers and, besides, neither one of the them were exactly, kid people, anyhow. So, they kept rugrats out of their tumultuous and mostly predictable cycle. Right now, as far as Becky saw it, they were within four months to their next marriage. This was clearly a make-up fight. Right now, he’s standing in the master bedroom, staring out the window, waiting for me to come and apologize.

“And apologize I will,” she thought happily as she stood-up and bounced the ball off of the floor and back into her hand. The truth was that over the last six years, she had really grown to love the big ape and she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loved her. Only love can make a person as crazy as she made him.

Besides, she had put a lot of effort into making him a suitable partner, the, sometimes, aggressive tips and hints on how to be a better lover, alone, claimed her ownership. She wasn’t about to give up her man and her apologizing for hurting his delicate nature had also become part of their cycle.

“Hey Andrew,” she yelled as she bounced her ball down the hall towards the bedroom. “About the alfredo sauce, you know that I was just being a bitch, right?” She asked, taking the low road and hoping for a quick make-up.

“Becky, get in here,” Andrew yelled back at her in a dazed and far away voice and Becky quickened her pace.

“Holy…” she stood frozen in the entryway, staring through the window at the last thing that she ever thought that she would see again. “Andrew, it’s a planet!” she exclaimed and Andrew turned in his standing position to nod absently.

“You said that the odds were astronomically against this,” she said as Andrew, the human fun sponge, had calculated its chances to being exactly impossible.

“They, they are,” he stammered and returned his gaze to the looming planet.

“Well, is it, you know, liveable?” Becky asked with excitement growing in her voice.

“Yes, perfectly, its atmosphere doesn’t appear to be much different than earths,” he answered.

“It’s unbelievable,” Becky marveled as she walked to stand next to Mark. “What about other creatures? Is there anything alive down there?”

“Affirmative, be it food, friend or foe, the imager shows plenty of animal activity at the surface.”

Awestruck in silence and as they slowly absorbed the colossal potential floating before them, Andrew and Becky’s fingers gingerly touched together and gently entwined.

“Take us home, Captain Chizka,” she said while looking up at her future fifth husband and Andrew set the thrusters to manual.

What are the risks of allowing Chinese EV imports into the US?

Isn’t it obvious?

The risks are getting rid of the incompetent and the idiots. The future of this country must be premised on having people who can get things done. Protectioinism by tariff shields these incompetent and idiots and hurts severely the consumers. . . and lead only to the deterioration of the economy.

EV is no stranger to the U.S. Our Detriot car makers have been toying with this for decades and in just the last 15 years, we have had hundreds of EV startups – one of which is Tesla leading the way. These startups – with names like Faradays, Lordstown, Fisker, Lucid and Rivian enjoyed and been showered with billions. Yet, the best they have to offer are $45,000 EVs that are more than twice as expensive and not even with quality and features of China’s basic EVs at less than $20,000.

And their excuse is that its unfair trade practice because China provides subsidies?

We have Tesla that set the standard of competition in the Chinese auto market . . . .that should also be allowed to prevail in the U.S. This is how the Chinese EVs evolved and this should be how our U.S. EVs must evolve. European OEMs – specially VW – are doing joint ventures to catch up in the Chinese market and GM and Ford should do the same . . . .or let them perish because they can’t last long anyway with tariff protection.

Life after Death? Communicating with the Other Side

Endsville

I have related the story of my good friend; Jerry Marcus, who killed himself.

As a recap, he was my younger brothers friend, who by association became my friend. He was five years my junior. And he was a bit of a unique fellow. Not bad, just quirky.

And one day, while he was living with his mother, he sent his mother out to get groceries. While she was away, he left a note for her on the kitchen table. Stripped nude on his bed. Laid down on a plastic sheet. Put a shotgun to his mouth, and blew his brains out.

Shocking to me and my brother and all our small circle of friends.

Indeed, he was a fighting demons and issues that he preferred to keep on the “down low”. Whether this was due to stupid Male Pride, or the face that us Bros and friends didn’t know how to identify a cry for help. I don’t know. But when I saw him, he was always happy to see me.

In fact, his mother told me that I was a “really good influence on him”.

Hum. Not just her. So did my other friend’s mothers. Especially Robbie’s mother. She once told me that Robbie was uncontrollable, but after he came home from spending the day with me, he was calm and happy. Like a completely different person.

But today’s little story is not about Robbie, or Marcus.

It’s about his family.

Sometime in the 1950’s, two beatniks set up a commune in the woods near Kittanning, PA. This community existed for maybe five or eight years. They played the bongos, wrote and read poetry, farmed a small garden and did what beatniks did best; whatever that was.

To get to the property, you had to take a rural highway, and then go though the woods on a long “driveway” road. Quite long actually. And there it would open up to a beautiful 1920’s era Art Deco home. It nested in a clearing in the middle of a beautiful wood.

Because it was so long, and such an effort to get to, the fellow commune members referred to it as “Endsville”.

And thus when I first associated with Jerry and his brother, I would know where to go due to the small sign at the almost hidden entrance; a sign that said “Endsville”.

The house was a beautiful “Craftsman” style house, and the interior was all nice hardwood. There were Art Deco statuettes on such things as the mantle and stair rail, and a beautiful stained glass Art Deco (of course) window that overlooked the main living room.

It was a nice place. I babysat his two cats for a spell there for him while he was overseas. Nice place.

It was a perfect boyhood house to grow up in. His father was an investment banker type of guy that also did estates, wills and stocks. When my first wife and I were heading off into the unknown in our van, he gave up words of encouragement and some money. (Though later when he saw him decades later, he became gruff and embittered, saying that it was a foolish youthful dream.)

Ah. Somethings come around in a kind of strange cycle.

Marcus’s father was a dreamer; a beatnik who founded a commune of dreamers and counter-culture folk. And evolved into a person who manipulated money .. eventually turning embittered and shriveled; a discouraged old man.

Marcus was born in Endsville, and took his life in Endsville. A flash in the pan on the grand scale of things.

Life can be hard. It can.

But don’t take it to Endsville.

Today…

Is it possible that someday China would abandon their thousand years of authoritarian regime and embrace democracy? If not, what are the reasons why China couldn’t do that?

The democratic package sold by Westerners is extremely narrow, and many of them do not even know the true meaning of democracy. They think that the one person, one vote election model is the standard paradigm of democracy, but in fact, it is simply a game of tycoons and monopolists, a tool for confusing ordinary people’s rule. In fact, the public cannot choose truly senior administrative officials. These elected individuals are essentially a group of hypocritical actors or speakers who do not represent the interests of the people, but only pretend to please voters.

For example, Western media are monopolized by Jewish Ansar, and their voices are generally consistent. They have a strong ability to brainwash and spread rumors, and ordinary people are unable to judge the authenticity of news. Public opinion is manipulated by the media, and there is no talk of independent elections.

2. On the other hand, there is the ability of leaders elected democratically. Look at Biden or Trump, their ability to govern or serve the people is extremely low. How many jobs have they created, how much convenience have they provided to the people, how much infrastructure has been updated, or what achievements have they made in technology during their tenure? Apart from mutual slander and urinary incontinence, I can hardly find where their achievements lie? The same goes for politicians in Europe.

I believe that the goal of democracy should be to benefit the people, create more wealth for them, enable them to have their own jobs, realize their own value, and feel safe, happy, and fulfilled anytime, anywhere. If this goal can be achieved, it doesn’t matter what political system it is. If you focus on a certain political form rather than the goal, it’s putting the cart before the horse.

Have you ever taken the law into your own hands?

I have not but I knew someone that did.

When I worked in the oilfield I crossed paths with a man that was a natural clown. He was know, of course, as WILDMAN. He could make you laugh, in fact he if didn’t make ya laugh he would. He was a fantastic person. One weekend a couple of friends stopped by. After that a married couple with two kids came on a visit. So 7 people and two kids on a summer afternoon. WILDMAN was in his element.

Another person, a couple of doors away, was having a bad time, the running conversation involves jokes, he could hear their laughing.

So he made sure he had a round in the chamber, he walked up behind Wildman, and shot him at close range.. The friends grabbed the gun, and stomped on him. A stomping is a little rough, it leaves the recipient unconscious and a number of bruises from steel toed boot. Then they called the police.

The neighbor was bonded out, by a local. That was what was needed. Wildman’s father was also an oil man, he was an executive in a different company.

The neighbor, his new friend picked him up, took him back home, and left him. The three people inside took care of the rest. Daddy was there, he pulled the trigger, and the body was left behind.

Scott Ritter Statement Following FBI Raid on his home

See, the USA hydra is stomping on free speech.

Here’s what they have done to Scott…

Made him a “sex offender”.
Seized his passport. Didn’t give it back.
Searching / raiding his home.

What is next…

I’d advise leaving the USA post haste.

Have you ever walked into a room and seen something that made you go, “Nope,” and turn 180 degrees and walk away? What was it?

Yup. Once, when in a particularly low place I was walking to the train home from work, down New St in Birmingham (UK), and was approached by someone asking if I was OK. They seemed very sincere and said that they were part of an outreach program that encouraged positive mental health. Their base was just round the corner and we could sit and talk, and I really appreciated the opening so I followed them.

We got into a lift in one of the buildings just off the main road and talked as the lift went up. Something seemed a bit off as when they asked how I coped with stress and I answered “well, I chain smoke” they responded “Oh good, at least you have something”??

The lift opened and directly in front of the lift doors was a bust I vaguely recognised, along with the name plate “L. Ron Hubbard”. I didn’t even know scientologists had a base in the area at that point.

I just mumbled “Sorry, I’m in the wrong place” and dashed through the fire door, doubletimed it down the stairs and got the hell out of the building.

Is Simu Liu, the actor playing Shang-Chi in the new MCU movie, ugly in Chinese culture and handsome American culture?

I’m Chinese.

I wouldn’t say Simu Liu is ugly. But he sure is not good looking to most Chinese netizens either.

However, the actor of Mandarin, Tony Leung Chiu Wei has been considered one of the most good looking people in China for years, maybe even decades.

One more thing, Chinese netizens like to call good looking girls “Goddesses”(女神), there’s a male version of it too “男神”. I can’t figure out an appropriate translation, but you’ll get it.

When Chinese netizens use the word “男神”, this Chinese American actor/director/producer is referred to very often.

main qimg c2d316288a44cebe4bfe1459694d373f lq

His name is Daniel Wu 吴彦祖. Star of AMC’s Into the Badlands. He also played a few roles in Hollywood movies too, like Lu Ren in Tomb Raider 2018, Gul’dan in Warcraft. Considered one of the most handsome men by Chinese netizens.

Here’s another well known Chinese actor John Lone 尊龙.

main qimg 81b94e02279a3e01e8f1029c6d2e9699 lq

He was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People of the Year by People Magazine in 1990.

Someone anonymous’s answer to What is the loveliest thing a child has ever said to you?

He played Puyi in The Last Emperor, Joey Tai in Year of the Dragon, and Song Liling in M. Butterfly.

I think John Lone is a very good example of Chinese and American having a common(similar, at least) taste for the appearance of men. And I don’t think Marvel cast Simu Liu because they think he is a good looking man. Simu Liu just looks more stereotypical. They cast Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson as Caucasian leading characters(These two are beautiful AF, let’s be honest). But when it comes to a Chinese leading character, they pick a stereotypical one. Think about it.

However, as a Chinese, I will never go to the cinema or rent a DVD for Shang-Chi. And I’ve watched every MCU movie in the cinema since 2012, the year The Avengers was released. I have nothing against Simu Liu. It’s all about the Shang-Chi character and the stories. The stories about Shang-Chi are just insulting to us Chinese people and our ancestors.

BTW, when a native English speaker tries to pronounce “Shang-Chi”, it always sounds like 疝气 in Chinese, which means hernia. The pronunciation of Shang-Chi(上气) in Mandarin is more like “Shawn Chi”. And the meaning of Shang-Chi(上气) in Chinese is “being angry” or “getting angry”, not “rising chi”.

It Begins… Migrant Thieves Raid NYC Warehouse

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

Pork

1 pound pork tenderloin

Glaze

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoons mustard
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Instructions

Place pork on a greased rack in a baking pan lined with foil.
Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl, set aside 3 tablespoons glaze. Spoon remaining glaze over pork.
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 28 minutes or until done, basting occasionally with reserved glaze.
Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Why is China getting more and more isolated? Why are most countries keeping China at a distance? Why is China being treated as a rogue and rowdy nation?

Recently, there was an UN vote about America’s embargo on Cuba.

main qimg d50af34b9b747021923b492b75ce0ed0 lq

UN General Assembly calls for US to end Cuba embargo for 29th consecutive year

A total of 184 countries on Wednesday voted in favour of a resolution to demand the end of the US economic blockade on Cuba, for the 29th year in a row, with the United States and Israel voting against. |

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/06/1094612

This was the result, with 184 in favor, 2 against, and 3 abstention.

The US and Israel voted against ending embargo. Brazil, Columba, and Ukraine didn’t want to support the US, but couldn’t go against it neither, so they gave up voting.

Weeeel…. I guess someone is kinda lonely.

Everyone IS SCREAMING FOR AN EMERGENCY RATE CUT…

What is the nastiest thing you’ve done for revenge?

I had a fella that borrowed 10 large from me, turned out he was a degenerate gambler and this is Las Vegas. I secured the loan with his house or partial, he defaulted on his loan. I had to take the house and payments until the prepayment penalty expired. He was more than a slob, didn’t lift a finger to help clean for his move out. So I’m on my knees attempting to clean a disgusting toilet amid tossed betting slips from the book. That’s when I grabbed his toothbrush to do the detail work around the hinges, he wasn’t much of a good aim. When I completed that job I returned the toothbrush to its home and I still get a wee bit of pleasure when I think about it. Clean is free and gambling is a fools game. I rented that home, shortfall of $50 a month until his high interest loan was in my rear view mirror. Sold her to a family that couldn’t seem to secure a property, big housing boom. Made money, helped a young military family and got the bad vibes out of really nice home.

If Israel defeats Hamas, Russia will defeat Ukraine, then China will invade & defeat Taiwan. So if we support Ukraine & Taiwan, shouldn’t we also ought to support Hamas? At least freedom loving Taiwanese people understand this basic truth very well.

Actually, all these conflicts revolve around a single rainmaker.

Yes, America.

The long 20th century has taught us a vivid lesson in the power of hegemony. Go against American interests and your country burns or at best, suffers.

America makes cruel examples of some countries, to make the rest toe the line.

If that binyamin chap can fly stateside and receive standing ovations in congress as an icc fugitive while leading a country party to serious icj charges, most of the media narratives are just click bait fluff.

The struggle requires a clash of power, between the American led order and the rest, a system of systems competition that can go bad very quickly, if either side isn’t careful.

I empathize deeply with the plight of the gazans, and wholeheartedly believe in their cause for their own homeland, because history owes the Palestinians a grave, and present injustice.

But support for Hamas, and feeling good if they make gains or even better, win an unlikely victory? That’s just vanity, not least because the conflict is much broader with many moving pieces.

I made donations to the red cross to send aid to the Palestinians. I spent many sleepless nights fretting over the death and destruction overwhelming my feed, and prayed the killing would stop.

Eventually, I snapped out of it, but it was a mighty struggle. It is not my fight, and there is a long, hard road ahead for the Palestinians. There may not even be an end to hostilities on the horizon.

Whichever side you are on, remember this. The world can only be more stable and peaceful if it is multipolar, and there is a true balance of power. That’s the fundamental condition for the rule of law.

Israel, Ukraine, taiwan, Cuba will disappear as flashpoints with the ebbing of American power.

Such is the nature of the world we live in.

As east Asians, we can help recenter the world economy back to Asia, as it has been for millennia.

Remember, these are not our conflicts, and we do not have to take sides. It is enough to follow developments with clear eyes and weigh information from all sides to take the pulse of the situation. Make a principled stand for the killing on both sides to stop.

Anything more is time better spent participating in your own country’s economic growth.

The West is About to Face Unbelievable Hardships | Dmitry Orlov

Since entering August, the Chinese yuan (RMB) has appreciated rapidly. Is this related to the global expectation of the Fed’s interest rate cut? What does this mean?

Not only is the RMB appreciating, but the yen and the euro are also appreciating. The root cause is that the US dollar is weakening.

The US “inflation bill” has not achieved obvious results, and the core inflation rate remains high. The superposition of the US debt crisis and the inflation crisis has made the prosperity brought by high interest rates unsustainable. The global financial industry believes that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates further in the short term, and many institutions predict that the Federal Reserve may start to cut interest rates from the third quarter of 2024.

The Fed’s stimulant is almost over.

$35 trillion in debt means huge interest and default risks. The United States continues to challenge the debt ceiling and burn the international credibility of the US dollar, making all countries extremely wary of the US dollar.

The Fed’s interest rate cut means that the US dollar will flood into the market like a tide, which is an expectation of depreciation. It is normal for people to sell the US dollar.

Let’s look at China again. China has not followed the US dollar in raising interest rates in the past two years. It is one of the few countries in the world that has reversed operations. They have even carried out several rounds of interest rate cuts. China’s stock market has also remained low, and inflation is almost zero. This makes the Chinese economy, although not as prosperous as before the pandemic, almost non-existent in terms of systemic risks. In the first half of 2024, China’s economy recovered steadily, with economic growth of 5% and a trade surplus that broke the historical record. According to the data in July, China’s foreign trade volume hit a new high.

The cold data shows that China’s economy has been recovering and growing steadily, and it is not “about to collapse” as some Western media have exaggerated.

If people think that the US dollar will depreciate, they will inevitably look for a new currency to replace their positions after selling the US dollar. You can’t always exchange the sold US dollars for potatoes. There are not many reliable options in the world, nothing more than a few currencies such as the euro, yen, and RMB. Or invest in gold. In fact, the price of gold has risen by 26% in the past 12 months.

At present, the appreciation of the yen is more obvious, but this is because the yen has just experienced a sharp depreciation in the previous few months, and the appreciation of the yen has a rebound effect. The appreciation of the euro is not as good as that of the RMB

Unlike the euro and the yen, the RMB is an upward currency. At present, due to the continuous development of the BRICS organization, a large number of RMB transactions have been moved outside the SWIFT system. China settles oil and gas transactions in OPEC countries in RMB through the BRICS Bank and encourages the use of RMB as a foreign trade settlement currency. Many BRICS countries and Belt and Road countries use RMB to pay for imports from China.

RMB transactions have become a new international trade route in addition to US dollar transactions.

At present, the proportion of RMB in China’s own foreign settlement currencies has exceeded 50%. As the world’s largest trading country, China has more than 6 trillion US dollars in transactions each year. This means that the share of RMB in international transactions is actually much greater than that reflected by SWIFT, and the degree of RMB internationalization is actually much higher than the World Bank’s data.

This makes RMB a very popular safe-haven currency in international currency transactions. As an investor, when I try to sell US dollars, RMB will occupy a very important position in my basket of choices.

Scott Ritter: Russia’s GLOVES ARE OFF as NATO Makes Fatal Mistake, Ukraine in Trouble

What happened to your school bully?

When I was in primary school, a new kid arrived one day. He had a blonde pageboy haircut and was much bigger than me.

I probably sealed my fate when he decided to stage a KISS tribute air-band concert in his basement.

I watched as he and some of my other friends, dressed in shredded garbage bags, kicked their silver duct-taped, Kodiak boots into the air.

I didn’t get it.

After that I was a dead man walking.

My longest, “bestest” friend, whom had been in every class with me since grade 2, loudly proclaimed that he was happy that we wouldn’t be in the same class the next year.

Then the physical abuse began. I would be shoved to the ground on my way home, etc etc.

Then they all started smoking pot, and taking acid.

I’m talking about 12 year old kids.

One of the kids was a straight-A student and quarterbacked his football team.

I haven’t seen or heard from any of these kids since high school. There’s no sign of them on Facebook.

I know that one of them was stabbed to death with a screwdriver after he testified against a drug dealer who shot him and left him paralyzed.

There’s as least 4 of them who seem to have simply disappeared.

Recently one of then popped up on Facebook. He started his own company painting houses. I hired him to repaint my ceiling after a water leak. He told me how he wasted most of his life addicted to drugs but has finally turned things around. He’s 58 now.

I felt bad for him. We saw Beatlemania when we were kids. He had a bright future ahead of him… but then the “cool kid” showed up one day and sucked everyone around him into a vortex of bullshit.

What is something most people wouldn’t understand unless they grew up poor?

Here are some things I remember from growing up in rural poverty in the USA:

Living in an apartment with no heat except for one very small wood stove, with only unseasoned firewood “included” in the rent. My mother would turn on the gas oven and open the door to heat the kitchen enough so that we wouldn’t see our breath.
In that same apartment, my sister’s bed caught on fire because the electric blanket she used (because it was sooooo cold at night) had an electrical short. Fortunately, I was in the bunk above her and woke up and was able to get her out of the room before the smoke got really bad.
Always running out of toilet paper – buying in bulk simply wasn’t an option for us.
Digging through the sofa cushions for change for reduced school hot lunches.
Government issue cheese, peanut butter, and evaporated milk. We called the cheese “welfare cheese” – it was sort of a cross between cheddar and Velveeta. We never went hungry, but my mom had to get pretty creative with food shelf donations, and fresh fruit (except apples – we always had apples) and vegetables were a rarity.
Anything that broke wouldn’t get fixed. Because we were always broke and there was no “extra” money for repairs or preventive maintenance.
My mom always overpaid for vehicles and always had a car payment. In the extremely cold & snowy climate where we lived, having an unreliable car could be fatal. So she would trade in whatever almost worthless thing she was driving for a new one, and then drive that one into the ground.
When I was in 5th grade, we had so little $ that for an entire school year, I had only 1 pair of pants. I wore them every day, and I washed them every other day. No one ever said anything to me about it, fortunately.
The only time my sister and I bought clothes was just before going back to school. Usually we were allowed to pick out one pair of pants and two shirts, and my mom would take out a store credit card to pay for it.
We very frequently did not have phone service due to disconnection for non-payment. My entire senior year of high school, we did not have a phone. This is before mobile phones existed. If I wanted to make plans with friends, I had to walk or bike 3 km to the general store and use the pay phone.
Despite living in northern Vermont, I did not have proper winter clothes. My winter boots were LL Bean “duck boots” (no insulation!). My walk to the school bus was 3 km. When it was about -25 F, by the time I got to school I had severe frostbite on my feet. A few days later the skin on my toes turned grayish yellow and peeled off. This happened a couple times. I still have nerve damage in my feet.
After I was out on my own and earning money, there were many times when I found myself considering a purchase from the perspective of a poor person and then suddenly realizing that I didn’t have to do that. Only in the last few years have I been able to buy things for myself without any guilt or gnawing feeling that I should save the money instead (I have plenty of savings already).
In the last 6 months, I have arrived at a place of financial security where if I lost my job, there would be no financial panic. This is an amazing feeling and gives me a feeling of freedom that my parents never had.

I resolved to never be poor and have been very fortunate. Being poor was a great motivator for me and gives me empathy for why poor people make the choices that sometimes don’t seem to make sense to anyone who hasn’t experienced poverty.

Kidnapping Victim’s Escape Leads to Horrifying Discovery

https://youtu.be/gH9r_aY8VEQ

Have you ever taken the law into your own hands?

Yes. When I was about 8 years old we lived in a house where the back yard was enclosed by a six foot high fence. Our first pet “Tiger” was a cockapoo a cross between a cocker spaniel and a toy poodle. I was there when Tiger was born.

One day my brothers and I were playing, tiger was out side with us, when the neighbor’s German Shepard jumped the fence and attacked Tiger. I grabbed the baseball bat and beat the German Shepard to death. The German Shepard had nearly ripped Tigers rear leg off. We yelled and our parents came out to see what was going on. They loaded up both dogs and took them to the vet. The German Shepard was pronounced dead on arrival. Tiger went into surgery. He was sewn up and bandaged. Several days later he was brought home.

We informed the neighbor about his dog accompanied by a police officer. The neighbor tried to attack me. The police officer held him back.

The neighbor took us to court. The neighbor wanted me punished for brutally beating his dog to death. And he wanted another dog. The judge listened to both sides and then asked the neighbor some questions.

The questions went like this.

Judge: You had a German Shepard?

Neighbor: Yes, and this little brat brutally killed it.

Judge: is there a 6 foot tall fence between your yards?

neighbor: yes.

Judge: was your dog capable of jumping that fence?

Neighbor: I have never seen him do that.

Judge: Is there a gate between the two yards?

Neighbor: No.

Judge: How do you think your dog got into their yard?

Neighbor: well it is possible that my dog jumped the fence.

The judge then asked me some question.

Judge: why did you attack this man’s dog.

Me: The German Shepard jumped the fence and attacked Tiger. We yelled but the dog would not stop. I had the bat in my hands and was not gong to take the chance the dog would kill tiger or attack someone else. I kicked the German Shepard off tiger but he went back. I kicked him again but this time I also hit him with the baseball bat. He kept trying to get at tiger. So I ended it. I hit the German Shepard till it quit moving.

Judge: were you scared?

me: I was. But I was more angry than scared. No one attacks my family. And tiger is family.

Judge: Do you like dogs?

me: yes, very much.

Judge: before this, were you afraid of the German Shepard?

Me: before this, I had never seen the dog. He barked a growled a lot. But he was always on the other side of the fence.

Judge: so you didn’t hate the dog.

me: I didn’t know the dog. Never met him.

The judge feeling he had all of the information needed made his determination. The neighbor was charged with having a vicious dog. Was ordered to pay our vet bill. He was told that if I had not killed the animal it would have been put down as a dangerous animal. After having cleared a 6 foot fence and attacking another’s pet and possibly children playing in the yard. I probably would have done the same thing as this young man. There will be no retaliation of any kind.

Ironically the neighbor got another German Shepard. A puppy. He introduced us to the dog and our dogs got along great. We moved about 6 months later. Tiger had complications from the surgery and started having seizures. My dad was in the navy and we often moved. Tiger was put down about two years later because we could not afford his medical care. I was told by my parents he was sent to a farm. I looked my parents in the eye and said “tiger was in bad shape. If you put him down just say so. Please don’t lie about it.”

When A Killer Has No Idea He’s Being Recorded

The United States lost the financial war, China reduced another 228 billion U.S. dollars in real estate, and Yellen warned: U.S. debt may collapse

The U.S. stock market has plummeted, putting increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. The U.S. has lost the financial war. At this moment, China has dealt another heavy blow to the U.S. by reducing its holdings of 228 billion U.S. real estate. Yellen issued a warning that the U.S. debt may face a collapse. Why do we say that the U.S. has lost the financial war? What signal does Yellen’s warning send?

In 2018, the United States unilaterally launched a trade war against China, and then provoked a technology and financial war. Now, the global game between China and the United States has lasted for nearly 7 years. I thought that this confrontation that determines the world pattern would be a slow process. After all, the game between major powers is to see who has better determination. Moreover, the United States has “dollar hegemony” and can collect wealth from various countries by issuing U.S. bonds globally. Relying on U.S. bonds and the dollar, the United States has successfully survived many financial crises. But this time, the United States took the initiative to provoke a financial war against China, and they themselves were the losers. Federal Reserve Chairman Powell made it clear that interest rates may be cut in September. Obviously, the United States can no longer withstand the financial war.

There is a saying about the Sino-US financial war: “hypertension vs. hypoglycemia”. From the perspective of the United States, they are facing high inflation that has been slow to be curbed, huge debts, and high interest rates caused by multiple aggressive interest rate hikes. Although China is the world’s largest manufacturing country, its consumption power is not as good as that of the United States, the world’s largest consumer of goods. In other words, China has goods but lacks money, while the United States has money but lacks goods. The essence of the Sino-US financial war is that the United States wants to harvest China through aggressive interest rate hikes. While China is improving its financial defenses, it is waiting for the United States to be dragged down by its own debts.

But in this process, the United States made two fatal mistakes.

First, the United States forgot the fact that “finance is a derivative of trade.” Although the United States has dollar hegemony, China has the most complete manufacturing sector in the world, which makes it have a long-term trade surplus and has $3 trillion in reserves. Therefore, the United States can hardly influence China’s exchange rate;

Secondly, the United States has never considered that its aggressive interest rate hike strategy will push its allies into a dead end and eventually force them to “turn against the United States.” According to 环球网_全球生活新门户_环球时报旗下网站, Japan has already started to raise interest rates on the yen, which is a dead end for the United States. Previously, due to the high interest rates in the United States, many international investors borrowed yen at ultra-low interest rates and then converted them into dollars to buy U.S. bonds. Now, the Federal Reserve has just released a signal of interest rate cuts, and Japan has immediately raised interest rates, which will trigger investors to transfer assets from the United States to Japan. In other words, Japan has implemented a reverse “harvest” on the United States.

It is worth mentioning that as early as two months ago, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that maintaining high interest rates may put US debt at risk of collapse. But Yellen did not expect that what happened later would be more serious than she expected. On Monday, US stocks suffered a sharp drop at the opening, with technology stocks such as Nvidia and Tesla falling by more than 10%. At the same time, a large number of Chinese buyers were worried about the US economic situation and began to sell their properties in the United States. According to public data, in less than two years, Chinese buyers have reduced their holdings of US real estate by 228 billion yuan.

By August 5, the onshore RMB exchange rate against the US dollar reached 7.1150, a surge of 1,000 points. The reason for the strengthening of the RMB is that the US non-farm unemployment rate has reached 4.3%, which is not only the worst in the past three years, but also far exceeds expectations. This makes international investors believe that the risk of an economic recession in the United States is increasing. It is worth noting that this time Japan raised interest rates and announced how much foreign exchange it used to intervene in the exchange rate. In the face of this “turnaround” approach, the United States did not make any accusations. Obviously, the United States is also very clear about how serious the situation it faces!

This news is brought to you by Host Anton

08-06 19:36 from Hong Kong

5 Most DISTURBING Deaths of Tourists in Thailand…

https://youtu.be/A1XrrG3Nrgk

Shorpy

What was so bad about the USSR?

Was the USSR really that bad?

I don’t know what exactly you were told about USSR, but it was at least 10 times less bad than you’ve been told.

Everyday life in USSR wasn’t that much different from social democracies of today:

There was work, properly regulated to 8 hours a day and 2 days off.
- During dinner break, you’d get to eat at an eatery, usually one affiliated with your workplace.
- There was almost 0% unemployment. The country always had work that needed doing, but if they didn’t, they’d invent some work for you, like digging holes or filling up holes.
The work was paid for properly at the end of the month.
People would spend their money in shops, to buy food and things.
- Unlike capitalism, there usually was more money than things to buy.
- The amount of stuff owned by a typical Soviet person wasn’t that much different from stuff owned by a typical worker under capitalism.
- Food shortages were the exception, not the rule. But growing or foraging your own food was a thing.
Everybody had a roof over their heads, usually provided by the government for a small rent/tax.
- Less lucky people lived in dormitories and communal apartment, more lucky ones lived in their own apartments.
- Wait time to get one’s own apartment was similar to time for accumulating money to buy an apartment in capitalist Russia, but one could use their money freely.
Violent crime was pretty low, while black market seems to have flourished.
- Newspapers did not go out of their way to scare people, so people felt much safer.
Life in prisons was worse, as it should be. Still, prisoner lifestyle was regulated, so they wouldn’t go hungry unless the whole country did.
- That joke from “Operation Y” where an prisoner builder gets a 3-course dinner with shahlyk and a poor student working part-time (who has to buy his own food) gets some bread with kefir is a comedic exaggeration.

What are good practices that make people live longer?

One thing that really helps is having a goal — something you want to do before you pass. Like Jeanne Calment who made a deal with her rotary André-François Raffray in 1965, when she was 90 years old… in exchange for having the right to continue living in the property, she’d sell the apartment to Raffray, for him to use after she passed. He sure felt he’d made a pretty sweet deal with the little old French lady…

Only Calment didn’t die… she kept living. And living. And living. By 1995, Raffray had already paid Calment many times the value of the property she was living in. A piece of property he legally owned for some 30 years but couldn’t sell or make use of. He died, in 1995. And Calment, 120, continued to live for another 2 years, finally dying in 1997 at age 122 with Raffray’s widow and children continuing to pay her generously for her refusal to meet her maker.

Calment lived another 32 years after reaching 90, and it made her a fortune in her day’s currency. She was paid generously just for being alive, despite continuing to smoke and drink and live merrily. “Sometimes in life, one makes a bad deal,” Calment simply said. And sometimes, people make mighty good deals.

Why She LEFT the USA and Moved HOME to ASIA!

Do Americans really avoid hospitals, even in serious situations because of the bills that follow after?

We sure do!

I pay more than $1000 a month for “good insurance, and last month I fell. I knew something was wrong and instead of going to the ER, I went to urgent care because it would be so much cheaper.

It almost killed me.

You see, I had broken three ribs and punctured a lung. I was bleeding into my chest cavity and the longer I waited to see the cheap doctor, I was losing my ability to breathe. At one point a lady sat next to me. She took one look at me and screamed at the front desk to call an ambulance. I told them it would cost too much and I would drive myself.

Luckily for me, they stopped me from driving and the ambulance soon arrived.

I stayed in the hospital for 3 days and demanded to be released because I couldn’t afford to be there any longer. I was released AMA and I got lucky that I had someone at home to care for me. It has taken weeks for me to be able to take a breath without pain, and while my doctor wanted to see me at the two-week mark, I waited until 4 weeks to see her.

I am now waiting for the bills to arrive. I know that my deductible for the year is $17,000 and that will be what I will have to pay before the full insurance kicks in, but I will STILL have more deductibles to pay!!

Our system is BROKEN!! The MAIN reason people file for bankruptcy is medical bills, and we are supposedly a first-world nation!!!!

People are so damn worried about paying for everyone to get medical care that they would rather go bankrupt than pay LESS than we do now for actual care! They seem to forget that they are already paying for roads, schools, first responders and so much more, but heaven forbid they pay for medical!

It would be CHEAPER FOR EVERYONE!!!

PLUS our politicians are in the pockets of the insurance companies who will lose billions if we were to have universal healthcare. So, we continue to see the decline in our health, die earlier, and lose mothers during childbirth at a rate higher than some third-world nations, and all people can think of is “Well at least I didn’t pay for someone else to live”.

Absolute stupidity!

Alien

Ash Brinton

“What’s your planet like?” the little alien asked wistfully.The alien was two feet tall, with a tiny blue curl on the top of his head. By the time the alien was an adult, the curl would be about eight feet tall, sticking straight up like a bright blue mohawk. The rest of him would be only four feet tall, and I wasn’t sure whether the aliens counted the curl as part of their height or not. This species was either really short or really, really tall.“It’s beautiful,” I responded, thinking longingly of home, “When I was little, everything was green and there were all these animals in our backyard. There was a gopher that lived in a hole in the rocks that my dad named Pierre. He always ate my sisters garden. And at night, there were so many… so many stars. There was a lullaby my mom used to sing about the stars. I haven’t heard it in so long. I’ve almost forgotten the words.” I hummed the tune under my breath for a moment, “But Earth… Earth’s not quite as beautiful as it once was.”“What happened?” the young alien tilted his head, curious.“Humanity happened. We were told we were destroying the planet but no one would listen and when we did it was never enough. Overpopulation, pollution, hunger, poverty, global warming… Those all started before I was born and by the time I was old enough to do anything, it was too late. It was already irreversible. The people my age tried to at least slow it down, but no one would listen to us. Our only hope was to find another planet, like scavengers destroying everything they touch. We destroyed our home. Maybe if we had all worked together, refused to ignore the signs, things would be different, but we didn’t and they’re not.”“Is that why you left?”“Yes.” I turned away from the alien, lost in thought.Here I was, a human, lightyears away from my home. I couldn’t even see the sun from here. I had failed in my mission.Sure, I had found alien life on other planets, but I had lost my crewmates and my home. My memories of how I got there were still foggy.I remembered my crew and how we had been the first humans to reach the Kuiper Belt. We’d felt like heroes. Then one of the asteroids had crashed into our ship.I had been the only one to escape the wreckage.The aliens found me.Next thing I knew, I was in their spaceship with no idea where I was.“Do you miss it?” the young alien asked.“Hmm?” I turned back to him.“Don’t you miss Earth?”“Every day.”“I can’t believe I’m actually talking to a human. A real, live human! My grandmama says she went to Mars once. It’s the closest she ever got – the closest any of us ever got – to Earth. There was this weird thing that my mama calls a-” he said something in a different language “-but I don’t think there’s a word for it in Human, so the translator might not work for it. It was made of panels and metal with a human word written on the side in big block letters. The first letter looked like a wide mouth getting ready to eat you, grandmama says.”I tilted my head, trying to imagine what he meant. “An ‘O’?”“What’s an ‘O’?”“The letter. It looks like this,” I traced my finger through dust on the small table between us.The alien child shrugged, “Maybe. I wasn’t there. Grandmama says you could see Earth from where she was and it was all greens and blues and browns and whites and when it wasn’t facing the star, the land glowed. It even had a tiny metal moon orbiting it!” The little alien boy put his hands on my knees to pull himself into a standing position.“Earth only has one moon and that’s made of rock, but your grandmama may have seen a satellite. And the land wasn’t glowing, silly.” I chuckled, flicking the little curl on the top of their head that seemed to be the defining factor of their species, “That was the lights in the cities and houses.”“Why would you need lights? You have a star right there in your solar system!”“The lights are for at night, when the sun goes down.”“What’s a sun?”“It’s what we call our star,” I explained.The alien’s eyes grew wide, “Your star moves?”“No.” I said flatly, “When Earth rotates, it looks like the sun is moving across the sky. Thousands of years ago, people thought it was moving. They thought that Earth was the center of the universe.”

The alien snorted, “That’s kind of self-absorbed.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, “but science proved them wrong. When the part of the Earth that we are standing on turns away from the sun and it goes dark, we say the sun goes down. We call that time night. That’s when we can see the moon and the stars up in the sky. Do you have that on your planet?”

“No. There’s two stars, one on either side of my birth planet, so it’s always not-night.”

“Day. The word you’re looking for is day.”

“Wow. Humans name everything, huh. What do you call your moon?”

“Well, technically the moon’s name is Luna, but there’s only one, so we just call it the moon most of the time.”

“Cool!” He exclaimed, “We don’t have a sky. Mama says the atmosphere’s too weak for us to have a pretty sky like the one on Earth.”

“Light pollution blocks most of the sky nowadays, so don’t be disappointed if you ever see it.”

“Mama and Grandmama have always wanted to go to Earth. They were so excited when you got to the end of your solar system. We’ve been watching you progress for a while. Mama said humans were resilient and stubborn and would never give up, but Papa thought you were going to give up because you kept finding rocks and that was it.”

“They were cool rocks,” I nudged him, “Space rocks.”

The alien clapped two of his arms together, which I was quickly learning was how this species showed delight.

I hated to burst the alien’s bubble of innocence and wonder but…

“Do you know the worst thing about Earth and living there?”

The child’s face dropped and the spiky arm-like appendages fell to their side.

I continued, “The worst part about living on Earth, or at least in my country, isn’t the pollution, poverty, hunger, or even abuse. It’s the tension. The fear that we’ve entrusted the keys of mass destruction to a lunatic or a villain. The constant worry that one day you’ll turn on the tv and hear that a war has broken out in our country and a nuclear bomb has been dropped. In my country, we are always at war, but it is always pushed under the rug and ignored. For stuff like that to be shown on the news, it would have to be on our own soil. Either a civil war or a world war. It would destroy anything. No one would survive, and if they did… that fate might be even worse.”

“So… you don’t want to go back to Earth?”

I shrugged helplessly, “Humanity destroyed Earth. Maybe when your grandmama saw it, Earth was more beautiful, more loving, more kind, but more likely is that the effects of humanity’s cruelty were only just starting to show on Earth’s surface and it wasn’t as noticeable yet. To truly see Earth, you have to get up close, beneath the clouds, into the cities. Still… I do want to go home. I want to rebuild and restore Earth to its former glory, if it ever had any when humanity lived on the Earth. I want to see the animals, healthy and thriving, not on the brink of extinction, and to see the moon surrounded by stars, and see the milky way hovering in the sky like it did when my grandparents were little. I want to go home.”

“Can I help?”

“I don’t think so, little friend. It’s not fair to pull you into our mess.”

“So? I want to see Earth too! I want to help the humanities.”

I smiled sadly and patted the alien’s baby curl. “Let’s just get me home first. Just imagine being the first of your species to reach Earth’s surface. Your mama will be so proud.”

I looked out the small window at the wide expanse of nothing, with stars twinkling in the distance, almost too far away to see.

“Let’s go home.”

West Panic: Italy’s Meloni In Beijing For Desperate Reset, Russia Drops Major BRICS Update

Why do Chinese trolls always fantasize that Japan and South Korea are American colonies? How can we cure their delusions?

Alex Julius, you should be the one who must be cured of your delusions.

You are likely too young, but know that it’s not just Japan and South Korea, there are almost 800 of such “colonies” in the world.

We’re still doing this – added Finland recently. And restored another – the Philippines.

This is the rare occasion where what trump claimed is actually true – Americans can literally shoot anybody on main street and can’t be touched. Young Filipinos may not know these, but Filipinos were target practices once they get too close to Clark and Subic and of course, they could treat their women however they feel they want. And Bong Bong wants all these American liberties back in his country.

The only difference is that its so much more for Japan and South Korea – its Washington that dictates their national foreign policies – that when the American president tells them to jump, they ask how high. . . where the government of Japan can’t fly over Tokyo without permission of the U.S. military commisioner . . . where South Korea can’t do anything involving their military without the permission of the U.S. military brass. . . .where its president must know how to sing Karaoke when making state visits. But of course, to maintain the pretext of democracy, they have to do the work of governing their own people – that they can do themselves. Isn’t all these describing running “colonies” by enjoying the best of both worlds?

Today’s MM image generations

The focus is on admiration, and the god of the vine. It’s a hodgepodge of prompts and resulting in very interesting images.

Many nudes. But you all know that I am figurative art lover.

I really love the style, and the color composition. But I am having problems with the image arrangement. But I think that in time things will straighten out.

Personally, I don’t like full nudes. I prefer partial nudes, and elements of clothing with folds, and details.

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(17)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(17)

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So I changed things out. And I started to require loin cloths and other attire elements.

Some didn’t have the elements of clothing, but the colors were great.

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(9)

In the ones where everyone was clothed, it became too formal. I wanted something less formal.

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(8)

Maybe something more like this…

This is pretty good.

So is this one.

And this one.

The careful placement of arms was really nice.

This is fine…

What was the hardest thing you went through in life, and how did you get past it?

Originally Answered: What was the hardest thing you went through in life and how did you get past it?

Our married love life was wonderful, Blessed with cute baby girl , added more and more love to our lives. Perfect love life , both of us were equally romantic and made for each other in all aspects . But he fell sick one day, severely sick. Lost his job soon due to the serious health reasons . I was not working and no experience though well qualified. No one earning at home , worst phase of our lives .I started hunting for job , use to seek help with whomever I know , giving my resume. Since it was already 4 years that I had finished my degree, securing a job was really too hard and challenging. I use to drop into offices , use all my limited intelligence and resources to get a job. Everywhere , every effort was a failure, I was good at nothing , hopes were very less with the future. Somewhere luck clicked , a gentleman agreed to help me , but I had to go far off – 1000 kms from my town . I took the bold step, left the beloved family back . I got a break, worked very hard without caring the number of working hours , my food , my comforts despite of my gender constraints. I did not had anyone to care about me . I had save every penny and money order to home. My life was very hard , but started feeling bit ease with finance. I could meet my family first time after a gap of 10 months. I endured all the pains , discomforts to save our lives . Slowly in 2 years my financial status became very sound and everyone happy at home. All the needs and luxuries of each individual were met with my income. This is 20 years old story , but when I look back now , I wonder myself with the journey. Everyone in the family knows about my success , no one knows the struggle I had in the initial stages especially when alone , away from home. But I am happy I could take care of my loved ones…!! I have cut the very long story short though here. Thanks for reading through this.

Edit 1 :

Dear all my friends , I am adding some more details as asked by you . My smart and intelligent husband lost many of his metal capabilities permanently , he just survived with no physical handicap. As of today he is very casual person with no job , no responsibility and no emotions to me and my daughter.

Yes I could meet all the materialistic needs of the family, but the love which I was dying for , I haven’t experienced again.

The reason I am anonymous here is , I have managed to keep this story very secret as much as possible due to many reasons . I had lots of hopes that I would get my love back , year on year realized that it would never happen, Along with that with growing daughter I wanted to stay strong , avoid any negative emotions , keep the father and daughter bonding as well as family bonding intact . My journey along had been very very rough while managing to take care of crooked in laws , take full responsibility of my sick parents ( my younger brother had died in road accident then ) , emotionless and half sensed husband. I avoided myself in all the social gatherings due to his behavioral issues, it is all a daily battle. I wanted to ensure my daughter will not suffer psychologically in this bargain. It was all tight rope walk for me , lost my youth , real happiness in life . But only satisfaction is my daughter is like a fresh flower with full of fragrance, she is undisturbed with all the tragedy which occurred in our life when she was close to 2 years old.

Materialistically I gained many many things in life but the wonderful love which I received from my husband is just a dream now. Many good things happened to me in my career unexpectedly .There are many many bitter most things about my husband which is still going on my life . Life has taught me the art of living .. and it is going on & on

Edit 2.

Friends , my thanks to all of you . Your responses has made me to feel lighter with the hard and helpless feelings that I have that I am not able to fix my husbands problems. I could have donated any part of my body to resume his love , medically there is no brain transplant . Miracles may work ??

I had shared a part of my story here earlier ,

when I get chance I would share the details of deadly disease that my husband survived with, how I handled both my challenging IT career, responsibility of all the dependents , how my husbands family took undue advantage of his illness and emotionless status

Edit 3

Friends ,My daughter loves her dad a lot , has accepted him fully for what he is , tried her best to make him to understand his responsibility , no luck but. Our sorrow never reflects in our faces, not an exaggeration we look our best , lively and cheerful . Also look like sisters as per the comment we keep receiving from others. She is bold , practical, very independent, kind and considerate . Though she knows the hardships of mine she does not simply sympathize and am not emotional burden on her. She flew abroad recently for her masters and has lot of ambitions in life. She has her own passions besides academics.

My love life has been fully empty, I have been trying to overcome by indulging in my work , disciplined life & hobbies . My love to the family has been stronger not giving me a chance of seeking love elsewhere . Probably my brought up has a bigger role here

Missing woman found underwater

What famous people in history knew that their next action would lead them to ruin, but they did it anyway?

It was Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov in April 1967.

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He had been selected as the pilot for the Soyuz-1 mission, which was to take place on April 23, 1967.

And he knew full well that it would mean his death.

The spacecraft had shown problems during the tests, and it was clear that the man inside would not come back alive.

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(Vladimir 1967 with wife and child).

Vladimir’s friend and colleague Yuri Gargarin acted as a substitute.

Another Soyuz spacecraft with a crew of three was to follow the day after. This was to include a docking and transfer of Khrunov and Yeliseyev (two other cosmonauts).

Although the dangers were clear, no one was willing to back down and risk disappointing the Soviet high command. At the time, after all, spaceflight was a competition between the USA and the USSR, and any failure would have proved the “inferiority” of the respective side.

Even Komarov himself refused to back out of the project because otherwise he would have doomed his replacement and friend Yuri Gagarin.

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Already during the entry into orbit there were malfunctions, which soon resulted in aborting the whole mission and then trying to bring Komarov back.

Before the “landing” of the return capsule, the main parachute remained in its container due to design and manufacturing defects. The reserve parachute, activated at an altitude of about 5000 m, did not fully deploy.

Komarov burned up on impact of the landing capsule, while the Soyuz hurtled through the atmosphere at unimaginable speeds.

This made Komarov the first human to ever die in spaceflight.

Even before his fateful flight, he was so certain of his death that he requested an open-casket funeral.

You can see that in the picture above. All that was left of Vladimir Komarov was a broken heel bone and a misshapen, melted lump of remains.

Through the open coffin, he had wanted to force his superiors to look at what they had done to him.

To this day, this photograph of his remains continues to tell his tragic story.

Streets are now named after him and he received posthumous high honors.

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By the way, sources like Wikipedia only say that he died on impact.

But the picture tells a different story.

His sacrifice was in vain, by the way.

A year later, Yuri Gargarin and a colleague were on a routine training flight when their MIG crashed.

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Both men lost their lives.

Man Returns from Parallel Universe (The Peter Williamson Account)

How much damage could a single highly trained special forces soldier do if he were to go rogue? Could he evade capture for a long time?

1990-0802, Delta Force Rapist.

MSG Marshall Brown, 1st Special Forces Operations Detachment Delta Operator, arrested while TDY in East Providence, RI. He raped five women. MSG Brown escaped custody & was captured 3-days later.

In 1988, an investigation began when two women were attacked in Raleigh, one @ North Carolina State University, apparently by the same man, a stranger, who climbed in through their second story windows, hooded & dressed in black, ordered them to silence with a knife held to their throats, covered their faces, then raped them. During the rapes, he apologized, telling them that he didn’t want to hurt them & that he “had to do this.”

On June 11, 1989 in Cranston, Rhode Island, Marshall Brown was taken into custody & charged with the rapes of two Rhode Island women. These women were raped with the same modus operandi as the North Carolina women. While in custody, Marshall was deferential to the police, calling them by their ranks & observing scrupulous courtesy. Police described him as soft-spoken. He even spoke approvingly of the professionalism of the arrests & complimented one officer for his handcuffing technique. He had been arrested for prowling in Fayetteville, North Carolina, earlier that May. He had forfeited his bond for a dismissal of the charge.

Marshall went to work in jail, studying the patterns of the federal marshals who transported him to & from court & making friends with a 20-year-old inmate named Frederick Heon. He stayed in shape in jail, using his exercise periods to run.

On July 30, he was cuffed to another prisoner in the back of a federal marshal van & driven to Providence to attend his hearing. When the back door opened, Marshall – who had picked open his handcuffs – walked with the escorting marshal & his fellow inmate for a bit, then sprang past the startled federal marshals & ran like an Olympic athlete up the street & out of sight.

Heon was out on bail & had rented a car, per Marshall’s instructions & was waiting @ an appointed rendezvous point & drove Marshall to the Connecticut state line. Heon then went to a church where he was told he’d find money, which wasn’t there. Three days later, Marshall was caught in a stolen car & re-arrested. Marshall told the police about Heon’s assistance & Heon was taken back to jail for a parole violation.

Marshall had burglarized a house 15 miles outside of Providence for food & credit cards & was camping in a pine grove nearby. He stole the car in the same neighborhood. When back in custody, he admitted to nine rapes in Rhode Island, Texas, Arizona & North Carolina. Marshall had been attending the Naval version of the Sergeants Major Academy in Norfolk when he was caught the first time.

His wife, Michelle, who was taking care of their young son, was stunned.

I can’t even pretend to understand Marshall Brown, after spending many hours with him & going on one combat operation with him. I have heard the statement that rape is not sex, it is an exercise of power. I don’t buy it. Rape is violent power, but it is sexualized power & it is also violent sex. Sex in patriarchal society is in almost every case practiced, portrayed & understood as a form of aggression & power & all power is in many ways sexualized.

Marshall’s brother-in-law spoke with me many years later & said that Marshall told him that he felt he had to use his skills somehow, or he’d begin to lose them. Marshall saw the rapes as a training opportunity @ some level & therefore the women as training aids

One might suppose, since he repeated this ritualistic rape @ least nine times, that there was some rush he needed. I don’t buy it. He had jumped out of airplanes a thousand times, was a proficient technical climber, had been in combat. I think the rush – if that’s what it was – was transgression. Nancy C. M. Hartsock, in Money, Sex & Power – Toward a Feminist Historical Materialism, said that “without the boundary to violate, the thrill of transgression would disappear.” Marshall’s criminality was not in spite of his religious conversion, his squeamishness about sex, or his uptight WASP upbringing in East Texas. It was an outcome… of all those things, but also of a masculinity defined by a culture of rape & a man who had made a career of pursuing that masculinity.

Marshall Brown served in a profession with a constant subtext of physical coercion & in a field within that profession (Delta Force/Special Operations) where we were expected to work outside the rules, behind the scenes, in the shadows, employing a host of very specialized skills, to “preserve a way of life.”

Sometimes

Green Corn Tamales

I got this recipe from the mother of the owner of the Brahma bull breeding ranch just down the road from me. Green Corn Tamales can be made ahead and reheated by steaming.

Ingredients

2 dozen ears white corn (save husks)
1 pound lard
2 pounds longhorn cheese, grated
1 pint cottage cheese
16 ounces canned whole green chile, cut into strips
1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
Milk, if necessary

Instructions

Cut the stem ends off the corn and carefully remove the husks the husks will be used later. Cut the kernels from the ears into a large container.
Grind the kernels very fine.
Rinse and drain the corn husks, preferably the inner ones. Cut the green chiles into strips.
In a separate bowl, beat the lard until creamy. Combine well the masa (ground corn), lard, cottage cheese and about half the grated cheese along with the salt. If too thick for spreading, add a little milk.
Hold a corn husk in one hand. Place a tablespoon of the masa mixture in the middle. Sprinkle on grated cheese and some strips of green chili. Fold the left side of the husk over the masa. Fold the right side over both, then bring the top down over all. Place the packet in a steam roaster on a rack with the open end of the tamale pointing up so the filling doesn’t fall out. Repeat until all packets are standing upright in the steamer. (They can wrapped well and frozen at this point).
When all the tamales are made, add hot water to the steamer, but do not let it touch the tamales. Cover and place over medium to low heat and steam for 45 minutes, making sure the pan doesn’t run dry.
Remove one tamale for testing. If the masa is runny, steam the tamales longer.

Is there any way to look young and fit for your whole life?

My father has served for 4 decades in the Indian Army. He retired last year but still looks like a young gentleman. Here is his pic:

main qimg 9492057ed7a9f41ad4dd09997e9d47a3 lq

Following are the things he does daily in order to maintain that fitness, happiness, and energy:

Early 2 bed & early 2 rise: He sleeps by 10 pm and wakes up at 5 am. Those 7 hours are pure sound sleep.
Fresh Air: Upon waking up, he goes for a walk/jog along with our dog.
Morning Nutrition: Next, he drinks Mulethi Tea, which has immense and immense benefits.
Being Natural: He also does Brushing with Neem twig sometimes before normal brushing. He applies Mustard Oil. He hasn’t used shampoo even once in his life and still at the age of 60, he has black & naturally strong hair.
Exercise: Next, he performs yoga and calisthenics.
Spirituality for positivity: After having a bath, he does pooja, which according to him gives him positivity and strength for the odd things.
Do what you love: Then he goes to work. Right now after retirement, his work is to look after our farms. Despite having servants, he also does some farming himself which gives him joy.
Love what you do: In his small-small work, whether household or be it when he was in the Army. He is determined and has will power to do the work. He takes full responsibility and doesn’t procrastinate. He does his work happily. He accepts responsibilities and problems rather than blaming or cursing. This reduces stress and increases productivity.
Nutrition on time: He ensures that he takes his meals on time (Lunch before 1 pm and Dinner before 7.30).
Proper Nutrition: He also ensures that he eats natural things and things with more health benefits rather than going for taste. For example, we eat black wheat roti, self-grown vegetables & and fruits, pure milk, and whatever we can arrange naturally.

Activate super-mom mode

What’s the biggest don’t judge a book by its cover moment you have seen?

We were having dinner at the private Magic Castle in Hollywood. At the next table was a stereotypical studio executive type; you know, 50+ years old, ultra tan, long (hair plugged?) grey hair, flashy suit. With him was a20ish young, hot model type, with a low cut backless dress that showed off her tattoos, among other things. Yup, I thought; fossil studio exec pulling a Harvey Weinstein with some actress. Except as they were leaving, the young woman said to him Dad, when Mom gets back from New York, maybe we can have dinner again!
Having dinner in a restaurant. The guy next to us appears to be having a tough time with his date. He does all the talking, and his date just gives him a half smile; jokes, funny stories, ordering the food, just a half smile from the women. We thought it might be a first date, maybe off of the internet or a blind one. Except when they were about to leave, the guy got her wheelchair and helped her sit in it; she obviously had had a stroke or something, and thus she could only muster a half smile and not speak.
Las Vegas: we enter the Wynn Hotel, and see a scantily clad (mini skirt, halter top) woman walking with two security guards on either side. We thought it was a hooker being escorted out of the premises. However, this was Las Vegas. She was instead wearing the standard waitress outfit for the hotel. Sorry, our mistake!

American Dad

What kinds of inside jokes do commercial pilots tell each other?

A young pilot got a job as a bush pilot flying float planes in Alaska. On one of his first jobs, he flew out to a remote lake to pick up a hunter who had been dropped off the week before.

When he got there, he was horrified to discover that the hunter had bagged a full grown bull moose. He also had several hunting rifles, a canoe, several boxes of ammunition, plus all his camping gear.

“That’s too much,” he protested. “I won’t even get the plane into the air with all that weight.”

“I don’t see why not,” the hunter replied. “You strap the canoe to one of the floats, the moose to the other float, the baggage in the back seats, and I sit up front with you. Alf Smith did it last year, and he got us into the air.”

The young pilot’s ego was wounded. “Well, if Alf Smith can do it, so can I. Give me a hand.”

He taxied downwind to the far end of the lake as far as he could go, spun around into the wind and gave it full throttle. The plane staggered into the air and just barely cleared the trees at the far end. Ahead of them, however, was a low ridge. Using every ounce of flying skill, he managed to nurse the airplane over the trees at the top of the ridge. Before he could relax, however, he realized to his horror that there was a second, even higher ridge a half mile in front of him. There was nothing he could do but pancake the airplane into the trees.

As he and his passenger crawled out from the wreckage, he surveyed the destroyed plane and wept “My God, what have I done?”

“Don’t feel too bad,” said the hunter. “You made it half a mile farther than Alf Smith did last year.”

Load those arms up

Has a cop ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

I was driving along a two lane road in rural Minnesota, at or just below the speed limit (55mph) when I saw a cop pull out from a side road. He quickly caught up with me and lit me up. I found a driveway where I could pull over safely and stopped. As I was getting my license and insurance ready, he walked up and asked the usual question, “Do you know why I pulled you over?”.

I said, no, I can’t think of anything I was doing wrong.

He told me that he had seen me give room for a lady pulling out slowly, and didn’t blow my horn, flash my lights or seem irritated that she had blocked my path, but let her get up to speed and gave her plenty of room. I also returned a wave from her as she turned off the road.

He handed me a card that read “Good Driver Award”. He told me that if I needed to use it, to show it, and they’ll forgive minor things like too long in a metered parking space. Not only that, but he was very cordial and friendly. Told me to have a nice drive home. He also told me to show it either the McDonald’s or Burger King just up the road for a free soda.

Made my day!!

Syrians Retaking Oil Fields From U.S. Forces IN SYRIA!

Why does the US have Tonya Harding Syndrome against China?

Haha. Tonya Harding Syndrome. What a perfect description of the mentality of USA against anyone that is strong, be it China or Russia.

After WW2, USSR was militarily strong. USA said USSR threatened US (dominance). USA then collapsed USSR in 1991. Today Russia is still militarily strong, then thru Ukraine, USA is to weaken, if not break up Russia.

In 1980s’, when Japan was economically strong being #2 in the world & when its semiconductor surpassed USA, USA then beat Japan down making Japan lost 10–20 years’ of development.

Today, China is both economically, militarily & technologically strong. Of course, USA cannot sleep well at night.

Dont ever think USA is gentle to EU who is also competing with USA. USA pulled down Euro once. One reason for the Ukraine war is to weaken Europe’s economy.

So … USA suffers Tonya Harding syndrome against anybody who is developing well & challenging US hegemony. Not just against China.

USA was successful in beating down USSR & Japan. But has & will fail in China though.

If the Chinese Communist leadership decided today to invade Taiwan, how long would it take them to prepare before the first attack?

Perhaps you’ve forgotten that China’s President Xi Jinping is the son of one of China’s greatest generals?

That he spent three years in uniform as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense?

That in the past two years he has repeatedly called on his 2,000,000 man army to ‘prepare to fight and win wars’?

That, when Gallup asked people around the world, “Would you fight for your country in case of war ?”, 87% of Chinese are willing and ready to fight–almost three times the percentage of Americans or anyone else?

Today, China overmatches the US in its Near Seas and my guess is that it will choose to act there in order to open a potential second front to take pressure off Russia. A credible sequence goes something like this: in close coordination with Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Hezbollah…

1. Announce an ADIZ, below, over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait that excludes all military aircraft and requires permission for every civilian flight in and out of Taiwan. The US cannot prevent this and it paralyzes Taiwan.

2. Issue an arrest warrant for Tsai Ing-wen on a charge of treason and incitement to war and warn that anyone attempting to assist her will be charged as an accessory.

3. Announce that the Taiwan Strait is Chinese, permanently closed to military vessels.

4. Announce that the entire South China Sea is Chinese, permanently closed to military vessels.

5. Show off a few new weapons systems to complement its remarkable missiles and its fleet of Type 055 heavy cruisers, the most powerful surface combatants afloat.

6. Place the entire nation on a war footing, call up the reserves and activate all radars, light up all missile launching facilities, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxd_A-hGEOQ

These actions would be front page headlines in every new media on earth yet, if you do the math, you’ll see that the cost is….$0.00.

And China hasn’t invaded Taiwan yet. Hasn’t hurt a fly, in fact.

China’s capacity to sustain combat in its Near Seas is far bigger than Western media have been telling us (read the USNI papers to see what I mean). America is no match for China there–on land, sea or in the air.

And, as Clausewitz might have said, fleets win battles but economies win wars and China’s economy is far bigger, growing much faster and is more capable of ramping up than ours.

Would invasion even be necessary?

Ya The West is in full collapse

UK is crumbling.

BTW... I love that park that he is in. -MM

What happened to your school bully?

As a female autistic growing up in Outback Australia in the 1960’s I was bullied a lot. Really nasty stuff, it was only when I was in my 40’s that I got diagnosed as High Functioning Aspergers. I have always used education to get out of bad situations and high school was a particularly bad situation! Getting my head flushed down the toilet daily by a group of six or seven laughing girls was just something I had to deal with.

I left as soon as I was able, went to the nearest big city, got a job and continued to study at night school. Over the years, I built up this small base into a very comfortable career, married, had children and continued to work in a job I enjoyed, was good at, and that paid well. I have travelled the world and learned several languages, since I have an affinity for it.

One of my “nerdy” friends stayed on in the small regional town I’d gone to high school in and we kept touch. She was able to tell me what became of the bullies who used to torment us.

The leader of the group was a girl who was voted by our class as “the most likely to succeed”, apparently because she was regarded as pretty and used to date a high school sports jock. She ended up living in a caravan with a dozen children all from different fathers, working occasionally in low-paid jobs and living on welfare and whatever she could make by peddling her body. My friend told me that I wouldn’t recognize her as she got onto meth and used to pick at her skin leaving bleeding sores all over. She eventually died of a drug overdose a few years ago.

Another girl who used to delight in putting out cigarettes on my skin if she caught me going to the loo while she was there ended up dying, her car wrapped around a tree late one night when her boyfriend, who was driving drunk, was speeding.

A number of other bullies, the low-level ones who just went along with the major bullies and joined in if they had nothing better to do, ended up spending their lives working in the vegetable cannery or the chicken processing plant or the abbatoirs (I lived in an agricultural community, and those where the big employers.) There are probably worse jobs about than gutting chickens for a living, and it is at least good honest work, I suppose…

Another one, a boy this time who used to enjoy getting a seat behind me on the two hour bus ride to and from school and whacking me across the back of the head with a book, also got his karma – he became a welder after he left school, was working inside a silo one day and there was a build-up of gases. When he turned on the welder, the gases ignited while he was inside the silo and the result was that he lost both his legs. Now he has no choice but to sit – in a wheelchair.

Whereas I have lived a comfortable and mostly content life, doing a job I love, running my own business, and owning my own houses, some of which I rent out. One of the best things I ever did was to leave the small-town bullies and small-minded losers to their own devices and leave. I’ve never regretted going.

G7 Automakers Demand Collapse In China, Bank of Japan’s Big Flip, MidEast War Serious Risk

My grandfather should of gone to Fiddler’s Greene

My Paternal Grandfather was really interested in detective, and true crime stories right before he died.

When he was 74, he ended up with cancer, and started to spend a lot of time in the hospital. While there, he asked everyone to bring him the true crime stories. He read those things like a voracious wolf.

Then, he got worse and passed on.

What I think this meant was that he was preoccupied with death, Heaven and the life “beyond”. I cannot say that I blame him. We all feel that way. But, I find it interesting that this is how he wished to spend his last moments; reading about gruesome deaths.

Don’t do that.

Lots of better things to do with your time.

Fiddler’s Green is giving away free paper-plane card models. These can be scaled up and used as plans for foamie RC planes:

Google search results for Fiddlers Green plans here or search for threads by Vyceroy, was the master of this style.

Currently it is a ME-109 and Corsair. It changes every few weeks.

So super cheap. And a fun waste of time. Not into planes, cars, ships? No problem. Try their house and town models…

Today…

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

My story is essentially a movie trope now. I was sitting in my local pub with my dad who was in a wheelchair, it was during the midweek (in Scotland), early evening, so it was pretty quiet, just a handful of middle aged guys, me and my dad. 4 young yob lads came in, if you’re in the UK you know the type, baseball caps, tracksuits, swaggering like Liam Gallacher, thinking they’re hard men.

They’d obviously had a few drinks before coming in, and after a few pints and us putting up with their shit tunes on the jukebox, they started getting a bit rambunctious, getting progressively louder and more aggressive as the evening turned to night.

One of the old guys, having gotten sick of their “doof doof” dance music crap got up and stuck a few quid in the jukebox, putting on some old 60’s 70’s rock music. One of the young team took offence to this, and got in his face, he started mouthing off at the old guy, who just stood there, impassive, and after a couple of minutes of this abuse the young team joined in, so one of the other regulars got up off his bar stool and stood behind the young team, and as if on some unseen signal, the old guy who was backed up against the jukebox just stuck the head right on the lad who was in his face, while his friend grabbed 2 of the young team and pulled them away, as the boy who’d been nutted reeled back, the old boy went for his friend, knocking him out with a left in the gut, and a hard right to the side of his head as he doubled over.
Meanwhile his friend had knocked one guy out with one punch, and when he turned his attention to the last guy, he blocked a punch and hit the boy so hard he flew over the pool table!

Turned out both of them were class fighters in their day, and some things you just don’t forget.

Morale of the story is, be respectful to people you don’t know, because you don’t know their history, and don’t know what they’ve done or been through.

Never saw those lads in the pub again, and they weren’t missed!

To Die for Beef Roast

This is one of the best roasts you will ever taste. Carrots, potatoes and celery can also be added, if desired.

Ingredients

1 beef roast (any kind)
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup warm water

Instructions

Place roast in slow cooker.
Mix contents of all 3 envelopes and sprinkle over roast.
Pour water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.

Robert Bigelow Tells Bob Lazar Stories

What would cause someone to walk out during a negotiation with a car salesman?

A simple negotiating strategy is “take it off the table”.

it works both ways: I am the car salesman, you are looking at a $45,000 car. We talk about it, test drive, you are looking at it, I hear and see buying signs. I want to test the waters. “John, look we are having a special sales “spif” this month and I really need to sell some cars. Let’s cut to chase here. (Looking over my shoulder to make sure no one else hears) I can sell you this car, today only, (scarcity) and knock off $10,000. $35,000 and you are out the door. What do you say?”

If the buyer balks, he’s not sure, looking at other deals. I say “okay, I get it. I’m going to withdraw the offer.” if the buyer is jumping in, then he was never a buyer.

I am a buyer… I find a car that I like, its a slightly used Lexus, $45,000 sticker. Salesman walks up, “Can I help you?” I say “Yes, I’m liking this GS 350 here. Do you have the mileage? “ he says “Let me get that for you. Want to drive it? I’ll get the keys.” He comes back and we test drive the car, rides like a dream, smooth, nice interior… I’m sold. We get out I make him stand in the hot sun, facing the sun. “How hard is that sticker price?” He says “we have a little wiggle room.” “Okay, my offer is $39,000, lets write up” I say. He says “not that much wiggle room.” I take my business card, write on the card… “Green GS 350, $39,000.” hand it to the sales guy. “Call me when this offer is good.” and leave…

Or better: I say “Okay my offer is $39,000.” He says “Oh, we don’t negotiate here, the price is the price.” I say “Yeah, I don’t either. Here is my offer. call me when its good.”

They will call “we have a blue Toyota / we have a white impala / we have a red tundra.”

Finally they will call, “the best we can do is $42,000.” I say “You are almost there.” click.

Is it safe to say that China is at least 30 years ahead of India?

Very safe! In fact, you can increase that number to 40 or 50 and it will still be true.

I lived in a Chinese village with a Chinese family for one month as part of a homestay program. I started my journey from Shanghai airport, and the entire stretch of road leading to the village was smooth, with no potholes, no litter, and not once did I see anyone driving their vehicle on the wrong side of the road, or see stray dogs and cattle hold up vehicles.

Every house in the village had an attached toilet, 24×7 electricity, and the houses all had modern appliances like washing machine, refrigerator, TV, Wi-Fi etc. And I had visited quite a few houses.

Every classroom in the village primary school had a TV which the teachers used to teach their students. The secondary school had Wi-Fi.

All the villagers wore helmets while riding their electric scooters. Every single one of them could read and write Mandarin, and none of them littered or spat or peed in the open.

The women all wore jeans, dresses, skirts etc. and no one judged them and shamed them for “aping the west”. What mattered was their ability, not what clothes they wore.

It was completely safe to wander around the village after dark. No one got harassed for their gender, nationality etc. None of the female participants in the homestay program ever mentioned that they felt uncomfortable, or were stared at by men for wearing shorts. None of us faced any racist taunts.

I’m not saying that China has no problems, but this Chinese village had better services than most Indian cities (we can still only dream of uninterrupted power supply, or 24×7 water, or pothole-free roads).

I cannot say with authority that all villages in China are like this, but I would wager that many of them are. The cities are of course in a different league. I stayed in the suburbs to the north of Shanghai for a few days, not a tourist area. The neighbourhoods were clean, with excellent roads, and footpaths were not cluttered by hawkers. People followed traffic rules. I went to a side street where there were stalls selling street food, and it was clean. No one littered, there was no garbage anywhere.

It’s not just their GDP or infrastructure. It’s their mentality too that has helped China zip ahead.

Scott Ritter Discloses: How the Russian Hypersonic Missile Changed the Game in Ukraine!

Why does this YouTuber named “serpentza” go to such lengths to stigmatize China? Especially when so many tourists come to China?

There are many like him. China Uncensored, one Asian guy who speaks fluent English, one old aunty. All are on YouTube. I know these four because I have been following them for a long time. There’s also a news site called Bitter Winter.

All of them focus only on China. They never tell good things. They even exaggerate the tiniest bad thing about China. They don’t only talk about how bad the government is, but also how bad the Chinese people are. They go to such great lengths, making lies and twisting facts. They don’t care about their own credibility. The sole purpose of their existence is to spread hate on China.

Something is definitely wrong. Why are such news sites allowed to exist? Why do they have a wide following? From where do they collect all those information? Plus, they don’t look like solo artists but more like lowly funded news organizations.

Based solely on what they themselves are sharing, it’s right to call them US propaganda machine. Also, they stay shut about Palestine, but I once watched a China Uncensored video where he sided with the Israelis. Otherwise, it’s just wrong to talk bad about a whole country without ever showing an ounce of respect. It’s like their hobby is to slander China.

Does media like them exist for other countries? No matter which country you are from, if there were people like them always talking bad about your country and your people, how would you feel?

Edit: I checked YouTube and here are the ones I have mentioned and one more: China Observer, China Insider with David Zhang, China Insights. There’s one anti-China aunty that I have mentioned but I’m too lazy to search and I forgot her channel name.

At what stage in your life did you realize, “No, I can’t do this any more” and walk out? Why?

My step father came into my life when I was 8, and treated me and my siblings badly without a word of interference from my mother for the rest of my childhood. I left home at eighteen, and got together with the woman I’m married to at age 25. She had two children, a boy of three and a half and a girl of six months, so I got an entire family in one fell swoop. A year later we had been on holiday with the children, and dropped by my mother’s cabin on the way home. We were supposed to sleep there before driving the long way home.

My step father was drunk, and proceded to be nasty to our son. I got mad as a wasp, and informed him he was not allowed to talk to my children like that. There was a huge quarrel, he and I shouting, my mother claiming “He didn’t mean it”, the children crying, my wife watching it all with her mouth open, utterly appalled. It finally calmed down, but he kept mumbling nasty remarks through dinner, so we decided to leave. I also decided I would no longer spend time in his company. After that I have seen him at weddings and christenings, and that’s it.

I wish him well, but will not allow his poison to infect my life any more.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chili

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pound homemade noodles or 1 (12 to 16 ounce) bag wide egg noodles
1 can baked beans
1 cup spaghetti sauce or less (or 1 small jar)

Instructions

Brown ground beef and onion.
Cook and drain egg noodles.
Combine everything. You may need additional sauce if you have leftovers and warm them up later. Chili should be thick, not soupy.
Serve with crusty bread.

911 Call for Help Leads to Horrifying Discovery

https://youtu.be/_BvrwyR4dCM

Shorpy

BILL PAXTON DEATH IN DETAIL AT 61

He was young, and a favorite actor of mine.

Can a time come when coaching institutes will be banned?

Absolutely

Coaching Institutes in India and the Coaching Culture is REGRESSIVE

It may produce rankers but it doesn’t produce Quality Engineers

It essentially gives false hopes to thousands of students who would otherwise face reality of their own abilities and get on with their lives productively

They must be REFORMED

Lets see come Chinese Reforms and whether or not they would be adapted to India :-

Videos of Lectures by Tutors CANNOT be commercialized for an Annual Cost that exceeds 3200 RMB a year in TOTAL (Previously they charged as much as 11999 RMB a year per subject). Thats a 90% Price cut mandated by law
No Coaching App can seek venture capital or funding for any Tier 1/2/3 rounds unless the said App matches the Coaching Fees charged by Individual Tutors for 150 Hours a year (3000 RMB a year to 4500 RMB a year instead of 30,000 RMB a year)
Pictures of Ranking Students cannot be advertised by Coaching Institutions or the Institution will be fined and penalized criminally and Any Student who misrepresents his rank by taking money from a Coaching Institute will face a 3 Year Ban in entering any Institution in China
Teachers who teach in Private or Public School are forbidden to take Coaching Classes exceeding 8 Hours a week and their maximum hourly rate is capped (I don’t know how much but it’s way lower than what it was)

Xi broke the entire Industry single handedly

No more teachers who could charge the world and ignore school for private coaching.

Everything was Capped and at very low rates that bankrupted half the coaching institutes

Advertising was entirely based on mouth to mouth endorsements and no billboards or photo publishing of students getting top rank based on cash incentives

Such Students who took money to claim they took their training from so & so coaching institute would face a 3 year ban from any course

This encourages Group discussion

Right from the Youngest Age – they have divided students into study groups and have Wechat groups to discuss Projects, Assignments and Group Work

Private Tutors are allowed on an Hourly and they teach you at some dollars per hour rate

Professors and Teachers VOLUNTEER at CLCs and Community Coaching Centres where students can learn for free

We need to bring in a similar model adaptable to India

First we need a rule that students who fail more than 2 Attempts at NEET or UPSC or CAT or JEE cannot be enrolled in Coaching Centres or if they are, their enrollment must be FREE

Second we need to CAP THE COACHING FEES for all these exams

Third we must deduct tax right from the Coaching Fees like a TDS and impose 35% that the Coaches must bear

Fourth, we must mandate a cap on Online Coaching Fees which must be no higher than 33% of the Offline Fees

Fifth, we must offer large tax subsidies to free coaching offered on YouTube and other channels

Sixth we must impose a ban on School Teachers working for Coaching Classes unless their Tuition fee is capped at a certain hourly rate and no longer than 8 Hours a week

Maybe some of this is practical and some of this isn’t

I don’t know

I am saying things at the top of my head

However I do know that

REFORMS ARE CRITICAL AND MUST BE DONE NOW

To really find out how – you need to study the entire scenario , talk to students and find out and then begin a series of reforms

Students are becoming Rankers rather than Quality Engineers or Administrators

That must be stopped at any cost

Have you ever sold used cars for a living?

Sorta kinda.. when my older daughter was born 40 years ago my wife went on maternity leave and I needed to replace her income.

I started raising money by selling two extra cars I owned. I ran classified ads in the newspaper and dealt with customers. It was fun. Then my friend was going to junk a decent car because he was too lazy to sell it. I gave him the $100 the junkyard would have paid. I sold it for $600 with little effort.

I was on a roll! I drove around town looking for cars for sale or just sitting unused. I’d inquire and buy them cheap if I could. I’d check the newspaper ads early every day. I’d do minor repairs, clean and polish them to make them more attractive. One car had an entire garbage pail of trash in it!

I got to the point where I had two cars for sale in my driveway at all times. Guys would watch and inquire about different cars. I even sold one to my neighbor.

I did this the entire year until the weather got cold approaching winter. I figured I’d quit while I was ahead and before the cops or DMV figured me out. I did sell a car to a cop though!

It served me well. I replaced my wife’s salary and then some!

Is Intel becoming more and more like the feeling Boeing brings to people?

In terms of losing its engineering chops and becoming an overfinancialized blue chip play?

Yes.

However, Boeing’s problem ia execution, whereas Intel’s business model is facing obsolescence.

Both are in danger of ebbing away in the uncertain future ahead, though Boeing’s decline will be back stopped by the government, given its role as a key arms contractor and America’s only builder of airliners.

Boeing is one or two crashes from a PR nightmare, especially if it happens on the Max.

Intel’s product mix appear unsuitable for an ai-heavy world, and arm is projected to make huge inroads to the windows ecosystem in the coming years.

Intel needs a radical rethink, because the chips act cannot save it from drowning when the market moves decisively against a product portfolio. This is made worse by the poisonous politics that has reshaped demand in East Asia.

I don’t envy Intel at all.

Breaking: Undefeated US Indicator Signals “Full-Blown” Recession

Deng Xiaoping famously told British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that ‘China could take Hong Kong in a day.’ How serious was this threat? And were the Chinese at all concerned about the UK invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty?

“How serious was this threat?”

Let me put it this way: the People’s Liberation Army could have taken back Hong Kong during the Chinese Civil War, long before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and long before Deng met Thatcher.

The 44th Army of the PLA chased the fleeing Kuomintang forces all the way to Shenzhen. Their troopers were at one point gathered at Hong Kong’s Lo Wu border. They were literally one river crossing away from the British colony. Hong Kong only had a few thousand colonial troops stationed at the time. The battle-hardened 44th could have easily taken the city in about a day with a single well-timed bayonet charge. Two days at the most.

Sir Alexander Grantham, who was the governor of Hong Kong at the time, recalled that the PLA didn’t even need to attack. All they had to do was cut off food and water supplies to the colony, and the British would have to surrender in less than a month.

But neither of these scenarios ever happened. Chairman Mao ordered the army to stop the attack and turn back, stating that he had “other plans for Hong Kong”. Premier Zhou Enlai himself personally oversaw the situation with Hong Kong, and made sure that nothing went amiss with its supply of food and water.

History vindicated Mao’s decision to not take back Hong Kong immediately. He had the vision and the sense to play the game of geopolitics.

Mao knew that China was poor and underdeveloped, and was soon to be sanctioned by the United States and the rest of the imperialist west for being a communist nation. A gateway to the west was desperately needed.
The British Empire, likewise, also needed Hong Kong to serve as its gateway to the east. By letting the British keep Hong Kong for just a little while longer, Mao prevented China from being isolated by an anti-China alliance of western powers completely, which was what would have happened if the British had been beaten and sent home crying to Uncle Sam.In 1950, the UK became one of the first capitalist countries to formally recognise the PRC.
Mao was worried about the overwhelming influence and control the Soviet Union had over the Chinese Communist Party. He did not want a communist China to be freed from Fascist Japan and the Imperialist West, only to answer to a red Russia. Having Hong Kong as a gateway to the west, meant that China would not have to depend entirely on the Soviet Union.History proved him right, as evident in the Sino-Soviet split in the 1950s, and the fall of North Korea in the 1990s.
Just because Mao let the British lord over the people of Hong Kong for a while longer, doesn’t mean he had forgotten about the welfare of its predominantly Chinese populace. The city’s status as a gateway between east and west was the sole reason its economy flourished in the 20th century.Hong Kong’s success was never a “miracle” or the result of British rule, but a by-product of the times, geopolitics, and external factors greater than the city itself – a lesson most people in Hong Kong, both young and old, have forgotten

Article 5 of NATO would not have been China’s main concern, because the article could only be invoked in case of an attack on a NATO member’s own soil (i.e. Europe or North America). In fact, the first time it was ever invoked was after the events of 9/11.

In any case, China did play a major part in the Korean War, fighting the coalition forces of the United Nations to a standstill, so I doubt the formation of NATO would have changed the course of history too much – and that’s assuming NATO was willing at all to waste money and lives defending the British Empire’s interests. There’s a reason why Article 5 was never invoked during the Falklands War.

The fact remains that the PRC never planned to take back Hong Kong by force in the first place. They had no illusions that the sun would never set on the British Empire. They knew Hong Kong would become Chinese again eventually.

Addendum:
Chiang Kai-shek actually wanted to take back Hong Kong from the British after the Second World War. He rightfully saw the the Treaty of Nanking as humiliating to the Chinese people, and negotiated with the UK and the US to have the treaty abolished in 1942. The British Empire rejected the proposal, Chiang refused to relent, and so the matter was dropped from the agenda.

However, another agreement was formed that whoever entered Chinese territory previously under Japanese occupation first, would get to keep it for themselves.

When Japan surrendered in 1945, both the British and the Kuomintang scrambled to send forces to Hong Kong. KMT soldiers were apparently the first to enter Hong Kong’s New Territories, which was disputed by the UK.

The UK referred the matter to the US. President Truman wanted to ally with the UK against the Soviet Union, so he betrayed Chiang by declaring Hong Kong was never part of the deal. The KMT had to withdraw their forces, and Hong Kong soon became a British colony once again. So close, and yet so far.

This is actually a snapshot into what China was like under the Kuomintang government. Yes they were founded on great ideas by great men, but they were also de facto puppets of the Imperialist West, and therefore unable to give the Chinese people the rights, liberty, dignity and respect they deserved.

Hong Kong would very likely still be British today, had the communists lost the civil war.

Just In! Burkina Faso Forces Launch Ambush Operations Against Insurgent Groups!

Blue Moon

John K Adams

Dril entered from the air-lock. Myr looked up from the vid-screen.“Brrr, it’s cold out there.”“Don’t you wear your suit?”“Of course I do. You think I’m crazy?”Myr raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer that.“I remember reading it is always cold out there. It’s the moon, silly.”“I know it’s the moon. I got us this gig, remember?”“That I do.”“I mean, who better than us to prospect the best sites for mining delicious moon cheese?”“No one I can think of.” Myr sighed. “You know what you forgot to have delivered?”

“What’s that, Honey Pie?”

“Some new material. You have told a variation of that joke at least once daily for the last year.”

“Except, mining for cheese is serious business.”

“Please stop.”

Dril smiled at Myr. “You want me to cook dinner tonight?”

Myr sighed again. “Is it dinner time? I know what the clock says, but it doesn’t feel like dinner time. The sun is still out.”

“You know how this works, Myr.”

“Of course I do. I get it intellectually. But a month of sunshine followed by a month of darkness?”

“Actually, it’s more like two weeks.”

“Really? Who came up with that schedule?”

“Uhm… God?”

“I need a break, Dril.”

“What do you say we take a week and go to the Sea of Tranquility? Or to the mountains?”

Myr put her hands up to her ears and shook her head. “No. No. No. No. No.”

Dril passed on this opportunity to, once again, make a joke about American cheese and the flag left behind by the first men to land here.

“Let’s dance.” Dril moved toward Myr with a rhythmic step. He started singing. “Blue Moon… You saw me standing alone…”

Myr shrugged off his embrace. “Don’t you dare start about Kate Smith.”

Dril put his hands up, in frustration and surrender. “I’m trying to make the best of a…”

“Cabin fever. Isn’t that what you call it?”

“On the moon, it is called ‘existential angst’.”

“Thank you, Dr. Freud.”

Dril touched Myr’s elbow. “Come on, Babe. We never look at the earthrise anymore.” He waved his hand and the shaded, domed window automatically brightened. The colorless moonscape spread before them with Earth’s blue orb peeking from behind the distant mountains.

“Stark.”

Dril shook his head. “Look at the Earth, Babe. We’ll be going home before you know it. Think how much you’ll appreciate being back.”

“Are we there yet?”

“You’ve heard that you can’t go home again?”

“Watch me.”

Dril stood back. The moment had passed. “I’m going to go out and check the sensors.” He pointed to the counter stacked with various tools and gizmos. “Would you hand me the razzafraz?”

Myr looked at the disorderly mess Dril called his workbench. She picked up the tool on top of the others. “You mean this?”

“No. That’s the franaham… Next to the thingamajig.” Myr picked up another tool at random and held it up. “Thank you.” He took the tool from her and moved toward the airlock.

“Will you be long?”

“No. You know, routine maintenance. Never can say when some asteroid will wreak havoc on our survival systems.”

“I hate when that happens.”

Dril chuckled and ducked through the bulkhead door. He stepped into his suit, secured the safety devices and donned his helmet. Taking his time, he checked the vid-feed and sound system, a routine as ingrained and natural as brushing his teeth before bed. All systems were a ‘go’.

Not that Myr would be monitoring his progress. Lately, her heart wasn’t in it.

He checked the seals on the interior door and activated the exterior door. The small room filled with steam for a moment as the air froze and then escaped into the void.

Dril scanned the bright horizon. It still quickened him to take in this alien moonscape. It never changed. But he did. Each day, his perception of this perpetually static scene seemed fresh by what he brought to it. The frozen nature of it grounded him somehow.

And of course, he thought of what ‘phase’ they were in. He could never shake the earth-centric perspective. But now, Dril would also note Earth’s phase.

After watching Earth’s rise above the horizon, Dril checked the various monitors distributed around their home base and the outer shell of their home. With few variations, all seemed in order.

He chuckled at his own joke. “The barometer seems stuck. Weird, no air pressure at all.”

When on the frontier of space like this, Dril always celebrated an ordinary day.

Seeing the giant ‘S. O. S’ scrawled in the dust by Myr, always made him smile. That happened after their first few weeks on base.

Dril remembered watching her shuffling around in an aimless manner on the landing pad near their base camp. Or so he thought.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Sending a message to anyone who might be paying attention,” she answered.

Then he recognized the letters, wide as Stonehenge. Gigantic letters to be read by someone, anyone above them in the sky.

They read, “S. O. S.” Sans serif.

He knew she meant it. Keeping her morale up kept him busy. That was his hardest job.

Myr watched the airlock door shut. Though a daily occurrence, seeing Dril go out distressed her. What if something happened to him?

Of course, she knew all the routines and procedures. But to be alone out here on this rock… She shuddered at the thought. At first, it seemed a romantic adventure. Like being on a desert island together. Dril called it their ‘dessert island’. She never imagined how desolate the whole thing would be.

Myr entered the conservatory. She spent most of her time there. The humidity, greenery, and oxygen-rich air kept her sane. She loved caring for the plants more than anything. They were her life.

She liked the sunshine streaming into the greenhouse. The windows filtered the harsh light to a level the plants could tolerate. And she had artificial light to accommodate the long lunar nights.

Though primarily their source of fresh food, Myr lobbied for authorization to also bring decorative and flowering plants to their outpost. She prevailed by arguing an environment lacking in beauty would be better tended by a robot. Myr insisted ‘practical’ was broader in scope than ‘edible.’ A garden could include a feast for the eye as well as her belly and wouldn’t unduly tax their limited resources.

Myr had maintained even a guinea pig deserves a home and not merely a box filled with hay. Someone agreed and Myr received permission to transport seeds of her choosing, within strict guidelines.

Now she had a garden, her little paradise. But without apples or snakes. She cared for it with a passion.

The apparently spontaneous generation of certain insects and pests amazed Myr. They required constant monitoring, lest they damage the food crops. Myr understood they must have stowed away on the seeds or the soil. They were unwitting aliens on this unwelcoming stone.

Curiously, there were also spiders, who allied with her to maintain a balance within the garden. Life begets life.

She gathered a variety of tomatoes and other ripe vegetables for their dinner.

Indicator lights and a signature chirp told Myr that Dril was back. She felt calmer now and went out to greet him.

Dril already stood in the living zone when Myr entered from the kitchen. He smiled at her and they embraced. However brief his sojourns outside, Dril’s homecoming always caused her joy.

Dril asked her, “Tell me, how do you know when the moon is full?”

“You never think it is full.”

“No. Work with me.”

“Oh, a joke. Uhm… it’s always half empty?”

“No. It says, ‘hold the cheese’.”

Myr did not react. The new joke felt very old.

“How about this…? What flavor is a ‘blue moon’?”

“Dril, I was feeling better…”

“Roquefort!”

“Please?”

“Alright… One of these days I’ll make you laugh.”

Myr shook her head. “When that happens, you’ll know I’ve become a bonafide lunatic.”

They looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter. They embraced and kissed warmly.

Dril looked into Myr’s eyes. “How do you do that? You always make me laugh.”

“My little secret, love. Let’s eat.”

They walked hand in hand into the kitchen.

Here’s some of MM’s latest artwork generations

The theme is closeness and intimacy, but those are flagged on the free subscription, so I performed some creative work-arounds.

Of course, figurative nudes, and tradition are in my interest set.

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(9)

What is the worst violation of firearms safety you’ve ever witnessed?

I’m sure I’ve told this story before…

Quite a number of years ago I was out shooting at a public range when a family showed up. Mom and dad, two kids, and even grandma.

They pile out of a pickup truck… and, well, to complete the visual here, they looked straight out of central casting as a Mariachi band. Now, I’m like “you do your thing, I’ll do mine”, but to say that this group was attention getting understates it by several orders of magnitude.

Dad had some cowboy guns, a revolver and a lever action rifle. They also had a grand total of one set of hearing protection between all of them. No eyepro is present.

They proceed to set up their “targets”, which are just a bunch of milk cartons filled with dirt…. Whatever, it’s a public range and people shoot all sorts of random shit. The boy takes a couple of them downrange, sets them down, and steps about three paces to the side.

Dad starts blasting. Yes, kid is still downrange as fuck.

I immediately decide that I don’t want to have to deal with the paperwork when one of these idiots shoots someone, and start packing up. But I’m doing it slow, because I’m keeping one eye on these guys, and keeping my very loaded rifle slung and ready because I’m also somewhat concerned that I’m going to have to shoot one of these idiots myself if the stupidity level goes up another notch, and I want it to be very obvious that if they point a gun at me they are pointing a gun at a man with a clearly loaded AR.

After they blast some rounds in the dirt, the kid eventually comes back behind the line, and the kids pull out the revolver to take turns shooting.

The boy walks up to the line with the revolver and the girl sits on the bench next to him, looks right at him, and I see the next few moments in slow motion. The boy pulls the trigger and the girl gets an absolute face full of cylinder gap, and screams.

I chose that moment to exit, stage left, but that whole scene is burned into my brain, as assuradly as hot gas was burned into that poor girls eyes.

Hunter Discovers 29 Human Body Parts in the Desert

https://youtu.be/AFboKFzJza4

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

12 large leaves cabbage
1 cup cooked white rice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced onion
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes, just until pliable; drain.
In large bowl, combine rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt and pepper.
Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker, seam side down.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls.
Cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours.

Foreign Woman Meets American Women & NOW Understands Why Passport Bros Exist!

The look on their faces when she said she understood why men are traveling out the states. The salt was real in that room!!!

Why did the Prime Minister of Bengal quit her post and fled the country?

She has no choice but to fly away; the country has already fallen into a downward spiral.

On the surface, the recent unrest in Bangladesh appears to be due to civil service positions being skewed in favor of military families, but this is just a trigger. Even if there were zero reserved positions for military families, there would still be hundreds of thousands of university graduates competing for very few positions.

The essence of the problem is economic decline and public dissatisfaction.

Bangladesh is in deep trouble.

Firstly, there is a population explosion. With such a small land area, it has 170M people. China has a large population, but Bangladesh’s population density is nearly ten times that of China! Russia’s land area is 116 times that of Bangladesh, yet its population is 30 million less.

The total population of these red areas on Earth, compressed into a very small point, is Bangladesh.

With such a large population, the vast majority are engaged in agriculture, which has very low added value.

Bangladesh is the second most disaster-prone country in the world (the first is the Philippines).

Previously, population growth was slow, relying entirely on the harsh adjustment of natural disasters.

During the last major famine, 10 million out of a population of 40 million in Bangladesh died of starvation.

After entering the modern era, pesticides, high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and vaccines have caused a sharp increase in the agricultural population.

Unlike China, which has implemented family planning policies, a democratically elected government in Bangladesh cannot do the same. As a result, the population continues to grow while land area remains fixed, and frequent natural disasters make it difficult to develop a secondary industry on a large scale.

The world’s largest and most dangerous ship-breaking yard is in Bangladesh, but it can only accommodate 200,000 workers, and the value added to production is extremely low.

The country’s pillar industry, the textile industry, has little technological content and faces extremely fierce international competition.

In fact, it is at the bottom of the international division of labor.

Another mistake is the excessive emphasis on higher education. At this stage, the country should focus more on basic education rather than higher education.

After receiving higher education, many young people are unwilling to settle for low-income jobs.

What’s worse is that the country has invested significant resources in cultivating a highly educated population, but most of them are liberal arts graduates.

In China, for example, when I was taking the college entrance exam, the ratio of STEM students to liberal arts students was about 8:1 to 9:1.

There was even some discrimination against liberal arts students at that time; those who failed to compete in STEM fields were the ones considering studying liberal arts.

Even today, the ratio of STEM students to liberal arts students in China is still about 1:1, and STEM students generally have better job prospects and salaries compared to liberal arts students.

(To this day, on the Chinese Internet, the phrase “Are you a liberal arts student?” is still clearly mocking and contemptuous.)

(I believe Vietnam should also learn from this. Today, in Vietnam, the ratio of STEM majors to liberal arts majors is about 1:2, which is far too high for liberal arts students.)

With so many liberal arts graduates, who have broad perspectives, they are naturally unwilling to engage in hard work after graduation, leading to unrest.

Democratic governments and parliamentary politics are not very suitable for late-developing countries.

If Bangladesh cannot make the most of the remaining value of manual labor before AI and automation technologies become dominant, and cannot push for more industrialization, the future of Bangladesh will be very concerning.

GUANGZHOU IS SO MODERN! | An INDIAN’s First Time In CHINA

Diggin for fun and other’s profit

I once took a couple of anthropology and archeology courses at Gannon University to flush out my humanity requirements at Syracuse.

These were fun courses, and I pretty much spent all Summer digging up old relics and stuff from the past in and around Erie, PA. Lot’s and lots of “arrow heads”, “scrapers” and ancient hearths.

We would sometimes go on remote digs, perhaps an hour or two drive out of our way.

In one such dig we encountered a few coins.

We carefully dug them up, and duly recorded them. Ah. It was a grand discovery!

Because of their location, and the history, we suspected that a hoard must have been buried nearby. But it was getting late, so we all packed up and left.

The dig was an old 1700’s era trading center with one main house and a few low buildings. All were long gone, but we were digging there because a damming of the local stream would cause the entire location to be under water.

We came back the next day, and some dunder-head (maybe the dig supervisors) came with a metal detector and unearthed quite a hoard.

We didn’t actually know, but given the size of the hole, perhaps 200 to 300 old coins.

*Sigh.*

I would have loved to be part of that discovery. Now, some leach that sat by on the sidelines took the swag that we so carefully researched and dug up.

It’s like Working for a corporation in America, eh?

You do the labor. Someone else gets the swag.

*sigh*

Still, I enjoyed the experiences, and they were really fun and interesting to me. I will never forget them. If you all have an opportunity to, take a course in this kind of stuff a the local community college. You might discover how much fun that you will have. I’ll tell you what.

Today…

Have you ever been in the presence of a celebrity but didn’t know who they were at the time?

About 5 years ago, I was delivering food, in the Dallas area. I knocked on the door of an apartment, and a bald headed, muscular man answered. He told me the food wasn’t supposed to come there, but he didn’t seem too upset. I gathered that he had ordered for someone else, but neglected to change the address. But anyhoo, he asked if I’d like a tip. Sure! I replied. He starts digging in his wallet, and I’m expecting a couple of bucks. He pulls out a nice, crisp Benjamin ($100 bill). Now that’s a pretty generous tip, for an order that wasn’t for him in the first place. Then he starts looking, with very penetrating blue eyes, at me, and says “ Remember me. I’m Steve”.

I don’t follow wrestling, but known people who have. I believe it was Stone Cold Austin. Why he was alone in an apartment (not a luxury apartment, but not a crappy one, somewhere in the middle) in Dallas I dunno. He is from Texas (I researched him afterwards), but Victoria, on the Gulf side of the state. Perhaps he had a girlfriend there, or one of his kids, or just a hideaway, when in Dallas. The bill was genuine. It spent at the self checkout at Kroger.

The Thing (1982) | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Asia and BJ

What blew your mind today?

This.

So I was reading a book called ‘The eyes of darkness’. And another called ‘end of days’.

This book was written in 1981. (Keep this info in mind). It talks about a virus coming in 2020, from China, wuhan and some of it (not all) seems all too familiar. I just found it interesting.

Now I’m not saying the book is all correct. Maybe it’s just probability or coincidence. I think everyone has different beliefs, the virus hasn’t suddenly disappeared yet, but we’re not at the stage where the end is near.

Everyone thinks differently, I’m into conspiracy theories and bipolar doesn’t help, maybe I’m delusional. Not sure, take from it, what you will 🙂

I just posted because I thought it was interesting, it is a fictional book after all.

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Here’s the book if you want to read it. It also predicts mental health issues being the worst and the most increased in the 21st century and a bunch of other stuff which has actually happened.

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Edit: I think the comments are clearly missing my point, as usual (this is quora after all). Yes, there’s plenty of predictions and it’s probably just by chance. Yes not all of them are spot on. I never said this was fact, as it’s a fictional book. I just found it interesting ffs. Not saying you have to believe it. Maybe it’s my bipolar or too many punches I’ve had, like many rudely told me in the comments 😂

Some of these comments, which I’ve reported have been horrible and personally attacking. I didn’t know something I found interesting could offend someone that much😂😁.

I just found it interesting, calm yourself 😉

Putin SHOCKED The WORLD! Russia Dealt a Cold-Blooded BLOW on the U.S. in ARCTIC!

What are the best examples of people who have “gamed the system”?

Originally Answered: What are some of the best examples of people cheating “the system”?

This is from cracked.com, whose writers always seem to be able to find the strangest examples I could never even dream of

In the late 1960s, Leonard Casley grew way too much wheat, which could only ever be a serious problem if you live in Australia. You see, Australia had wheat quotas at the time and Hutt River (the province where Casley and other families grew) had inadvertently surpassed it, meaning they weren’t allowed to sell any of it. When they petitioned for the quota to be raised, the governor responded by saying, “No,” and filing a law to take their land away. THAT’S how serious Australians are about wheat.

In a desperate attempt to delay the legal process, the five families of Hutt River seceded from Australia under the Treason Act of 1495. This would have been as pointless as that time you were five and told your mom you were leaving home… if the government hadn’t accidentally referred to Casley as “Administrator of Hutt River Province” in official correspondence, which actually gave him legal recognition as a ruler under Australian law. Yes, in Australia, calling someone something magically turns them into that.

Taking full of advantage of the mistake, Casley declared himself His Majesty Prince Leonard I of Hutt, meaning it was now treason, under Australian law, to charge him with any crime or interfere with how he ran his new country.

Could Australia have stopped him? Sure. But by the time they got around to it, the statute of limitations had run out. So as of 1972, The Principality of Hutt River had officially seceded from Australia and stopped paying income taxes.

As of the modern day, Hutt River is still separate, while Australia treats it as a private business that doesn’t pay them taxes and just tries, really hard, to pretend it’s not there.

Jumpin’ Jack Chili

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Chili

1 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (15 ounce) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (rotisserie chicken can be used)
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin Monterey Jack Cheese*, coarsely grated and divided
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin Colby Cheese, coarsely grated and divided

Toppings

Crushed corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, olives, chopped tomatoes, oyster crackers, goldfish crackers, bacon

Instructions

Cook onion in hot oil in heavy stock pan (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat, stirring until tender.
Add green chiles, garlic and cumin; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add beans and chicken broth, stirring well. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add chicken, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack and 1/2 cup Colby Cheese; simmer over low heat for 10 minutes more.
Ladle chili into bowls. Top each serving with remaining cheeses and desired toppings.

Notes

* Or use Pepper Jack or Jalapeño Jack

Why Eastern Europe Is Safer And Better To Raise A Family In Than The West

Who supported the military coup in Bangladesh? Did it also happen before?

Who is behind the coup? We as an outsider dont know yet.

I only notice 1 thing:

Bangladesh went to China & signed an infrastructure deal with China.

The moment she went home, she tore the deal with China & accepted a contract/agreement with India to build a bridge or something.

Case closed, we thought No, a riot/coup broke out.

Both USA & India are notorious to instigate riots/coups in other countries so as to make others bow down to them. USA, global. India, southern Asia. Both do assassination too.

History will tell us who is the culprit. Let us wait.

Sri Lanka experienced a riot too when it joined an infrastructure project with China. It took a few years before the truth surfaced, after American scholars did a research. In the case of Sri Lanka, it was India who instigated the riot. But it was USA who spread the fake news re Debt Trap. Now the Debt Trap has proven fake after 10 years. But riots/coups still can happen.

On the Way to Paradise

Cory Pines

“You told me this would be a short trip. We’ve been on this wretched ship for twelve years!” Halo roared.”I know, but I broke the digital map and-“”I don’t care what happened! I paid you a good handful of money and I expected to be home long before now!”Halo had the perfect life back on Earth, but he just had to pay Mirabella almost three billion to take him to Tariphor, the most beautiful paradise planet in the galaxy. The trip was only supposed to be nine years in total, but the journey to Tariphor had stretched out to twelve! Halo had spent most of the time in hypersleep, but they had recently hit some strange turbulence that woke him.”Sir, I told you before we left that I was only an amateur pilot. I just got out of flight school, too,” Mirabella tried to explain.”That was twelve years ago! You should be better by now, Mire,” Halo complained.

They had left Earth when Halo was only 23 years old. He had spent his golden years of life in hypersleep and he was just as close to Tariphor as he was when still on Earth’s surface.

Mirabella wasn’t that happy about it either. She was 19 when they left and, unlike Halo, had actually begun to age. She wished she could’ve been the one frozen in some fancy tank. She missed her family more than anything, wishing she could just turn around and head back to Earth, but she didn’t know which way home was anymore.

“Well, what would you like me to do about it?” Mirabella asked. She didn’t mean for it to sound as angry as it did, and was simply curious, as she had run out of things to try and was willing to do anything to get back home.

“Well, you’re the pilot. You should know what you’re doing!”

“If you don’t have anything to contribute, you can just go back to bed,” Mirabella stated flatly.

“You’re insane if you think you can tell me, the youngest self-made multi-billionaire, what to do,” Halo said, “Now, where can I get a bite to eat?”

“We ran out of food three days ago,” Mirabella admitted.

“Were you not rationing it properly?” Halo asked.

“I made food for nine years last for twelve, I think I did a fine job rationing,” Mirabella said defensively.

“What about that?” Halo asked. He pointed to a small blue cube placed on the chair next to Mirabella’s. He had never seen anything like it, but it looked a little like Jell-O. He hoped it was edible. After all, the backlash of waking up from hypersleep gave him quite the appetite.

“Don’t you dare try to eat him. he’s some sort of space creature, not food. I think he’s sleeping,” Mirabella said.

“It looks delicious.”

“You’ll probably flip your organs inside-out if you eat him. Then, I’ll have to find a way to revive you, and suddenly kill you again for your stupid decision… After that, I’ll revive you a second time since I really don’t want to be alone in the endless abyss of space.”

“Could you even do that?”

“Not at all. In reality, you’d just stay dead,” she shrugged.

“How did this thing even get on the ship?” Halo asked.

Just as Halo was finished speaking, the blue Jell-O like creature, opened its eyes. They were huge, covering half the creature’s boxy face. It hopped up onto Mirabella’s shoulder.

“I let him in,” Mirabella said.

“What if that creature tries to kill us?” Halo asked.

“He’s, like, five inches tall. How would he?” she asked.

Halo eyed the creature warily. He didn’t really trust the thing, but Mirabella was right; it was small and Halo knew he could easily overpower it if he needed to.

“At least tell me you didn’t name it,” Halo said.

Mirabella didn’t answer.

“Oh my God, why? Why in the world would you name it?” Halo asked.

“I call him Berry,” Mirabella admitted, fiddling with her hands.

The creature, Berry, looked up at Mirabella when he heard his name. Halo watched as the creature snuggled down and began to purr. He had to admit that Berry was cute, but that still didn’t mean he trusted the thing.

“You shared our food with it,” Halo said.

“I couldn’t just let him starve!” Mirabella replied.

“I mean, you could’ve. Then at least I would have something to eat,” Halo said. Halo was a little upset that Mirabella cared more about feeding a space creature than a human that paid her three billion dollars.

“Come on, just look at him, he’s so cute,” Mirabella said. Mirabella picked the creature up off of her shoulder and held it in her hands.

“I don’t see it,” Halo said.

Suddenly, a loud buzzer went off and the ship started to flash red.

“What in the world is happening!” Halo shouted over the buzzer.

“I don’t know, the ship hasn’t acted like this since the map broke!” Mirabella shouted back, “I need you to hold him.” She passed Berry over to Halo who took it slowly and held it as far away from his body as possible.

Mirabella rushed over to the control panel and began to fidget with the levers and buttons. Halo approached her slowly, still holding Berry at arm’s length, to watch.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I can’t tell, just give me a sec,” Mirabella replied.

At that point, Berry hopped out of Halo’s hands and landed on a small square button. Suddenly the sound stopped, though the lights of the ship were still flashing.

“I know what it is,” Mirabella said.

“What, what is it?” Halo asked, dying to know.

“We’re almost out of fuel, the ship is warning us that we need to find somewhere to land,” Mirabella explained.

Halo looked around the ship and through the large windows. Outside all he saw was blackness, stars, and the occasional comet, not of which were big enough for their ship.

“How can we do that, there is nothing but space out there!” Halo shouted.

“Duh there is nothing but space. We’re in space, Halo!” Mirabella shouted in response.

“We’re going to crash, we are going to crash and I am going to die. I still had my whole life ahead of me. Finding a partner, raising a family, adopting a hundred and one cats just because I can,” Halo complained. He began to pace back and forth, rushing his hands through his hair as he spoke.

“You’re probably right,” Mirabella said, “I don’t think there is any way for us to survive this.”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear!” Halo shouted. He paused from the pacing to face Mirabella, “Instead of living out my perfect life, I am going to die in space. With nothing but you and that creature to keep me company.”

“Well, what do you suggest we do instead?” Mirabella asked.

“I don’t know Mire, I’m not a pi- hold on what is that thing doing?”

Mirabella turned to see than Berry’s Jell-O like skin was changing from blue to red. He was also growing.

“He’s never done that before,” Mirabella admitted.

They stood back as Berry grew more and more until he went from 5 inches tall, to 5 feet. The thing was huge.

“What do we do, what do we do?” Halo asked, quickly hiding behind Mirabella.

Mirabella slowly walked up to Berry with her arm outstretched. The cube eyed her cautiously as she reached out and placed her hand on its head. That must have really ticked him off because his skin began to change quickly between colors, and it seemed to scream out in pain. Mirabella quickly backed up to the edge of the ship were Halo was cowering.

“What did you do?” Halo shouted.

“I just touched him,” Mirabella said.

“That’s it, we’re going to die,” Halo said.

“Yes, we already agreed on that.”

“Mire, we need to get outta here,” Halo said.

“We can’t leave Berry though, he’s my friend!” Mirabella said.

“Your friend is a space monster, now come on!” Halo announced.

He grabbed her hand and yanked her through the ship’s door to the hypersleep pods. He quickly locked the door behind him and only seconds later they heard a Jell-O like squish banging on the door over and over.

“Alright, what’s the plan?” Halo asked.

“Maybe we can just let Berry in and the three of us can talk it out,” Mirabella suggested.

“Mire, I’m not sure if you’ve realized this or not, but that thing is trying to murder us,” Halo said.

“He’s just scared,” Mirabella said.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time, that thing is trying to murder us!” Halo said, his voice rising until he was shouting at her.

“This is all your fault. If you had never woken up, Berry wouldn’t be so upset,” Mirabella stated.

“My fault, you think this is my fault? You were the one that woke me up when you hit turbulence, you have no one to blame but yourself,” Halo replied.

“Maybe you should have been nicer to Berry.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have brought on a weird space creature.”

“Maybe you should-” before she could finish, the door was knocked down and the giant, now green, Berry bounced into the room.

“What do we do, and don’t try and approach it again, that just made it angrier,” Halo said.

“Hey, Berry,” Mirabella said, “How are you buddy. I know that Halo can be kinda mean sometimes-”

“Hey!”

“Shut up,” she whispered harshly before continuing, “But just because he’s a little mean, it doesn’t mean you should kill him. We can talk through this, I just need you to shrink back down, okay buddy?”

The creature took a step closer to the two humans. Halo grabbed Mirabella’s hand and tried to pull her back to him, but she stayed standing in front of Berry.

“I don’t think this is working…” Halo said.

“What do you suggest we do instead, we are going to die anyway, either by this creature or by crashing!” Mirabella shouted.

“So we should just give up?” Halo asked.

“Why not? It’s not like we have anything left to fight for. Even if by some miracle we manage to get out of this, we still have no idea how to get home,” Mirabella said.

“We can figure that out,” Halo said. He couldn’t explain this sudden spark of hope came from, but he really didn’t want to die here, especially at the hands of a blue cube. He wished he would have thrown out the cube while it was still small, but it was too late now for ‘what if’s.’

“I’m gonna let him eat me,” Mirabella said. She yanked her hand away from Halo’s grasp and stood her ground.

“You’re gonna what?” Halo asked, shocked.

“I let him onto this ship, the least I can do for it is provide him with a final meal,” Mirabella said.

“What about your family?” Halo asked, trying to convince her to stay.

“It’s been twelve years! Halo, what’s even the point of going back, nothing will be how it was. People have probably forgotten all about us,” Mirabella said.

“How could anyone forget about me?” Halo asked.

“Halo, listen, we don’t have a plan to get back to Earth. We don’t have a plan to land the ship. We don’t have a plan to calm down Berry-”

“We could kill him,” Halo suggested.

“We are not killing him. My point is, in the last moments of our life, we might as well do something for this little creature.”

“I wouldn’t call him little anymore.”

“Are you with me or not?” Mirabella asked.

She held out her hand for Halo to take. This was insane! He couldn’t believe that he was actually thinking about joining her. Mirabella was crazy to even want to let Berry eat the two of them, and yet, Halo couldn’t stop himself from grabbing her hand.

Mirabella smiled before the two of them turned to face Berry. Halo closed his eyes as they walked towards the creature. He could feel himself being absorbed into it before he lost all control over his body and blacked out.

Halo awoke with a gasp, he was breathing heavy. Did he really just do that? Was he dead? Was this heaven? He was sitting in a bed, hospitalized. He looked around the see Mirabella was laying in the bed next to him. There were wires and tubes all around them, some of them going into his body.

Then Halo spotted it. Berry was sitting on the nightstand, once again five inches tall. He had taken back his original blue color and was staring up at Halo. Where was he? Had this all just a dream?

The door to the room opened and a doctor walked in holding a clipboard.

“Ah, Mr. Tharen, you’re up,” the doctor said.

“Please, call me Halo, and can you explain to me what happened?” Halo asked.

“Of course,” she began to walk around the room, checking the tubes and making small notes of her clipboard, “It’s been fourteen years since you left Earth, though, by the looks of it, you barely aged a day. Most people here thought that you were dead, died in a crash or something, but two weeks ago, this creature-” she nodded her head over to Berry- “brought you back. We’ve been reviving you and Miss Miller ever since.”

“You mean to tell me that creature… saved me?” Halo asked.

“Yes, it appears to have a soft spot for you. It never even left your side. Tell me, are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?” the doctor asked.

“Just some water,” Halo said.

The doctor left. Halo turned and stared at Berry who just stared back blankly. A small smile appeared on Halo’s face.

“Thanks,” he whispered, “Thanks for bringing us home.”

Neocons closer than ever to war with Iran

People say that there is more oil production under Biden and then there was under Trump. But if that’s the case why are our energy prices and gas prices so high?

There was once a time where doe-eyed Americans thought that capitalism was a just system that rewarded hard work and innovation. Supply was dictated by demand. Seemed simple, right?

Then Ronald Reagan came along and lowered corporate taxes from 70% to 28%. The theory was that companies would make more money and those profits would “trickle down” to the consumers.

What ACTUALLY happened was that corporations could now set whatever prices they wanted and the rich could store their wealth in offshore tax havens. The money would get to the top and be shipped overseas, only to be used by the wealthy to influence policy, and further exploit the worker in exchange for lavish lifestyles and ridiculous qualities of life.

The government continues to subsidize oil companies despite them posting record profits year after year. Why is the government doing this? Hmm….

Gas and oil prices can come down 30% and the suppliers would still make a profit, but the consumers would enjoy a better quality of life. That’s not what the rich want. They want more. It doesn’t matter if the poor suffer, they’re getting theirs.

The president has nothing to do with gas prices other than to propose policies to congress that would regulate those prices more… but then lobbyists come along and petition representatives to ignore regulations and increase tax cuts. trump cut taxes to companies from 35% to 21% and we lost 2–3 trillion dollars (depending on who you ask) from the budget. That money went straight to the top, but congress will tell you that adding 2 trillion to the federal budget in the form of healthcare and student loan forgiveness is unsustainable.

Know what’s unsustainable? UNFETTERED FUCKING CAPITALISM! That’s what.

Bernie has only been perfectly correct for about 45 years now.

MM’s latest works

Still playing around. Lots of nudes, and trying to mess around a bit with historical themes.

Angels…

Ancient Chinese rulers…

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(13)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(12)

Crete and cooking…

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(11)

Female Bacchus….

Same theme, but at a pool taking orders from a cat.

Now as a man, instead of a woman…

Russia successfully tests ” Burevestnik ” global range cruise missile, US panics

Why is China so obsessed with conquering Taiwan when Taiwan is a peaceful country that just wants to be left alone and has never done anything bad to China?

1.) Do you recognize what is this place?

Old Summer Palace – Wikipedia

Here is the description from wikipedia:

Widely perceived as the pinnacle work of Chinese imperial garden and palace design, the Old Summer Palace was known for its extensive collection of gardens, its building architecture and numerous art and historical treasures. Constructed throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Old Summer Palace was the main imperial residence of Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty and his successors, and where they handled state affairs..

This was looted and destroyed by the joint Anglo-French expedition in 1860 in the opium wars of the British against the Chinese. If you visit a French or English museum, one can count how many of those museum items came from the Old summer Palace. It is difficult to grasp the implication of this by just looking into the ruins in the picture. This is almost an equivalent of destroying an area and significance almost as big as the National Mall in Washington with all its buildings including the White House.

Here is a reconstruction of what might the Old Summer Palace looks like today if it was not destroyed.

In 1890, 35 years after the destruction of the Yuanming Yuan (圆明园) (the Chinese name of the Old summer palace), Japan seized the opportunity of the weaken Qing China and seized Taiwan and repeatedly attacked China all the way to WW2.

2.) Do you know why the Chinese authorities did not attempt to rebuild this place even today with all the wealth by China? Nor did the authorities convert this valuable real estate into something profitable development area. This is to teach the Chinese and future Chinese descendants how much the country was humiliated and suffered by foreign powers when the country was very weak. See that green area here, all of those are part of the old summer palace. That is how valuable this real estate is relative to its surroundings.

The Chinese diaspora to all over the world in the late 1800s to early 1900s, is the testament of how much the Chinese people are suffering by foreign hands.

3.) In 1949, a glimmer of hope arose in China and unified once again this ancient culture. A peasant named Mao Zedong, against all odds was able to unify China after the bloody Civil war. It took almost a century from the Opium wars until in 1949 that there was a sense of unity and hope in this ancient land.

4.) In 1950, Mao tried very hard to recover Taiwan from the retreating Nationalist forces, but the Korean war erupted and US and UN forces pushes all the way to Yalu river and war was knocking in China doorsteps. The Chinese leadership was forced to respond to the Korean war. Thus the campaign to recover Taiwan was pushed back. The Korean war, and the loss of mainland China to the communist, lead to an isolation of China from the 1950s to 1970s.

5.) Fast forward today in 2021, Taiwan is still not reunited to China. Foreign forces are still colluding to make Taiwan separate from China. This collusion of foreign forces, the Anglos, the Japanese and now the US, is the same theme as it was when Qing China was attacked, bullied and humiliated in the Opium wars.

Sure some or most young Chinese within China or the descendants of the Chinese diaspora outside China do not care anymore with this historical event that happened 170 years ago. But if you talk to Chinese parents or grandparents how their parents and grandparents suffered because of this foreign humiliation, you will realize almost all Chinese two to four generations ago suffered so much and paid dearly to unite China. Personally, I will never forget how my grandfather told me his story that they have to remove the leather of the shoes, put some water to have something to eat during those Japanese invasions. He told me this story when I was 10 or 11 years old, and I also tell this to my children. They sacrificed so much for us Chinese descendants to have better lives than they had. These kind of stories are repeated in millions of Chinese.

The division of China and Taiwan is the reminder of the imperialism of foreign powers. The remaining symbol of suffering of the Chinese people. This is even visible with North and South Korea, which echo the same thing, division of people of same culture because of foreign imperialism.

So these are the historical, cultural and emotional reasons why Taiwan must be reunited to China. It is the remnant of the humiliation and suffering of the Chinese people from foreign powers. Uniting Taiwan back to China will provide a closure of this painful past.

Joe Rogan: “What They Just Found Hidden In Egypt SHOCKED U.S. Scientists”

Can’t the Chinese feel their lack of freedom?

I am a Chinese national. George Orwell’s novel *1984* paints a bleak picture of a totalitarian regime. My son first encountered this novel in the fifth grade. He gave up after reading only 15 pages. He told me that the book felt overwhelmingly gray, like the color of concrete, which left him feeling depressed and unable to continue.

If you’ve read this novel, you can always sense the oppressive nature of totalitarianism through its myriad details: the dilapidated living conditions, the meager food rations, the extreme control over language, the state-level lies, and the eradication of sexual desire.

This book is perhaps revered by anti-communists worldwide. During the Soviet era, it was lauded as a vivid portrayal of Stalin’s rule. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, it has occasionally been used by critics of China as a metaphorical critique.

Coincidentally, today marks the first sunny day in my city, Xuzhou, after several days of heavy rain. The blue sky and sunshine felt especially precious after the long spell of gloom. While driving to the supermarket at noon, I noticed several pedestrians taking photos of the Xuzhou sky with their phones. I joined them, taking pictures at every traffic light.

Interestingly, these photos inadvertently captured street scenes of Xuzhou. Let’s compare Orwell’s depiction with these freshly taken photos (just two hours ago) and see if you can find any hints of “China lacking freedom” in them（Since I took the photos through my car window, the UV-protective glass filtered some of the sunlight, making the colors in the images appear slightly darker）.

I was driving on Zhongshan Road in downtown Xuzhou, named in honor of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China. Yes, the same Dr. Sun Yat-sen whom the Taiwanese refer to as the “Father of the Nation.” You can see the Audi and Volkswagen cars in front of me, both with green license plates. In China, there are three colors for license plates: blue for gasoline-powered cars, yellow for trucks, and green for electric vehicles (EVs). In my city, EVs are rapidly replacing traditional gasoline cars. Ordinary Chinese people have dozens of car brands to choose from.In recent years, promoting environmental protection, ecological preservation, and love for the Earth has been one of the primary focuses of the Chinese government’s public campaigns through all forms of media:

The square building on the right is the largest bookstore in our city. The first to seventh floors are open to the public, while the upper floors are office spaces. The bookstore is called “Xinhua Bookstore,” which means “New China Bookstore.” It is currently the largest bookstore chain in China. This place holds the fondest memories of my childhood; I always asked my father to take me there every weekend to read, though we rarely bought any books because we were very poor. Nowadays, children don’t see buying books as a joyful experience. To attract more visitors, this bookstore has dedicated areas for foreign imports and textbooks, along with numerous seating areas, bakeries, and cafes where customers can sit on sofas, enjoy some cake, and read books:

This 52-story skyscraper is the tallest building in Xuzhou. It is designed as five skyscrapers of varying heights arranged in a specific pattern. The other four buildings, which are only 15-20 stories tall, are obscured by the taller structures. This design was inspired by the shape of Buddha’s hand in Buddhist tradition. The skyscraper is a commercial complex that includes a hotel, shopping mall, dining center, office spaces, an ice rink, a cinema, and more. It is the fashion hub of Xuzhou. Some film companies occasionally recruit fashionable girls there. The building is named “Suning Tower.” “Suning” means “sun” in English, and in Chinese, it signifies “peace in Jiangsu Province.” The investor, a large home appliance retail chain, is based in the capital of Jiangsu Province.

At night, the entire glass facade of Suning Tower transforms into a screen, displaying commercials and messages of love throughout the night. Yes, if you spend some money, you can have your girlfriend’s photo or name projected onto this giant screen, letting the whole city see your love for her:

The black skyscraper in the center of the image is currently under construction. This building is being funded by the famous Chinese food company “Yurun Group.” Unfortunately, shortly after completing the podium, the group experienced a financial crisis and filed for bankruptcy protection. This left the skyscraper’s fate uncertain. After a two-year halt in construction, a government-funded investment company took over the project and partnered with the renowned Chinese commercial enterprise “DeJi” for its development. As a result, the building was rapidly completed and is now set to open soon. With approximately 60 floors, it will surpass Suning Tower to become the tallest building in Xuzhou:

I checked the temperature, and it’s 37 ℃ outside the car. When I was a child, this would have been unimaginable. The many days of heavy rain haven’t cooled the weather. As soon as the sun comes out, the temperature quickly rises to an unbearable level:

The building on the left is the city’s “University Student Entrepreneurship Service Center.” Xuzhou is home to several universities, including China University of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu University of Technology, and Xuzhou Institute of Technology. Each year, a large number of graduates are welcomed. The government encourages them to use the skills they acquired in university to start small businesses. Most students receive loans based on their business plans, with varying amounts of funding. These loans, provided by the government, come with low or zero interest rates, aiming to help young entrepreneurs develop competitive businesses. Key industries in Xuzhou include pharmaceuticals, construction machinery, and polysilicon:

The Current Status of the Deji Plaza Construction:

On the left side, you’ll find a hotel and an art school. The high-rise on the right is a continuing education college affiliated with a university. Since the main campus is located far from the city center, the university has rented this building in the city to make it more convenient for students to attend classes during their spare time:

One of the businesses is a travel agency called “International Travel Agency,” indicating that it handles outbound travel services. The other is a store that specializes in selling “wǔ liáng yè,（五粮液）” a renowned Chinese brand of liquor. This is a high-proof spirit:

Crossing this intersection leads to Jianguo Road, the financial district of Xuzhou. The street is lined with banks, numbering in the dozens. In China, banks are categorized into three types: state-owned banks, private banks, and foreign banks. The tiered building visible in the photo is a branch of the Agricultural Bank of China in Xuzhou.

The pink high-rise behind it, along with the surrounding streets, is Xuzhou’s computer products district. During the PC boom, the pink building was a favorite spot for local youth. Many young people, obsessed with the internet, would play games at night and sleep during the day. Some restaurants capitalized on this trend by staying open late to cater to those working in the internet industry. Although PCs have been replaced by mobile internet and business in the computer district has declined, the nearby restaurants continue to thrive and have become one of Xuzhou’s popular food districts:

Xuzhou Metro Line 2’s “Xima Tai Station.” Xuzhou currently has six metro lines, with three already in operation and the other three under construction. Additionally, there are plans for four more lines that are currently under government review. In China, only the State Council has the authority to give final approval for metro projects. This is because metro construction requires a substantial investment, and once operational, it necessitates ongoing large expenditures. As a public transportation system, it may not be profitable. Therefore, only cities that meet stringent criteria in terms of size, population, economic output, and traffic volume are eligible to apply for metro projects.

The name of this metro station is “Xì Mǎ Tái,（戏马台）” which is a historical site. About 2,200 years ago,Xiàng Yǔ（项羽）, a renowned monarch and tragic hero of the Han Dynasty, trained his war horses on a nearby hill. Since then, the phrase “training war horses in the cold autumn wind” has become a well-known Chinese idiom. In Chinese, this story is written as “秋风戏马,（qiū fēng xì mǎ）” which evokes the image of a hero, aware of his inevitable failure, preparing diligently with his horses amidst the chilly autumn wind, ready to face the battle without fear of death:

This is the “Street Police Station” in Xuzhou. This small glass booth serves as a police station and is set up at several major intersections. There are three main purposes for these stations:(1)They enable quick dispatch to handle emergencies and sudden incidents.(2)Each station is equipped with multifunctional computer systems where citizens can manage various personal affairs, such as reporting or applying for an ID card, handling traffic accident reports, obtaining government documents, applying for passports, and dealing with driving-related matters.(3)They also provide amenities like hot water, common medications, air pumps, umbrellas, and reading glasses for the public’s use.

I am familiar with these police stations because they have a fourth function: traffic violation education. I once forgot to wear a helmet while riding my electric bike and was required by the police to attend a 40-minute traffic safety education session via online video at this station. Sometimes, people must also complete an online test on their phones before they are “released”:

After turning left at the intersection, I entered Liberation Road. The Yellow River crosses this road, and China’s first major east-west railway line, the “Longhai Railway,” also runs across it. Consequently, a bridge and a railway underpass have become major traffic congestion points. A few years ago, the Xuzhou city government constructed an overpass that spans above both the Yellow River Bridge and the Longhai Railway Bridge, effectively alleviating the traffic congestion in the area.

During the construction of the overpass, there was a small “protest.” Before the new overpass could be built, an old bridge over the Yellow River, known as the “Dike Bridge,” needed to be demolished. The name “Dike Bridge” carried historical significance. However, after the new bridge was completed, the government named it something new. Local residents disagreed and prevented the construction workers from installing the new nameplate. In the end, the government yielded to the protest and restored the name “Dike Bridge” out of respect for its historical importance:

I originally planned to capture images of drug users, robbers, people urinating in public, slums, and thieves in Xuzhou. Unfortunately, I can’t photograph things that don’t exist. So, I ended up taking random photos and sharing an overview of an ordinary city in China with you. I apologize!

p.s.

My city, Xuzhou, is a tragic city. Historically, over 400 battles took place here among all the wars in China. It has been a military stronghold and a core area contested by ancient emperors. A Yuan Dynasty poet once described Xuzhou in his poem:

古徐州形胜，消磨尽、几英雄！

想铁甲重瞳，乌骓汗血，玉帐连空，

楚歌八千兵散，料梦魂应不到江东。

空有黄河如带，乱山回合云龙。

汉家陵阙起秋风，禾黍满关中。

更戏马台荒，画眉人远，燕子楼空。

人生百年如寄，且开怀，一饮尽千锺。

回首荒城斜日，倚栏目送飞鸿。

This is the translated version:

From ancient times, Xuzhou’s location has meant it could never escape the ravages of war. Countless heroes have lost their lives here!

The general, clad in iron armor and riding a host of prized horses, had barracks so vast they seemed to stretch into the clouds. When his soldiers fell, his own spirit could not return home, leaving only the Yellow River and a mountain rising like a dragon in the clouds, here in Xuzhou.

The Han Dynasty emperors’ tombs were constructed in the chill of autumn winds, and no one can ultimately escape their fate.

The high platform where the hero once played with his war horses has been desolate for a thousand years. The passionate beauty has long passed away, and the grand tower where she waited for her lover now stands empty.

Life feels like staying at an inn. Why not drink joyfully and have a thousand cups? After becoming drunk, look back at the endless wilderness beyond the city walls, and as the sun sets, lean on the railing and watch the distant wild geese depart.

“You’re Being Slaughtered & You Don’t Realize It!” – US Dollar Collapse

This insight is gold. 2008 was when it all hit.

What if I think China is a genius for winning the Korean War by gaining territorial claims to Korea?

On November 25, 1950, the U.S.-ROK allied forces occupied half of the Korean Peninsula and were about to reach the Yalu River border between China and North Korea.
On July 27, 1953, the Chinese and North Korean allied forces again drove the U.S. and South Korean allied forces south of the 38th parallel.

The Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) started at the Yalu River and ended at the 38th parallel. This was a very successful victory.

The death data of 197,653 Chinese soldiers is indeed greater than the death data of 54,246 US military personnel. The death data of Chinese soldiers is 3 times that of the US soldiers.

But is the death figure of 197,653 Chinese soldiers smaller than the total US+UN (non-human) death figure of 683,079?

I’m not good at math and can’t tell the difference between the size of the numbers, so I invite netizens to compare. 😅

In addition to American soldiers, those who participated in the Korean War included soldiers from South Korea, the UK, Canada, Turkey, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Ethiopia, Greece, France, Colombia, Belgium, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Soldiers other than the US military were not human beings. They were completely wiped out by the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) and were not worth mentioning at all. 🤣

All I know is that by the time the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) entered the Korean battlefield on November 25, 1950, the North Korean army had suffered most of its casualties.

most of the battles after November 25, 1950 were fought by the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) .

New Paternity Law Has Modern Women Fuming!

The Farthest Reaches of Space

Lucille Greye

“Who would believe that I, the great Lish Ryn, would be brought to my knees by the little Nadyr?”Telen Fogg, the tall android sighed. “Lish. How many times have you said that exact same thing? Look. So what if Nadyr got the Zarkot first? My friend,” Telen smiled, “this can only be good. We can easily steal the Zarkot back from him. It’s most likely in his ship, the Angyl, and it probably isn’t even protected.”Lish spun her pilot’s chair away from the cockpit’s window and faced Telen. Her long, golden hair framed her face. With the combination of her hair and bright green eyes, she stood out against the white leather and silver computers behind her. “And how do you propose we do that?” Her voice was flat, angry. “I am completely tired of being humiliated and undermined by that Bos’ii snake! He took my Zarkot and left me stranded in a tree!”Telen chuckled. “He may be a Bos’ii snake, but he is not a wise one-““No, he is!” Lish thundered. “Every plan, every scheme I have, he somehow finds out about it… and every time, he brings it to ruins! I wonder how that happens?”“Lish, please don’t tell me you suspect me?”

“I-” Her gaze jerks up to glimpse a flash of color dart behind one of the navigational devices at the back of the room. “Vorrha?” She asked, incredulous. “I wouldn’t have imagined you to be the traitor in the midst.” This, of course, was rather likely, as the only crew members on the Aalya Meriet were herself, Telen, and the humanoid mechanic Vorrha. It was possible that Telen was the information leak, or Nadyr had planted a spy-droid on the ship, but Telen was very dedicated to Lish, and Nadyr rarely had access to the ship to plant a droid. It was doubtful that Nadyr even had that type of technology. The planet Jayjar was located in the farthest corners of space, hardly touched by the technological advances of the planets Mirima or Qud, and Nadyr never left Jayjar. The only suspect could be Vorrha, and she was hardly being sly about it either. She had no reason to sneak about the very ship that she repaired daily.

Vorrha slunk out from behind the computers, and the small hominid shriveled under Lish’s glare. “Nadyr offered Vorrha m-money, more than Captain Lish could. Vorrha needs the moneys, you see, b-because Vorrha’s mother needs the treatment for the sickness.” She stammered. “Vorrha is so sorry.”

Lish growled quietly. “A little meelvat in our midst, taking precious information and leaking info to Nadyr. I would throw you into space from the airlock, but I’m not that heartless. No, I think I’ll drop you off on Arboga, maybe in-”

“Lish.” Telen muttered.

“What do you need, Telen?”

“There’s an incoming ship on the radar. Big one.”

“Nadyr’s?”

“No, bigger. Could it be-”

Lish shoved him aside. “It could be the Narrtor, Kon Laari’s ship.”

Telen’s face paled. “The Kon? Here? He must be thousands of miles from the planet Okrak!”

Kon Laari Antrus, the cyborg crime lord, or The Kon as he was known by many, was the leader of the galaxy’s largest criminal organization. He was head of the Antrus Clan, a group of thieves, pirates, and smugglers. Okrak, a dry, mountainous planet, about three thousand miles from Arboga, was his home. It was rare that Laari left that area, generally sending off his minions to do his work.

But for some reason, it was his personal space cruiser, the Narrtor, that Telen saw.

The comm crackled to life and an authoritative voice could be heard faintly. “Aalya Meriet, this is the pilot of the Narrtor. Please prepare to be boarded.”

Vorrha dropped her head into her hands, muttering some type of prayer in her native language.

“What are we gonna do?” Telen asked. “Maybe we could light up the engines and fly out of here-”

The comm hissed again. “Any signs of resistance or attempts to escape will be taken as a threat and the Aalya Meriet will be annihilated.”

The large hatch of the landing dock opened, and the pilot of the Narrtor took over the auto-controls of the Aalya, steering her into the landing dock. The gate hissed shut behind them.

“Trapped like a fly in a Cath spider’s web,” Lish muttered. “Stuck… Our only hope of escaping is to play along with this. See what Laari Antrus wants, give him it, and get out of here.” With a short, decisive motion, she pressed the button to open the loading hatch below. “Compliant, that’s the look we’re going for.”

Vorrha whimpered quietly.

The sound of footsteps quickly grew loud, and in seconds, a group of five men, four carrying guns and the fifth a data pad, came into the cockpit. The man with the data pad glanced up. “Yes. Those are the ones. Seize them.” The armed men grabbed Telen and Lish by the arms. “Comply, or be shot,” the tall one, who seemed to be the leader, continued.

Lish’s face was red. “On what grounds can you arrest me? I am Lish Gir’ryn, best pilot in the galaxy, not some girl to by toyed with!”

The leader glanced down at his pad again. “Lish Gir’ryn? And, I assume, Telen Fogg. And whoever that little mouse is. You, Ryn and Fogg , are both under arrest,” he paused to clear his throat, “by order of the great Kon Laari Antrus. Do not speak again, unless you would like to be killed.”

Lish was bursting with fury, but she kept her angry words to herself.

The trio was marched not towards the top of the ship, where the ship’s cockpit was, but towards the back.

“Where are you taking us?” Lish asked, both frustrated and curious.

The head of the guards, or whoever the tall man that was leading them was, frowned. “Towards the prison deck. Where else would we be taking you?”

“But why?” Telen burst out. “Why are we being arrested? What have we done to anger Kon Laari?”

The tall man with the data pad sighed, and glanced down to read the arrest warrant. “The smugglers Lisk-” he paused, closely scrutinizing the pad. “Lish Ryn and Telen Fogg are under arrest for inhibiting and interfering with the business of Kon Laari Antrus. He personally came to oversee their capture.

“It is by Antrus’ law,” he continued, “that all smugglers, robbers, pirates, and any others involved in criminal dealings are under arrest by the Kon and are sentenced to three years of work in the planet Okrak’s mines. I, Timothy Halos, have been placed in charge of these dealings.”

“Why is he capturing all of the… hard workers?” Lish asked.

Timothy frowned. “I have not been given leave to reveal that information.”

“Oh, what a shame,” Lish spoke smoothly. “Second only to the Kon and yet, still rules being placed on what you can and cannot say?”

“I- I must obey Antrus.”

“Yes… but, well, I don’t see Antrus around.”

“I cannot speak of something the Kon has forbidden me to speak of.” But there was a slight hesitation in his voice, as if he really did want to speak.

“No one’s here to tell Antrus.”

The guards escorting the prisoners exchanged glances, but said nothing.

Timothy sighed. “Very well, but you must not tell anyone. Antrus’ plan is strictly confidential. He is searching for a type of stone, or mechanical device- none can say which -but he heard that a smuggler in the Outer Reaches had gotten hold of it. He began to capture and arrest any criminals he came across, hoping that one would have it. He did this under the pretense of ‘cleaning up our galaxy.’ Of course, he told me, his most trusted advisor, what was truly happening.”

Lish, of course was quite pleased, as her plan to get information was going quite smoothly. “A stone? Why a stone?”

“Not just any stone. It’s the Zarkot.”

Lish scrunched her face up, as if confused. “The Zarkot… I know I’ve heard the name somewhere. Tell me more!”

Timothy Halos was blind to the fact that Lish was easily dredging up information from him. “The Zarkot is a stone said to posses magical powers, or extremely advanced technology.”

Lish changed her expression to in awe. “Really? What can it do?” Of course, she already knew how it worked, she just wished to see how much he knew.

“Many things. It is said to be a translator, able to detect different alien languages and make them understandable to the superior humans. It can command other ships’ controls, many at once, even if the ship that is overriding them does not have the technology to countermand other ships, and it even-” he stopped. “Ah! We have arrived!” With a flourish, he opened the door. “Welcome to Cell Block B, your new temporary home.” He turned to the guards. “Escort them to the nearest empty cell. That should be B7 or B8. I will be taking my leave to go report back to Antrus.” The guards nodded their heads to Halos. They drug Telen, Lish, and Vorrha through the doorway and down the hall to cell B7. “Hope you enjoy your new home,” one of them grunted, shoving them into the room and slamming the heavy iron door behind them.

“Well. That was rather intersecting,” Lish said, in surprisingly high spirits.

Telen grunted in response.

Lish surveyed their surroundings, looking for a possible escape route. The door, which seemed to be the only entrance or exit, was a stout iron door. There was no handle, and the door opened outwardly, so the door screws couldn’t be taken off somehow. The door itself looked like a large slab of metal. The rest of the room seemed to be a smooth cube, with only two grated openings between each cell.

“Hello?” Lish called through the grates. “Anyone else in here?”

“Hello!” A young man, who looked to be around the age of seventeen or eighteen, popped up in front of one of the great. He had short, curly hair, bright blue eyes, and a contagious smile.

Lish yelped in surprise. “Nadyr?”

“The one and only.”

“What are you doing here?” She hissed.

“I could ask the same of you, but thing is, I already guessed why you’re here. And that’s the same reason why I’m here. Except I have no idea why I’m here.”

“Antrus is searching for the Zarkot.”

Nadyr’s jaw dropped, but his smile quickly returned to his face. “Is he really?”

“Yes. Which would be fine, if you hadn’t taken it from me. I would have it with me right now, and I would be able-”

Nadyr scoffed. “In your dreams. We all know you’re not competent enough for that. If you had it with you, Timothy would already have found it.”

“Like you could have done better!”

“Actually,” Nadyr held up his hand, curled into a fist around something, “I did do better.” He opened his hand to reveal a small blue stone, dangling from a silver chain. “Please, hold your applause. It was quite hard to smuggle it in, but I managed.”

Lish sighed. “Bested again.”

Telen chuckled. “Bested again indeed. Now, Nadyr, do you know how to use it?”

Nadyr shrugged. “To be frank, no, I don’t.”

“Alright. Then shall we make a deal? If you give it to me, Lish can use it to get us out of here. Then, we sneak back to the Aalya Meriet. We use the Zarkot to override the Narrtor’s security systems, fly out of here, and maybe head to the Center Planets. We can sell the Zarkot, split the money, and then stay out of each other’s paths from then on. Is that a deal?”

“But,” Nadyr asked, face twisted with indecision. “How can I trust you to let me out?”

Lish spoke up. “You can trust us, because if we don’t let you out, you can just yell for the guards. Deal?”

Nadyr shoved his hand through the bars, and they shook hands. “Deal.” He pushed the stone through. “You sure you know how to use that thing?”

“Very sure.” Lish pressed the stone to the center of the cell door, and spoke the command word for the Zarkot. She could hear the gears grinding as the locking mechanism was overridden. The door swung open, hanging loosely from its hinges.

“Ready?” Telen asked, and Vorrha, Lish, and Nadyr nodded silently. “My memory databases tracked the turns we took and the distances between them to get from the Aalya Meriet, so all I have to do is reverse it and I can get us out of here.”

“Being an android must be nice,” Nadyr commented.

The foursome ran through the hallways, ducking to the side when any of Antrus’ men came down the hallways.

Within minutes of their escape, alarms began to shriek.

Nadyr smiled. “Nice to know I’m worthy of alarms.”

Lish laughed. Her mood had become quite cheerful. It seemed that adventure had banished her irritable nature to the recesses of her conscious.

“There!” Telen said. “That’s the entrance to the docking bay. But it’s heavily guarded.”

Nadyr smiled. “Lish! Remember how Liz used to distract the kitchen guards?” He asked, referring to the days when him and Lish were in the orphanage on Arboga.

Lish nodded and smirked. “You distract. I’ll take them out.”

Nadyr strolled around the corner, directly in front of the guards. “Hello, gentlemen.”

Four barrels of four guns jerked up to point at him.

Nadyr put his hands up. “Whoa, no lets not be too hasty.”

And then chaos reigned.

Lish darted up behind the guards, grabbing two and smashing their heads together. Nadyr disarmed the other two, shooting them both with a blaster he stole from one.

“All done!”

Lish nodded, teeth gritted into a smile, hand gripping her shoulder.

“Lish, what happened?” Telen asked, worried.

“Stray blaster shot. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about me. Just get back to the ship.”

They filed through the door, and Telen jabbed the button to open the Aalya Meriet’s loading hatch.

“All aboard!”

Later, they sat in the cockpit. Lish’s shoulder was swathed in bandages, and Nadyr was reprogramming the ship’s computer system to accept the Zarkot.

Nadyr sighed. “If only we didn’t have to leave the Angyl.”

“All we have to do,” Lish said, ignoring him, “is hijack the computer system of the Narrtor long enough to open the landing hatch. Then we zip out of here. That’s all. Antrus didn’t ‘tie down’ the Aalya Meriet in any way.” She stood up and walked towards the controls. “Plug the Zarkot here,” she reached down and pointed, and Nadyr stuck the little stone into the slot made to fit it. “And now,” Lish pushed a few buttons and typed a destination into the navigation system. “And now, we’re free.”

The huge hatched opened, and the little Aalya Meriet darted free of the Narrtor’s clutches.

The flight to the Center Planets was not a long one, but the foursome’s adventures on the planet Qud were worthy of a second tale. But, alas, that tale must be saved for another day, because for now, the story of Lish Ryn and her friends must be given a rest.

How Joe Biden Passed the Most Sanctions in American History

What is the meaning of “如何51吃瓜北京朝阳群众热心吃瓜”?

You might not have copied the sentence completely.

“如何51吃瓜北京朝阳群众热心吃瓜”

Do not know what does that mean.

But I’d like to explain a bit.

“瓜” here represents “watermelon,”西瓜， literally meaning “western melon.” Clearly, this is not a native Chinese species; the character “西” (west) here signifies its Middle Eastern origin. For example, “胡” (barbarian) in terms like “二胡” (a traditional Chinese string instrument) also has this meaning, indicating it came from the Middle East.

There are many species introduced to China that are not native. For instance, “番茄” (tomato) and “番薯” (sweet potato), where “番” means foreign. So these are not indigenous Chinese crops.

Even chili peppers are not native. They were only widely cultivated in China during the Ming Dynasty.

However, Chinese people love chili peppers just as much as they love——

Watermelons!

The watermelon production in China is so high that… the yield is just immense.

Because of the high water content, they are not easy to transport. So, while watermelons can be relatively expensive in supermarkets—around $3 per 5 kilograms—if you go to the production areas, they are practically free.

Sometimes, they are even used to feed pigs.

I am an outlier among Chinese people,do not like eating fruit,eating watermelons, but my fellow countrymen love this fruit so much that Chinese people refer to themselves as “吃瓜群众” (melon-eating masses).

The phrase means: I’m just here to watch the fun, holding a melon and eating it, while watching the excitement.

“朝阳群众” (Chaoyang masses) refers to another concept.

Chaoyang is a district in Beijing. There are some middle-aged and elderly women there who have helped the police solve many drug cases, especially involving actors and celebrities, as there are many film and TV stars living in that area. This area became a hotspot for drug problems.

Later, “Chaoyang masses” evolved into a term for “enthusiastic informants who report drug use,” and eventually became known as “China’s most powerful intelligence agency”! People joke that the U.S. has the CIA, the Soviet Union had the KGB, and China has the “Chaoyang masses.”

That’s how it is.

Italian Chili

Yield: 12 cups

Ingredients

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, diced
1/2 pound pepperoni stick, cubed
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (26 ounce) jar tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Sauté sausage in oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When brown, drain off fat and add onions, pepperoni and garlic; cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Stir in beans and seasoning and simmer until heated through.

Ah. Here’s some more of MM’s artwork…

I just been working on the system. Still, not really “jumps out” as spectacular.

I played around with South East Asian history. With the bath and anointment rituals…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(18)

Then, I started to look into European Biblical traditions.

Here’s some work regarding angels…

Off to Ancient China.

Here’s some efforts regarding ancient kings and their palace court…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(15)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(13)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(13)

“Wing And A Prayer” (1944) – Complete WW2 Naval Warfare Movie

Dog bites on toy army men

One of my childhood memories is that of all my toys being eaten up by our dogs. Army men, you know the green and grey figurines, always were chewed to Hell. I rarely ever saw my sisters dolls suffer the same fate. Probably for one reason or the other.

I never thought too much about it. I would just shrug my shoulders and consider it a part of my life. Ah. I was used to it.

I used to have this Major Matt Mason space toy. I had a couple of figurines and a space-station. One day I came home only to find my dog chewing up a major truss support. *sigh*

From that moment on, I adapted and used the chewed up truss in my play time activities.

So looking back, I think that this adaptation of adverse situations had a positive effect on my life. It made me more adaptive and resilient. I think that how we grow creates our personality. In this case, it was chew marks on all my toys.

How the dog got into my perpetually closed bedroom door remains a mystery. Though, I do have my suspicions.

Don’t ever forget. Remember the little things that you grew up. Like puzzle pieces they all come together in the end.

Today…

Hot Dog Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 hot dogs or turkey hot dogs, cut lengthwise then into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (14 ounce) cans mild chili beans (not drained)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup relish
4 ounces chopped green chiles (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Chopped onions and shredded Cheddar cheese for garnish

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add hot dogs and onions to the oil. Cook until hot dogs are browned, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve hot, topped with chopped onions and shredded cheddar cheese.

The Real Reason Army Recruitment Is Plummeting

If there was a war between China and America, who would win?

China.

There’s a basic reason.

Chinese society considers society a feature. Chinese people (for the most part) reject Jewish supremacy. Chinese reject every social ill that can be used to divide the Chinese people, be it radical tribalism or liberal left-right-ism in all its forms. Chinese raised 800 million out of extreme poverty. Chinese built high speed rails all over their country. Chinese did not allow their GDP figures to be inflated, but rather, China ensured that the rich must benefit the entire nation, and not just themselves. Even then, China’s GDP is growing much faster than America’s GDP.

“The law in its majestic equality forbids the rich as well as the poor to beg in the street, to sleep under bridges, and to steal bread.”

— Anatole France

In American society, homelessness and desperate poverty are a feature, not a bug. Homeless panhandlers begging in the streets are a salutary reminder to American wage slaves of what’s in store for them if they don’t keep their shoulders to the wheel and their noses to the grindstone.

Western society in general is based on the relentless exploitation of the poor by the rich, the weak by the strong. You eat your own. Everyone in America kisses the ass of the person above them in the social order and shits on the one below them.

This is the way you like it. Why else the relentless persecution of the widow, the orphan, and the refugee? Why the gleeful mistreatment of the poor, making them abase themselves and jump through hoops for a pittance? You enjoy watching those less fortunate than you suffer, just as those more fortunate than you take pleasure in your misery.

You like it. You voted for it. You will vote for it again. You will trample on those that are lesser than you, even as you cry about being trampled by those above you.

This is the Way.

It’s a way China rejects, but it’s your way.

As benevolent as China is, China cannot help a masochistic society.

Using DNA, authorities identify man who brutally killed Dana Ireland in 1991

Why are Western countries so salty about the cooperation between China and Africa?

Western countries’ discontent with China-Africa relations isn’t about concern for African well-being—it’s about losing their grip. China’s approach flips the script by offering genuine development opportunities without colonial baggage. For decades, Africa has been reliant on aid and loans from Western nations and institutions like the IMF and World Bank, which often come with stringent conditions that can disrupt local economies and perpetuate dependency rather than foster real growth. Conditions such as structural adjustment policies (SAPs) demanded economic liberalization and reduced government spending, often to the detriment of local sectors like agriculture and small businesses.

In stark contrast, China provides infrastructure projects and funding without demanding sweeping political reforms, allowing African countries to chart their paths to development. The effectiveness of this approach is notably visible—Chinese-funded projects like roads, railways, and airports are transforming landscapes across Africa, achieving what Western aid has often failed to accomplish. China’s development model is based on mutual benefit and respect for sovereignty, focusing on tangible improvements in infrastructure and industrial capacity that meet the specific needs of African nations.

Financially, China’s engagement with Africa creates significant competition for Western businesses. Chinese banks have outpaced their Western counterparts in lending to Africa, providing vital financial support during global crises such as the economic downturns and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to reports, China’s development banks lent around $23 billion to sub-Saharan Africa, more than double the combined amount from the US, Germany, France, and Japan. This shift means Western countries, accustomed to having a monopoly over African markets, now face real competition from China’s efficient and large-scale ventures.

Moreover, accusations of “debt-trap diplomacy” raised by Western critics claim that China’s loans are unsustainable and infringe on African sovereignty. However, many African leaders and experts rebut these claims, noting that Chinese loans often come with more favorable terms compared to Western financial institutions. They also highlight that undue focus on debt ignores the broader context of infrastructure and economic advancement these loans support.

Another layer to Western consternation is rooted in deep-seated racial and cultural biases. The cooperation between China and Africa challenges the long-standing narrative of Western superiority and undermines the paternalistic attitude that has historically characterized Western aid. The perception that African nations are incapable of managing their affairs without Western oversight is deeply ingrained, and China’s success in establishing equal partnerships based on mutual benefit disrupts this ideology.

Therefore, Western countries’ irritation over China-Africa cooperation can be boiled down to a mix of threatened economic interests, disrupted historical influence, and underlying racial biases. China’s strategy of engaging with Africa stands in stark contrast to the conditional and often patronizing methods of Western nations, thereby promoting a new dynamic that favors African autonomy and sustainable development.

“Victor Davis Hanson: Please Listen… Because This is Important!!”

‘Real incomes of Russians increased by a record 9.6% in Q2’ — Eurasian Business News

Russia’s unemployment rate is at an all-time low, wages are up, and Russians are spending money on leisure and recreation.

It will be interesting to see how Russia’s central banker, Elvira Nabiullina, deals with the impending Western stock market crash. She did a spectacular job in dealing with US sanctions, outwitting Biden, Nuland, Blinken, Sullivan, and the rest of the US kakistocracy.

Here’s the article:

Real disposable income of Russians (net of inflation and mandatory payments, such as taxes and interest on loans) increased by 9.6% in April-June, according to Rosstat agency data. This is a record figure since 2013, when the methodology for calculating the indicator changed. The last time real incomes grew at a rate close to the maximum was in the first quarter of 2022 (by 8.9%). Compared to January-March, the growth of real disposable income of Russians hit 8.7%. In the first half of 2024, the figure increased by 8.1%.

Such an increase in income is primarily a consequence of a shortage of personnel. The unemployment rate fell to 2.4% in June, hitting a new all-time low. In May, the figure was at the level of 2.6%. Earlier, the Central Bank warned that in the second quarter, the provision of personnel updated the historical minimum in the history of observations. According to the monitoring of enterprises conducted by the Bank of Russia, there was a shortage of engineers, installers, IT personnel, warehouse workers and drivers.

The most acute shortage continued to be experienced by Russian manufacturing enterprises producing investment and consumer products. The head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, noted that 75% of Russian companies complain about the shortage of personnel.

The problem of personnel shortages on the Russian work market, the training and competition in the labor market will stay in the coming years, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said last February. According to Reshetnikov, this is now one of the main risks in the Russian economy.

How did incomes grow?

Cash income (on average per capita) amounted to 58,191 rubles in the second quarter, which is 16.8% more than in the same period last year. The acceleration in growth was mainly due to higher wages. In the structure of monetary incomes of the population, the share of wages increased from 59.9% in the second quarter of 2023 to 62% in April-June 2024. At the same time, the part that falls on social benefits decreased to 17.3% from 19%. Earnings from entrepreneurial activity in the total income structure also fell – by 0.9 percentage points to 5.9%. Other revenues, including shadow income, decreased from 7.5% to 6.6%.

The growth of incomes was also accompanied by an increase in household expenditures – they increased by 13.9% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. And Russians spent about 3 trillion rubles on savings in January-June (in 2023 for the same period – 1.8 trillion rubles).

The Central Bank of Russia has increased its growth forecast in 2024 by 0.3 p.p. to 3.2%. Analysts expect Russian GDP to grow by 1.7-1.8% in 2025-2027.

The IMF forecast the Russian GDP growth to reach 3.2% in 2024 and 1.5% in 2025.

Wages of Russians

Real wages in May increased by 8.8% in annual terms, nominal (before taxes) – by 17.8%, according to Rosstat. For five months, the growth of real wages amounted to 10.1%, nominal wages – 18.7%. On average, one employee in May earned for 86,384 rubles (around 927 euros).

The highest growth rates of wages in May were observed in the field of leisure, recreation and sports (by 29.5%), in the production of clothing – by 27.2%, coke – by 26.8%, in administrative activities – 26.6%, in wood processing – by 25.5%, in the financial and insurance sectors – by 24.8%, in the activities of extraterritorial organizations (including diplomatic missions) – by 24.7%. Also, wages in the production of finished metal products, computers and furniture grew at a rate of more than 23%.

In absolute terms, the highest salaries were traditionally observed in the fuel and energy sector – in pipeline transport (311,205 rubles), in oil and gas production (211,339 rubles), as well as in the financial and insurance sector (185,792 rubles).

Regional Breakdown

The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Moscow (1%), Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod regions (1.3% each), Khanty-Mansiysk, Yamalo-Nenets and Chukotka districts, in the Khabarovsk Territory (1.4% each), Bashkortostan (1.5%). At the same time, a high level is observed in the North Caucasus Federal District – in Ingushetia, unemployment in May amounted to 26.7%, in Dagestan – 10.8%.

In May, wages in the sectoral context grew at the highest rates in the Kurgan Region (by 30.1%), the Stavropol Territory (by 24.8%), Udmurtia (by 23.5%), the Bryansk Region and the Trans-Baikal Territory (by 23.4%), as well as in the Pskov Region (by 23.1%), the Chelyabinsk Region (by 22.9%), the Smolensk Region (by 22%), as well as in the Republic of Mari El (by 22%).

What professions are in demand in Russia in 2024

Drivers, loaders, delivery men, sales representatives and promoters have become especially in demand now, reported the Sovcombank. Since the beginning of 2024, drivers – 417 thousand and couriers – 115 thousand – have been looking for the largest number of published vacancies. Russian companies also lack 70 thousand loaders, reported Лента.Ру with reference to the data of the Работа в Москве, поиск персонала и публикация вакансий – hh.ru portal.

In May, wages in the sectoral context grew at the highest rates in the Kurgan Region (by 30.1%), the Stavropol Territory (by 24.8%), Udmurtia (by 23.5%), the Bryansk Region and the Trans-Baikal Territory (by 23.4%), as well as in the Pskov Region (by 23.1%), the Chelyabinsk Region (by 22.9%), the Smolensk Region (by 22%), as well as in the Republic of Mari El (by 22%).

What professions are in demand in Russia in 2024

Drivers, loaders, delivery men, sales representatives and promoters have become especially in demand now, reported the Sovcombank. Since the beginning of 2024, drivers – 417 thousand and couriers – 115 thousand – have been looking for the largest number of published vacancies. Russian companies also lack 70 thousand loaders, reported Лента.Ру with reference to the data of the Работа в Москве, поиск персонала и публикация вакансий – hh.ru portal.

West exhausted, Ukraine losing, NATO refuses peace

What would a second Trump presidency mean for China?

Whoever gets elected as the US president will not change the trajectory of the continuous decline of the US and the continuous uprising of China.

‘Dow drops 864 points, and Japanese stocks suffer worst crash since 1987 amid U.S. economy worries’ — New York Times

I’m calling this a financial crisis for the US kakistocracy. The faltering US domestic economy has triggered worldwide sell-offs in stock markets, cryptocurrencies, and commodities markets like gold. In the last six months, US banks have set aside reserves for significant, predicted loan losses in commercial real estate.

[1] In the last year, the US has had three of its four biggest bank failures in history.

[2] We might get to see how the BRICS bloc weathers a Western financial crisis.

From the article:

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly everything on Wall Street is tumbling Monday as fear about a slowing U.S. economy worsens and sets off another sell-off for financial markets around the world.

The S&P 500 was down by 2.4% in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was reeling by 864 points, or 2.2%, as of 1:25 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite slid 2.8%.

The drops were just the latest in a global sell-off that began last week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 helped start Monday by plunging 12.4% for its worst day since the Black Monday crash of 1987.

It was the first chance for traders in Tokyo to react to Friday’s report showing U.S. employers slowed their hiring last month by much more than economists expected. That was the latest piece of data on the U.S. economy to come in weaker than expected, and it’s all raised fear the Federal Reserve has pressed the brakes on the U.S. economy by too much for too long through high interest rates in hopes of stifling inflation.

Professional investors cautioned that some technical factors could be amplifying the action in markets, but the losses were still neck-snapping. South Korea’s Kospi index careened 8.8% lower, stock markets across Europe sank more than 1% and bitcoin dropped below $55,000 from more than $61,000 on Friday.

Even gold, which has a reputation for offering safety during tumultuous times, slipped 1%.

That’s in part because traders began wondering if the damage has been so severe that the Federal Reserve will have to cut interest rates in an emergency meeting, before its next scheduled decision on Sept. 18. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which closely tracks expectations for the Fed, briefly sank below 3.70% during the morning from 3.88% late Friday and from 5% in April. It later recovered and pulled back to 3.93%.

“The Fed could ride in on a white horse to save the day with a big rate cut, but the case for an inter-meeting cut seems flimsy,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “Those are usually reserved for emergencies, like COVID, and an unemployment rate of 4.3% doesn’t really seem like an emergency.”

The U.S. economy is still growing, and a recession is far from a certainty. The Fed has been clear about the tightrope it began walking when it started hiking rates sharply in March 2022: Being too aggressive would choke the economy, but going too soft would give inflation more oxygen and hurt everyone.

Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle sees a higher chance of a recession within the next 12 months following Friday’s jobs report. But he still sees only a 25% probability of that, up from 15%, in part “because the data look fine overall” and he does not “see major financial imbalances.”

Some of Wall Street’s recent declines may also simply be air coming out of a stock market that romped to dozens of all-time highs this year, in part on a frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology and hopes for coming cuts to interest rates. Critics have been saying for a while that the stock market looked expensive after prices rose faster than corporate profits.

“Markets tend to move higher like they’re climbing stairs, and they go down like they’re falling out a window,” according to JJ Kinahan, CEO of IG North America. He chalks much of the recent worries to euphoria around AI subsiding and “a market that was ahead of itself.”

Professional investors also pointed to the Bank of Japan’s move last week to raise its main interest rate from nearly zero. Such a move helps boost the value of the Japanese yen, but it could also force traders to scramble out of deals where they borrowed money for virtually no cost in Japan and invested it elsewhere around the world.

U.S. stocks pared their losses Monday after a report said growth for U.S. services businesses was a touch stronger than expected. Growth was led by businesses in the arts, entertainment and recreation businesses, along with accommodations and food services, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Treasury yields also pared their drops following the better-than-expected data.

Elon Musk: “I Am OFFICIALLY Buying Facebook!!”

Nauseatingly woke narrative, but we all know why he bought it up.

How comparable is China and the USA’s economy?

This is a MM Quora post. - MM

This is a surprisingly good question.

But it is not an easy one to answer.

We will start with the Fundamentals.

System Baselines

The United States is a oligarchy ruled kleptocracy, that maintains an illusion of “democracy”. It is a military empire. It is the largest military empire in history. It rules over various territories, nations and regions using a variety of different techniques.

States (former regional nations) are ruled directly.
Territories are wholly controlled, but permitted local government control.
Proxies, are conquered nations, that are controlled through money, economics and military. For our purposes, we will consider the G7, South Korea, and the Philippines to be proxies.

China is a physical nation that operates a meritocracy. It is a social republic with one party that follows the communist model. It is majority Han race, and has arrangements with other nations though it’s “power channels”.

Mainland. Controlled directly.
Special Economic Regions. Permitted local government control.
Strong “anything goes” alliance with Russia.
SCO (shanghai cooperation organization) economic, social, and economic ties.
BRI members
BRICS+. Financial, economic, trade, and humanitarian connections.

Taken as a whole, we can see that the world is split up with two dominant nation-led blocks. One is the West, controlled by the United States (some argue that it is “actually” controlled by either the UK or Israel), and the other the East. Dominated by the China-Russia nexus.

Comparing the two baselines

So, the question is about a comparison between the two halves. How does the East and the West compare.

It is a little difficult. There are numerous nations that are “straddling the fence” and corroborating with both sides of the globe. This is true with some BRI states.

Ah, comparing the economic landscapes of the West and the group of nations led by China is quite a complex task, as such any particular numbers will be erroneous and wrong. At best, I can only provide a very general overview.

Currently, the West, comprising the United States, the G7 nations, and its territories, boasts a significant share of global economic output. With robust economies, technological innovation, and established trade networks, the West holds a substantial position in the world economy. The combined GDP and PPP GDP of these nations are among the highest globally, reflecting their economic strength.

We can (and perhaps should) consider them well-established economic power-houses.

On the other hand, the group led by China, including Russia, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS+, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, represents a diverse array of economies with varying levels of development. China’s rapid economic growth, infrastructure investments, and expanding influence have positioned it as a key player in the global economy.

Thus, we can anticipate grown; especially substantive economic growth in these nations in the future.

Today, we can say that the United States led “block” leads in GDP. While also admitting that the Chinese led block leads in PPP.

Or, perhaps to put it another way…

The West is wealthy. But the citizenry are poor.
The East is poor, but growing. Their people are comfortable, but not rich.

Looking ahead to 2035, both groups are likely to experience shifts in their economic landscapes. The West may continue to innovate, invest in technology, and adapt to changing global dynamics. However, demographic challenges, debt burdens, and competition from emerging economies could impact the growth trajectory of some Western nations.

Personally, I do not see a rosy prognosis. I anticipate continued collapses of all elements of the pillars of society and industry in the West.

In contrast, the group led by China is expected to see further economic expansion, driven by infrastructure development, technological advancements, and enhanced regional cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative and increased trade partnerships could bolster economic growth in these nations, leading to a more interconnected and influential bloc on the world stage.

One cannot help but be optimistic regarding the eastern block.

The year 2035 is likely to be shaped by factors such as technological innovation, trade dynamics, demographic trends, and geopolitical developments. All of which is anticipated, and projected to be led by the Eastern Block.

Matt Damon REVEALS His DISTURBING Experience At Hollywood ELITE Parties

The Infinite Cold of Space; Speaking

Sophie Sharek

The infinite cold of space can seem to stretch out forever and ever to the untrained eye. To the trained eye, it still goes on forever, but it’s just slightly less scary, and it’s not as cold because trained eyes bring jackets and hot chocolate so they aren’t as chilly. Many interstellar interlopers describe the infinite cold of space as rather sentient, as a result of a dozen incidents where a perhaps-future-settlement has simply coughed up the intruders; or they’ll describe it as too dark, because honestly, can the infinite cold of space provide some flashlights?Occasionally, the infinite cold of space can be interrupted by a star, or perhaps a planet. No one hears the planets talk, (even though they’re apparently sentient), but if one listens closely, one can sometimes hear static, maybe, or a clearing of a throat, a planet attempting to speak . . .’Hellooooo? Testing? Hiiiii?”Yes?!’‘Hi! It’s, it’s Zeta.’

‘I don’t know you. Goodbye–’

‘No, wait, I just wanted to say hello.’

‘Is this about the insurance? Because for the last time, I don’t want it.’

‘No, no. It’s Zeta. The planet.’

‘I’m sorry, who?’

‘Zeta? I was born a couple billion years ago, in the neighbouring solar system. I just unlocked my communications potential!’

‘You just– you just unlocked it? As in I’m the first planet you’ve talked to?’

‘Yes!’

‘How unfortunate.’

‘Unfortunate? Why?’

‘Unfortunate for me, not for you.’

‘Oh.’

‘Are we quite done? Because the elderly nebula next door is out of milk and she wants me to run to the store.’

‘No! No, wait. Who are you? What’s your solar system like? I’m carbon based! Are you . . . carbon based?’

‘Jesus Christ– fine. I’m Delta. I’m in a solar system with the star Gamma in the centre, and two other planets, Mu and Nu, who aren’t as nice as I am. They were once the same planet but some rogue asteroid with a death wish planted itself right in the middle. If I’m being honest, I think Mu and Nu have some sort of hivemind complex going on. And I’m not carbon based. I’m made of silicon and oxygen.’

‘Cool! Nice to meet you, Delta. I’m surprised I haven’t met anyone in your system yet, considering that me and Upsilon are so close to you.

‘We’re all rather introverted.’

‘Intro-vert?’

‘Means that we aren’t menaces to the universe.’

‘Sounds boring.’

‘On the plus side, small, carbon-based planets — who just unlocked their communications — don’t interrupt us to ask about our solar system.’

‘Hey!’

‘Hey yourself.’

‘Wait, I have to go. Upsilon had a reaction to an excess of hydrogen. Honestly, you’d think a red giant like him would learn! I’ll talk to you later.’

‘Oh, joy.’

***

The infinite cold of space — which, by the way, is now several degrees colder — looks rather like a nice shade of navy blue, instead of black on the morning that the first Great Rip is discovered. A white, blinding line zigzags across a patch of empty space, creating a sort of vacuum that is sucking in dark matter and husks of dead stars. Several planets and comets have visited: it’s not that often that they get a new tourist attraction, after all. None of them have come back.

Several hundred thousand kilometres away from the Rip, one can hear static, an excited tapping, perhaps, a planet, speaking . . .

‘Delta! Delta, you there?’

‘What time is it? Who is this?’

‘Time for you to be up! It’s Zeta, your planetary friend!’

‘Oh my– Zeta. Again.’

‘Yep! Up bright and early!’

‘It can’t be bright. It’s space.’

‘It’s the thought that counts. Don’t be such a Debbie downer!’

‘Who’s Debbie?’

‘Nevermind. Have you heard about the Great Rip? Has Gamma?’

‘Gamma doesn’t get out much. But I have. Rather boring, if you ask me.’

‘Boring? Boring?! Are you kidding? It’s the most interesting thing that’s happened since I can remember!’

‘Uh-huh. What is it, exactly? The Meteoroid Tabloid isn’t that reliable.’

‘You read that trash?’

‘It’s how I keep up on celebrity gossip. Did you know that Nebula H67-94 split up with Nebula J23-78? Apparently J23-78 cheated on H67-94 with an asteroid. Unbelievable.’

‘Wait, really? I thought they just got married? Wasn’t H67-94 pregnant with triplet stars as well?’

‘Yeah, it’s awful. An asteroid, Zeta, an asteroid.’

‘Hold on, didn’t — wait! That’s off topic! I was telling you about the Rip!’

‘Right, right.’

‘It’s basically a giant vacuum. It’s like the name says, just a Rip in the fabric of space. My friend’s cousin’s boyfriend’s sister went in, and didn’t come back. I wonder what’s out there.’

‘Probably nothing.’

‘There has to be something! There can’t just be, be nothing.’

‘What exactly did you think existed before the Big Bang?’

‘I was rather fond of the theory that two existing universes collided together to make this one.’

‘And what was there before those two universes?’

‘Uh.’

‘My point exactly.’

‘Anyway! If there is nothing behind the Rip, then why is it there?’

‘Maybe the Universe sneezed.’

‘That’s boring.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry, let’s make it more exciting. A cross-Universe adventurer plowed through the fabric of time and space with a shark-shaped spaceship that happened to be painted colours that haven’t been invented yet! Oh, and the traveller inside? Yep, an alien.’

‘Oh, be quiet. It’s interesting, alright?’

‘Vaguely. What do you think will happen if it grows bigger? Or more appear? We’d all get demolished.’

‘True. But I still wanna see what’s out there.’

‘An adventurer, are you?’

‘A bit.’

‘Have fun with that.’

‘Thanks, Delta!’

‘Yep.’

***

The infinite cold of space seems to be a little lonelier on the day the 11th Great Rip is discovered. Planets and stars and nebulas are disappearing by the dozens, never to be seen again. The Meteoroid Tabloid claims that the Great Rips are invented by the black holes in an attempt to destroy the ‘last of the good standing citizens of this Universe!’ The Meteoroid Tabloid conveniently ignored the fact that none of their editors have been sucked into the Great Rips themselves.

If one listens closely, navigating the Great Rips with caution, one can hear static, a ringing phone, a nervous laugh, perhaps, a planet, speaking . . .

‘I can’t believe I’m — oh, hello? Zeta?’

Nothing.

‘Zeta, are you awake? You aren’t . . . gone, are you?’

Nothing.

‘The Great Rips are getting dangerous. Don’t tell me you’ve gone to one.’

Nothing.

‘Upsilon, right? The red giant? Is Zeta there?’

Nothing.

***

The infinite cold of space is slowly, but surely, getting eviscerated by the 269 Great Rips that now exist in the Universe. Entire solar systems have been destroyed, while planets and comets flee to neighbouring nebulas in hope of safety. The Milky Way Galaxy got sucked in in one fell swoop, but no one really cared except for Halley’s comet, who is currently being comforted by an elderly white dwarf star in Andromeda. (According to the Meteoroid Tabloid, Halley’s comet is particularly mourning the loss of one planet ‘Earth’. (No one at the Meteoroid Tabloid or the white dwarf star knows who ‘Earth’ was.))

In a safe reach of space, far away from the Great Rips, one can hear static, tapping, a voice, perhaps, a planet, speaking . . .

‘Delta?’

‘Zeta?’

‘That’s my name, don’t wear it out.’

‘Oh my god, Zeta — I –’

‘Are you ok? You don’t sound ok.’

‘I — I’m fine.’

‘As long as you’re sure.’

‘I’m fine. Where have you been?’

‘How’d you know I was gone?’

‘I, uh, I just noticed you hadn’t pestered me in nearly a dozen years. Got curious, that was all.’

‘Oh! Well, I took Upsilon to see a Great Rip.’

‘Zeta! You idiot! You know how dangerous those are, right?’

‘Yeah, duh. I wasn’t born with an iron base, Delta.’

‘Nice.’

‘Anyway, Upsilon wanted to see it. He’s getting old, you know? Don’t tell him I told you this, but he’s so large and gaseous that I worry he’s going to go black hole soon.’

‘Oh no. What are you going to do? Did he enjoy the Rips?’

‘I’ll probably relocate before he goes. I hear the K76-23 nebula is recruiting babysitters for the star nursery. I’ve always liked kids. And yes, he loved it! Said something about the Great Beyond, but you know how the red giants are.’

‘Definitely.’

‘Also, I don’t think you noticed, but I had a chance to visit your system while I was taking Upsilon! You didn’t tell me you had weather. I can see your hurricanes from miles away!’

‘You– you what?’

‘I visited you.’

‘And you saw my weather?’

‘Yeah?’

‘And I didn’t see you?’

‘Apparently not. Oh, also, dude, your axis? Why is it so tilted? How extreme are your seasons?’

‘Pretty extreme. My parents hate my axis. They say it’s in the ‘family genes’ to be perfectly vertical. As if.’

‘Sorry about that.’

‘It’s ok. At least I have weather, unlike my mom. She’s also iron based, which, hello, huge red flag.’

‘Your mom is iron based? That’s the saddest thing I’ve heard all day.’

‘Right? Hey, you never told me what you looked like either. You owe me now.’

‘I’ll just visit you someday. I don’t think words will do my beauty justice, Delta.’

‘Right.’

‘Hey!’

‘Hey yourself.’

***

The infinite cold of space is smaller now. The Great Rips make up 60% of the known Universe and most planets have fled or have been sucked into the Beyond. (The Meteoroid Tabloid gave tips on relocating solar systems, but their studio disappeared before the issue could go into a second printing.) Time travellers are desperately trying to find the source of the Rips, but none of them have been successful thus far. One failed attempt caused a continual time loop in which unlimited lemon squares were shot into various black holes. (No one asked what happened.)

Against all odds, there exists a corner of space where no Great Rips live. If one has a cassette recorder, or a stethoscope, one can listen to static, the swivelling of ears, muttering, perhaps, a planet, speaking . . .

‘Delta! Yo, Delta! Delta, Delta, Delta.’

‘What? What could possibly be so important that you had to wake me up?’

‘Hi.’

‘Oh you– you’re lucky you’re barely magnetic, or I’d fling you into into Mu or Nu and have them put their full wrath on you.’

‘On that note, why are our systems so close?’

‘No idea. We seem to have drifted closer because of the Rips.’

‘We’re lucky that there aren’t any close to here.’

‘Agreed. How’s Upsilon?’

‘He’s gotten worse. His hydrogen levels are depleting, and I think he’s running the risk of nuclear fusion.’

‘I don’t want to pressure you, but if I were you, I’d say my goodbyes. Remember what happened to Sigma’s system when they refused to move?’

‘Yeah. I just don’t know where I’d go, given how the Rips have eaten everything.’

‘You could join our system.’

‘Wait, really? I thought you hated me!’

‘What can I say, you’re like a Martian fungus. You grew on me and I couldn’t do anything.’

‘Aw, love you too.’

‘Ha ha. I’m being serious, though. It’s only a matter of time before Upsilon goes black hole, Zeta. You’d be gone forever.’

‘I mean, is it that much different than eventually being sucked up by a Great Rip?’

‘I guess not.’

‘But you still haven’t seen my beauty! Dude, this morning, I discovered a weather system near my pole!’

‘That’s awesome! Congrats.’

‘I think I have to go soon. He’s getting smaller.’

‘Ok, see you soon. Be careful, Zeta.’

‘Thanks, Delta.’

***

The infinite cold of space is almost gone. The Great Rips are rapidly moving across the Universe, eating up everything in their path. (If the Meteoroid Tabloid was still running, it would say that the Great Rips needed to try the latest neon-only diet that came directly from Nebula B12-90, who had lost 12% of her dark matter in 2 weeks!) In a small, dark corner near the edge of the Universe, one can barely see a small solar system. A nearby black hole is spinning wildly, and gas formations around it say that the black hole is not very old. The small solar system has a steadily burning star, (if one was friends with the star, one would discover the star’s name was Gamma), and four planets. Two of them were nearly identical in size and were orbiting near each other, close to the star. The other two were further away. One was small, and carbon based. The other was larger, but seemed to be edging closer to the other planet.

If one listens closely, one can hear static, hurricanes whistling, tapping and murmuring, perhaps, planets, attempting to speak . . .

How Would Trump 2nd Term Impact China?

Hot Chicken Chili

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

18 chicken wings
Oil (for frying)
1 quart tomatoes
2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 or 3 cups water
All-purpose flour
2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, chopped

Instructions

Roll chicken wings in flour and fry in hot oil until crisp.
Transfer to serving platter. Remove seeds from jalapeno peppers and chop.
Combine jalapenos, kidney beans and remaining ingredients in skillet where wings were fried (don’t throw the grease away).
Heat thoroughly, pour over wings and serve.

$2.9 TRILLION Stock Market Losses In One Day! w/ Ian Carroll

Shorpy

Is it realistic for China to annex Kokang in the next 100 years?

On August 1st, 2024, the Kokang Army captured the headquarters of the Northeast Military Command in Myanmar.

main qimg 8977ab2a21d1abd6cfba2b8081df3ab5

The Burmese army collapsed quickly, and the Kokang Army seized a major town with a population of 800,000.

Today (August 5th, 2024), the Kokang government abolished the discriminatory ID cards issued by the Burmese government and replaced them with special district ID cards. (The Burmese government implements discriminatory policies against ethnic minorities. In addition to non-citizens, there are six types of ID cards with decreasing rights. This is rare in modern society.)

I feel that the Burmese military government is incompetent and arrogant.

As the majority ethnic group, they bully minorities, but they ended up having their military command headquarters destroyed by local armed groups of minorities？

Several division commanders were even killed, which is a huge embarrassment.

The Kokang do indeed seek independence or to be absorbed into China, but it’s unlikely to happen.

Although the Kokang are actually Han Chinese, speak Chinese, and even use Chinese textbooks for their children, China needs to consider the feelings of other ASEAN member states, so it’s unlikely to accept the Kokang.

However, I believe this doesn’t mean the Burmese military government can arbitrarily massacre them.

Anyway, we have a lot of small troops like this.

Enough to prevent a humanitarian disaster.

After all, they are Han Chinese and are right next to China.

If someone were to be so foolish as to want to massacre them, then it would be perfectly normal for them to suddenly find ten thousand drones, endless artillery shells, air defense weapons, and electronic jamming equipment growing out of the ground.

The Spiritual Connection of Cats | Why Did GOD put a CAT in your life ?

Did anything bother Abraham Lincoln during his presidency?

More than anything, it was Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who bothered him. She was what was called in her day a “manic-depressive”, or rather a sufferer from bipolar personality disorder in our current lingo. Mary Todd would move between moments of great loving care, and extreme cruelty. In her manic episodes she would serve imported oysters and prove a passionate lover, in her depressive states she could be cruel, even physically abusive to her husband and sons.

main qimg 54afe2567e26b8826ca88971d160f14a

Abraham Lincoln, despite being an exceptionally strong 6′4″ man and a former athlete of some renown, was a complete slave to his mentally unstable 5′2″ wife — a wife who would, at times, abuse and degrade him in public, much to his considerable humiliation. Often she would cruelly make Honest Abe sleep on a hard couch or even the floor when they’d have a fight. He was every bit the stereotypical “henpecked husband” one would later see in sitcoms. When the two were in good spirits, things were truly great. And when they were not, things were truly horrific. Violent moodswings would catch the Lincolns off-guard at the most inopportune of moments. And the President suffered greatly from the ensuing uncertainty that followed him wherever he went.

There have been moments where Mary Todd Lincoln’s mental state declined to such a degree that Abraham wanted to have her committed to an asylum. The death of their beloved sons further drove Mary Todd to the very edges of reason… and as she drifted in and out of sanity, her husband suffered most of all, as he carried on his shoulders the weight of the nation and failed to find refuge even inside his own home.

What?

Colleagues

Michele Duess

My God she is being such a bitch.“So” Ryka said, “The man died and on the third day walked out of the tomb. Another zombie story is what this sounds li“It isn’t a zombie story! He was living. Zombies don’t live.”“They walk-““They’re dead!” Why couldn’t she understand? “They rot. It’s an evil spirit that animates them. He was alive, as you and me are.”

“And he said this is my body and my blood, eat and drink it. You have to admit that is very strange.”

“It’s symbolic,” George said through gritted teeth. “It is bread we eat and wine we drink. You know that. You just want to mess with me.” Out of all the people on earth he had to get stuck with her for a partner. Out of all the people in the world he had to get stuck with this lot. She was probably the most tolerable and that wasn’t saying a whole hell of a lot. Well, he supposed, that is what happens when you get caught fencing illegal items. You get the missions no one else wants and with people you cross the street to avoid. The police had slapped his hand until he got hold of two beehives. In this day and age, they were extremely valuable. How was he to know they were stolen from the New York Mafia? Of course, they and the FBI got involved. Some bad cesh went down, people shot, and now here he was. Unfair. Completely unfair.

“And then he rose into the sky. As if that is where heaven is.”

“Bear in mind this was written by ignorant people 2100 years ago. 2151, to be exact. Also, translated numerous times.”

“Of course it’s wrong, for that is not where the chosen place is.”

“Oh yeah? So where is it?”

“There is not one. To think there is a heaven is illogical and uneducated.”

George took some very deep breaths. Ryka had all the tact of an android. In fact, the androids had more, being programmed to be considerate. “Okay but what do your people believe? They must believe something since you just got through saying that’s not where the chosen place is.”

“It certainly is not there,” she said, gesturing at the spaceship’s window.

“I’ll grant you that.” George walked to the small port window and looked out at unfamiliar stars. How far had they come? He no longer remembered. But he knew why they were here. The private space company ASSL had found a possible earth like planet in this God forsaken region of space. Even using their new space warping devices it had taken two years to get here. This was why America took a page from history and sent criminals to scout these worlds. Criminals and the possibly insane who didn’t mind going on a spaceship for years. Truth was, ASSL would take anyone willing who didn’t get too space sick. If the criminals and the undesirables died trying, so what? At least America didn’t have to feed them. That had been a problem ever since these damned climate change immigrants had come here. At least he’d be fed better on ship than prison and a hero when he got back. If he got back. He rubbed his shoulder and wondered what his age would be then. Space warping messed with time. What had been two years for him might have been two weeks back home. Or four years for them. “But if not in the sky then where?”

“Underground. Where things grow and are nourished.” Ryka straightened herself up. “That is where it is.”

“No. That’s where hell is. It’s hot there. People burn in hell.”

“Because God lets the devil roam free to cause evil and mayhem. Yet he’s omniscient and omnipotent. Demons roam around. Ha. Your people thought-”

“I thought we long ago settled that! Besides, better than being eaten by your god, as you believe,” George growled.

“It’s a way to become one with his Holiness. We nourish him and He us.” Ryka was almost in George’s face now. They glared at each other. Then she relaxed and stepped back. “You’re insane,” she added.

“No doubt seeing as how I work with you.”

“I am the only thing that saves you.” She gave what passed for a smile for her and she went over to check the navigational system. For her size her footsteps were light. Well they did have reduced gravity on this ship. George sighed. Long ago he had made his peace with these immigrants. The war between his people and hers were over now. But it didn’t mean he wanted to share a spaceship with her and ten other idiots.

Maybe, said his mother’s ghost in his head, if you’d listened, made an honest living…

Maybe if you were a better damn mother, I would have…but no. You had to leave Dad to run off with that Tom moron.

Yeah, okay, blame me. I didn’t run off. And your father was virtual world addicted. What else could I do?

Well you might as well have run for all you helped me. I told you Tom beat me…

“Stop talking to yourself and come look at this, George.”

“Can’t do without me, can you? I tell you you’ll miss me the day I’m gone.”

Ryka contemplated smacking him. A shame they were monitored. Easy now, she thought. This can’t be easy for him. You are an immigrant in every sense of the word.

No. My great- great parents were. I am not.

Still. Give the guy a break. Besides, you know as well as I do you were goading him. You cannot make fun of anyone’s religion no matter how silly.

Oh, I will give him a break all right. “I am not sure we are staying on course. So, I seek your opinion.”

“My opinion is you can’t read.” He pushed past her and looked at the screen. “Well, you’re right. We are off. Why didn’t you correct it?” But he knew if she could, she would have. She may be annoying and more of a know it all than any android. But she also wasn’t stupid. He pressed buttons. “Why won’t the course correct?”

“I do not know. I thought it was a programming error. But that is not my forte. So, I ask you.”

George pulled up the navigational system’s program. “Hal looks okay.” Someone’s idea of a joke. “I think…it’s a hardware problem. But we got no warnings about it.” He hit the intercom button. “James! Get down here. NOW!”

“That was my ear. Did you have to shout in it?”

“Well excuse me. It’s not my fault that moron can’t hear right.”

“I do not think he can be a moron. He has no IQ, right? So that makes him an idiot.”

“Same thing these days. James. Did you turn off an alarm?”

“I did.” James stood there looking for all the world like a handsome movie star human. Or he would have if his hair wasn’t messed up and his shirt wasn’t on backwards.

“You stupid bucket of bolts your programming is messed up again.” George sighed. It wasn’t until after he signed up and was in earth’s orbit that he learned this company cut corners in every conceivable way. And why not? This mission was probably doomed to fail so they didn’t give them the top of the line technology. That was saved for the missions that had a chance to succeed. For example, the biosphere on Mars. But only the very wealthy could afford to go there, leaving out 99 percent of the population of earth. If they found an earth-like planet with an atmosphere they didn’t have to constantly maintain, then the costs of colonizing would be a lot less. George had been born in what was left of Florida. People there ate grits, meat made from insects, dealt with rationing and spent a lot of time in online virtual worlds. They did that to forget that between the native born and the immigrants there wasn’t much plant life left. They were slowly bringing it back. Actually, the immigrants helped. They had so much knowledge that really everyone should have listened to them sooner. Meanwhile, finding another livable planet would be a big help. Even bringing back samples and seeds would help. Now George had to deal with an extremely out of date android. “Did I order you to turn off the alarms?”

“Did you?”

“Great. Now I have to go through his programming. Again.”

“Let me.” Ryka walked over and smacked the android in the back of the head. James shook, rattled, and said, “No you did not order me to turn off the alarms.”

“Works every time,” said Ryka, with her strange smile.

George shook his head, sighed, and said “Then why did you?”

“So that you could sleep uninterrupted.”

“James, you can’t do that. It’s good Ryka caught it in time that we are drifting off course. Now we need to find out why. What did the alarm say?”

“I do not know.”

Oh, what the hell. George smacked him too. It hurt like hell but it worked.

“A thruster is malfunctioning. It is the gyro. Someone must take a spacewalk and fix it.”

Ryka said, “I vote for the bucket of bolts here to do it.” She gestured at James.

“Unfortunately, I don’t trust the bucket of bolts. And you’re the hardware person. Everyone else is still asleep. It’s our shift.”

“Chivalry is dead I see,” she said.

“Been dead two hundred years. We’ll both go. Out of the goodness of my hard, little heart.”

“Gee. I am touched.”

George smiled and patted her bony shoulder. “You should be. Well, let’s go suit up and get this over with before we end up in a black hole or a sun.”

“I should be so fortunate,” Ryka muttered and went to her room to get her suit. Unfortunately, she had a feeling if she did die the Holiness would spit her back into reincarnation. And for her actions as an assassin she probably deserved it. It had all been for a good cause, protecting what was left of the Amazon rainforest from an idiot dealer and his cartel. This idiot didn’t even want to develop it for food or she might have understood. This one wanted it for coffee. A drug at best, she thought and not even a good one. Worse, he was of her people. He claimed earth’s warming couldn’t get any worse. Did he not study their history? Still, her actions had been unethical and not kind. Certainly, innocents had gotten caught in the fighting. Hence why she was here with this thief and liar. As if she was any better, she thought.

Suited up they went through the hatch and out onto the spaceship. At least the suits were better than the old moon walk ones. They created a force field that held oxygen and pressurized atmosphere around the wearer. They were still rather hot and restricting to wear. Furthermore, they used electromagnets to attach the astronaut to the ship. Walking was difficult. Well, for Ryka it was. George was finding it easier than he thought. Too easy, he thought. We need to be quick about this. Slowly they made their way, pulling replacement parts behind them on a tether, over to the thruster. “The gyro is definitely burned out,” said George. “I hope it doesn’t happen again, since this is the only spare we have.”

“That cheapskate bastard of a boss,” Ryka grumbled. “She makes the damned shareholders happy while we cannot even get a decently working android never mind parts.”

“The word is bitch, Ryka. She’s female.”

“Wrong. That is an insult to all decent dogs everywhere.”

George couldn’t disagree with her there. He pulled on the tether. The bag of parts and tools floated over to him. “I don’t like this.”

“What?”

“My suit. I’m not sure the magnets are working correctly.”

“Well stop being so flatulent.” She wasn’t looking at him, not really paying attention. She was trying to pull out the old, burned gyro. Finally. she managed it and handed it to George. He gave her the new one.

“That’s too uppity. Which is your problem. Always lording your superior education over us. “

“Wrong! It is simply how I speak! You-” she broke off for she heard him cry out. She turned as quickly as could and saw his magnets had stopped working. She could see him frantically press the button on his emergency thruster pack. Nothing. He was floating away, faster than she would have thought possible.

“Jacking hell! Help me!” Thinking, she isn’t going to. He wouldn’t have blamed her. Too much risk and they didn’t like each other. Uneasy tolerance was the best they ever got. He could see her ugly gargoyle face watching him. It wasn’t exact but a close description. One hundred years ago America had climate change immigrants. They came from Venice, fleeing the rising seas. They came from Vietnam, Israel, and especially South America fleeing famine from a warming planet. America hadn’t been altogether happy about them. Aliens. You’re aliens the native born said, so go home. Then one day the real aliens came. They had made the same mistakes man did and their planet’s climate change nearly killed them. They came, hoping to be welcomed in exchange for trying to save earth. But when you look like demons from some medieval painting, George supposed, bad things happen. They couldn’t leave either. Broken ships, broken spirits. They truly had nowhere else to go. Then the fighting started, the cruelty, until no one knew who committed the worst atrocities. They only woke up when the ground and their souls were scorched. Now both human and alien were trying to save a sinking ship called earth. Or in George’s and Ryka’s case, redeem themselves.

I’m dead, George thought. Without even a priest to give me absolution. When was the last time he’d even been to Mass? Damned Catholic guilt. It never goes away. He had oxygen but soon that would deplete. There was panic although behind it was calm. So, this would be how it ends and maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. Better than dying senile and drooling in a nursing home thirty years from now, he guessed. Here the stars were bright and beautiful. Close to heaven as he’d ever get. The panic ebbed. In fact he almost felt stoned. It was so peaceful now. Then something clawed at his leg and slipped away. He somehow managed to twist around and reached out. Everything slowed except for the drum in his chest, his ears. His breath came harsh and fast. He heard nothing else. George saw her hand brush his but couldn’t feel anything. He stretched so much his shoulder felt as if it would separate. Yet there was no pain, just numbness. Not even that. It was a vast and lonely detachment. Then she shouted and he felt like James might when Ryka smacked him. As if some mechanical part slipped back into place and he could hear again. She shouted at him, telling him to try his pack thrusters again, help her. He mashed the button with all his might and for an instant they fired. Just enough so they could touch-then she gripped his hand. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She fired hers and they made their way back to the ship. Ryka then turned on her magnets and pulled him next to her. George found a handhold to grab, then another, blessing whoever put them there. Maybe he or she had had a vision that one day it would save someone’s life. Then, the ladder. He pulled himself up it, found the handle for the hatch, and fell into the ship. He hit the floor hard and barely felt it. He was alive.

“Byeheth culemth quelthel, Heorg!” Ryka shouted at him, coming into the ship.

“English,” he whispered.

“You picked up the broken suit!” She stood over him. Her eyes shone. With what? Was that fear he saw? Concern?

“J-James. He- must have hung it with the rest.” He couldn’t yet stand so he knelt, pulling it off, throwing it from him. His breaths came in gasps. “I-will f-father jacking strangle him. Jacker.”

Ryka gently, softly touched his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” He looked up at her from where he knelt on the floor. Trying not to cry. “Cesh! If it wasn’t for-”

“Yes, whatever.” she said, not looking at him. “Go mark that stupid suit so this does not happen again, okay? Once is enough. I will make sure we are on course.” She left. Quickly, as if embarrassed. He sat for a long time, shaking as if cold and thinking.

It was near the end of their shift, at breakfast, that he asked her why.

“Why what?” She looked away. Played with her food.

“You went after me. Risked yourself. You didn’t have to and no one would have blamed you.”

“Our bastard boss would have.”

“What’s she going to do, fire you?” George laughed. Ryka didn’t.

“I am certain you would have done the same.”

George shrugged. “Yeah. But you don’t even like me. Nor do I blame you,” he mumbled. The country had not learned its lesson the first time and had attempted some equal but separate laws. The results had been predictable. “So…” he gestured weakly.

“I am soft in the head, my friend,” Ryka said, “plus who else will I pick on? James does not get it and half of the others would stab me in my sleep.” She smiled. “Now you will just owe me one.”

“Okay.” George held out a hand and she shook it.

“I would like to know something, however.”

“Yes?”

“How do you strangle an android?”

“Special skills,” George said, smiling.

Are people in China allowed to openly criticize or make fun of Communist party politicians and President Xi?

It depends on the content of the criticism

If you mean something like FJB, I’m sorry, it’s not allowed in China

China has laws to stop such public attacks on individuals and the government. Any insulting or ideological attacks are prohibited. Of course, this does not mean that you will be arrested after making certain public remarks, but your remarks will usually be deleted. It’s the same as our remarks being deleted on Youtbe or X.

If your criticism is directed at a specific event, then it’s okay.

Chinese people or the Chinese government are pragmatic. They don’t like to waste time on political slogans and empty theoretical struggles.

If what you want to express is: the government is terrible, we need a better mayor to solve the various serious problems in the city!

Such criticism will be regarded as stupid in China, no one will pay attention to you, and everyone will think you are an idiot.

They welcome such criticism:

The traffic is terrible, there is always a serious congestion every morning at 5 kilometers on Highway 3, you must do something!

The garbage problem is terrible, the creeks in Pearl Park and Green River Park are full of garbage, what is the city cleaning department doing?

My house is threatened by noise, and a group of elderly people gather in the park downstairs every morning. It makes it impossible for me to rest, and you must solve all this.

Very good, if your criticism is like this. Then you have mastered the trick of criticizing the Chinese government.

This kind of criticism will have two dimensions of effect

1. Criticism itself

The government will have a specialist to evaluate your criticism (it may also be with the help of AI), your criticism will be classified, the jurisdiction will be determined, and it will be pushed to the corresponding responsible department.

The department that receives the criticism will investigate the situation you criticized and reply to you about their investigation and handling. And ask you to make a final evaluation of the case.

If you are not satisfied, you can appeal to their superior department again.

2. Statistical significance

When citizens have a lot of criticism around the same issue, such criticism will be upgraded to the perspective of “global problems”. This may mean that a department or an official has not performed his duties correctly, resulting in “bulk” dissatisfaction. Such problems are often given priority and trigger performance appraisals of officials. Severe cases may even trigger investigations and accountability of officials.

In fact, the Chinese government has set up many channels to accept people’s criticism, such as reception offices, emails, and hotlines. The most popular way is to submit your criticism through the Internet.

When I visited Shanghai, one of my female colleagues showed me a process of criticizing the government.

A new viaduct was built under the apartment building where she lived. This viaduct was to solve the traffic congestion on that road (nearby residents have been complaining for a long time)

But after the viaduct was built, the speed of vehicles increased significantly.

This brought more serious road noise, affecting the rest of the residents in the adjacent apartment building.

She was one of them, and she submitted her complaint about the matter through the website of the Mayor’s Mailbox of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

Three days later, her complaint was submitted to the Minhang District Traffic Management Bureau of Shanghai.

The Minhang District Traffic Management Bureau responded to the criticism two days later. It said that the construction of this viaduct had passed the environmental protection approval of the municipal government and was legal. Regarding the noise issue, they will be handed over to the Environmental Protection Bureau.

The Minhang District Environmental Protection Bureau replied two days later that they would send a commissioner to the vicinity of the viaduct to measure the noise. A week later, the Environmental Protection Bureau responded to the message: the noise measurement has been completed, and they believe that the noise at night is within the legal range. They hope that she can understand this matter and make a closure evaluation on this matter.

My female colleague obviously disagreed with the government’s explanation, so she called on her neighbors to criticize on the website, and they submitted the same opinions. About a week later, this opinion was raised to a higher level, and the Shanghai Municipal Government Environmental Protection Bureau intervened. Two weeks later, representatives of the residents of the apartment building were summoned to hold a hearing.

Two months later, a tunnel-shaped soundproof wall was built on the viaduct to completely isolate the traffic noise of the viaduct.

This criticism of the Shanghai Municipal Government was closed after several months.

This is a typical case of Chinese citizens criticizing the government and waiting for the government to respond to the criticism.

All the contents of these documents can be checked on the government website and made public to everyone.

Be a great Dad

Hearty Chili Roni

Macaroni is a great addition to this family favorite. Cooking the macaroni with the ground beef and seasonings for this Hearty Chili Roni makes cleanup a snap.

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 25 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 package McCormick® Chili Seasoning Mix, Original or McCormick® Chili Seasoning Mix, Mild
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounces) can reduced sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook ground beef, bell pepper and onion in large skillet over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until beef is browned.
Add Seasoning Mix; stir until well mixed.
Stir in tomatoes, beef broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ex Thought She Hit The Jackpot In Divorce Only To Be Working 2 Jobs With ZERO Men Interested In Her

Paul sounds like a decent dude.

On the trail of the shale

When I was in my early teens, but before I started working, my mother would drop us kids off at a nearby pool to spend the day at.

It was a swimming complex.

It has an attached golf course, and I would (most of the time) play golf and then just kill time. My sister, at that time, was relentless in ridiculing me, making fun of me, and making my life just miserable. So I avoided the pool. It was a hostile environment to me.

For a spell, perhaps when I was in 6th grade, or so, the pool was doing work on the pool. And the one side was torn up and exposed. And being a boy, I couldn’t help be explore it. And there, to my great surprise was piles of shale.

This, in case you don’t know it, is just layers upon layers of compressed grasses and leaves from the Carboniferous era.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I would easily chip open the blocks of stratified rocks and see images of leaves and plants that no human had ever seen.

Of course, my entire family thought I was nuts. My sister constantly made fun of me. My other brothers and sisters ignored me, and my father and mother complained about hauling home rock after heavy rock.

But I loved it.

It is the perfect pastime for the children.

Give them a hand trowel, and let them go to work. They will get an interest in history, in geology, and in collecting. In a world where everything comes with a price tag (in the United States) it’s free and cheap entertainment.

Today…

What was your first clue you were no longer as young as you thought you were?

It’s interesting that this question came along because I just recently got a clue.

It was , quite frankly, devastating. 🤣😂🤣😂

I went to see my son recently in Washington state.

We needed to take his van to the shop and used an Uber for transportation.

The driver was mid 40s or so. He was really friendly and very talkative about all the money he makes driving Uber. 😳

My son elbowed me and said hey this could be an easy way to make extra money and winked at me.

The Uber driver proceeds to say, “ Uber driving isn’t safe for woman especially elderly ones.

You could hear crickets. I’m thinking, is he talking about me? And my son is thinking, oh no, I hope he wasn’t referring to mom.

Because not a word was being said the driver asks , “ Mam, did I say something to offend you?

I said no, then we arrived at our destination and exited the car.

I turned to my son and just said, what the hell was that?! I felt as though I was being gaslit! I was just floored. And on top of everything I have never liked being called mam!🤣😂🤣😂

I asked my son if he would describe me as elderly? He said absolutely not mom, and anyway who is he to judge , he was pushing fifty at least!!!

Ok so I can laugh at it now but it really did a number on me.

Of coarse this became the theme of the trip. Every time we did something physical I would ask if this was something an “elderly” person would or could do.?!

We played badminton, we played frisbee, we hiked in the mountains, we replaced broken handles on his van. He lives upstairs and I took those stairs repeatedly like nothin!

Does that sound like an elderly person to you? 🤣😂🤣😂

I looked up what is considered elderly and the general consensus is 60 to 65, I will be 64 the end of the month.

I don’t know, but personally I have regarded being elderly as more of a physicality not age. Like the inability to do normal everyday activities without help of a person or device like a walker or wheelchair etc.

I guess it’s all one’s own perspective. I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’m not as young as I feel or think but having it thrown in my face like that was unnecessary !!

Alfred Hitchcock Presents S05E37 Escape To Sonoita

In your school, has a bullied ever snapped and beat the bully?

I was in seventh grade and there was a boy who was known to be handful to most of the teachers and a bully to a lot of the students. He tormented the girls. I was no exception. He was known to grab the girls in ways that would get him a “me too” hashtag today, though back then teachers brushed it off as “boys will be boys,” or “Oh don’t be so sensitive; he just likes you.”

Frankly I had endured his hands on me for the last time. One afternoon I was at my locker exchanging books for my classes. My hair was French braided, I had on a blouse, skirt, and dress shoes. This will be relevant in a moment.

The young man in question came behind me, sunk his hand into my braid down to my scalp and jerked my head straight backwards. Heaven only knew what he was going to do next but he didn’t get that far.

I spun around and slung my purse across his face like a sword, but I wasn’t done by a long shot. I dropped everything in my hands and took off after him when he started to run. Down the hallway we went. I was calling after him something along the lines of, “You think you’re tough, picking on the girls and grabbing us. How does it feel, huh?”

I cornered him and grabbed one of my dress shoes and walloped him over the head a few times before a teacher pulled me off of him.

Now it should be noted, I don’t condone violence and as an adult I have never put my hands on anyone in violence, but when someone continuously shows contempt for others, one must expect there will be consequences and you are not always free to choose the consequences.

Some have asked if I were in trouble for my actions. I was given a stern lecture for my “unladylike behavior” but that was as far as it went. Technically it could have been worse since I had “fought back” and they had a “zero tolerance.” But he had caused so much trouble in the past, and they knew my family would raise cane for punishing me for defending myself, that I think they felt it wise to leave it at that. And no, he never bothered me after that.

Toward a Second Cuban Missile Crisis? – Theodore Postol, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

How well do you think English signage is done in China?

I think it’s done very well.

In the 80s and 90s, there were hardly any Chinese characters on signs and advertisements in Beijing; they were all in English letters and Japanese kana.

Were we angry? Very angry.

Because we were poor, lacking technology and money, we had to swallow our pride. This included signs and subways; sacrificing the national pride of the entire population, we could only hope for more foreign investment.

Now, it’s required to have big Chinese characters on signs. No Chinese characters? Get lost! Do we really care about a few euros? Are you kidding?

Recently, a small African country launched a movement requiring the removal of Chinese signs and replacing them with local languages.

Because they said, “Our capital is almost turning into a Chinese county.”

All Chinese people feel: “Great, it should be like this!”

At least, in my opinion, it can be bilingual or trilingual.

In their country, their language should be on top, with Chinese or English on the second line.
Their native language font should be the largest, with Chinese or English reduced to 2/3 the size.
Even in Beijing, English letters still be the same size as Chinese characters, which makes me very unhappy.

Can’t the Chinese feel their lack of freedom?

The word “freedom”, if we go by what Franklin Roosevelt said, includes freedom of faith, freedom of expression, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.

I do feel that China has done very well.

Freedom from want – in China, you may not get rich, but as long as you are willing to work, you can always get by.

Of course, housing prices in the big cities are indeed very high, such as Beijing and Shanghai. But outside of the big cities, other things are not that expensive – meat, grains, transportation, industrial goods, clothing, etc.

The high housing prices in the big cities, I admit that this is a problem. However, if you don’t necessarily have to live in the big cities, housing prices in the smaller cities or rural areas are much more affordable.

Freedom from fear? I feel China has done very well in this regard. With nearly 10 million square kilometers of land, I don’t feel afraid to go anywhere. I’m not sure I fully understand what “freedom from fear” means.

I’m afraid of small meteorites hitting the earth, and I feel very fearful about that. But there’s no way to be free from that, right? I can only control myself, like saying I’m afraid of heights so I won’t go to China’s dangerous historic sites. Is that “freedom from fear”?

As for freedom of faith, I think China has that. There are over 300 million religious believers.

Take Islam for example, which the West has been constantly lying about – just in Xinjiang alone, there are 25,000 mosques. The entire US only has 2,000…

It’s true that Communist Party members are not supposed to have religious beliefs, but for ordinary people, who cares what you believe?

Atheism, agnosticism, and indigenous folk religions – aren’t they also forms of faith?

Freedom of expression.

At times, I really feel that the Chinese and American people, who has more of this freedom.

Yes, we can only use VPN to access the global internet, like the one I’m using for Quora now, which costs an extra $1.5 per month. It’s annoying to pay that extra $1.5, but it’s not that expensive. That’s all about it.

Chinese netizens chased and cursed at the Israeli embassy’s Weibo account, and in the end the embassy had to call the police. But the Chinese police could only advise the netizen to “be gentler”.

Chinese netizens made lots of mocking videos about Kim Jong-un, and North Korea put pressure on China through diplomatic channels. China’s response was: the netizen’s behavior was self-initiated, we can’t stop it.

Yes, I don’t dare make any mocking videos of Xi Jinping, but I also don’t want to, because I think he’s doing a good job. Even if I did mock him, I’d just get a scolding, nothing would happen to me. But I just don’t have the motivation to do that, because I genuinely think he’s doing well.

At the end of the day, you think we lack freedom and should resist. But if we feel we’re doing quite well, what should we do?

Barbara Bel Geddes As “Sybilla” – The Perfect Wife? | Hitchcock Presents

What did your sister do to you that you can never forget?

My sister is 10 years younger than me.

Once, when I was 13, I was in my room studying, when she waddled in.

“Watcha doin’?” she asked.

“I’m reading,” I replied, without looking up from my book.

“Why?”

“I’ve exams in school.”

“Why do you have essams?”

This is not going to end well, I thought to myself. I need help!

“Mom!” I yelled. “Get her out of here! She’s disturbing me!”

“Kiddo! Come over here, and don’t disturb your brother. He is studying,” my mother called out from the other room.

“I won’t dissurb him,” my sister yelled back. “I’ll be quiet.”

“Are you sure?” asked my mother.

“I promise!” she affirmed.

I decided to let it go. I did not want to waste any more time.

She picked up one of her books and sat on the floor, looking at the pictures. She was true to her word: she did not disturb me… for all of five minutes. She then looked around, pulled up a stool, and sat near me.

I ignored her.

She started “reading” aloud from her book.

I ignored her.

She stopped reading and looked at me.

I ignored her.

“Mom!” she yelled. “Tell brother to get out! He’s dissurbing me and not letting me read!”

How come the presidential succession process in China is not written down? What if President Xi is killed by a foreign power and China needs the new president quickly to make major urgent decisions?

It is not written down because China is not the US.

Chinese know that the most sensitive issues need to be decided by the right people at the right time while they are facing a challenging and fluid situation.

How can a written-down rule by dead people capture the dynamics of a challenging and fluid situation for living people?

It can’t…

That is why living people need to appraise the situation and decide what to do.

China’s opening vs. U.S. closing? Jeffrey Sachs explains the shift

Realistic and holistic approach that China is taking regarding itself and Geo-political issues.

The Economic Crash

Guest Post by Giuseppi Filotto

May finally be starting.

Nearly 3 Trillion USD wiped off the stock market in one day.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1931549/global-financial-meltdown-markets

Tel Aviv diplomats leaving Israel.

Iran saying a “decisive” response to Israel is coming in the next 24 hours

(((America))) sending warships to the middle East

It is starting to line up quite a bit.

Hypothetically, is Iran were to actually nuke Israel, as in really wipe it off the map, the Jewish bankers running America would undoubtedly try to go for global nuclear war in a fit of demonic rage, so it could get really bad.

Then again, the guys actually pulling the nuclear triggers MIGHT suddenly be struck by conscience (doubtful) either way, it is unlikely that is Israel was wiped out the global war would not intensify.

The point is that the puppeteers, whatever you believe about them and whoever your own research states they are, are not, ever, going to be removed from power by peaceful means.

Nor will they stop with their demonic agenda.

Once you DO do your own research and look into it, the conclusion that these people are operating under a spiritual, that is, religious, belief system to at compels them to act as they do is inescapable.

And that religion is “Illuminism” and their God is Lucifer, the light-bringer. And their coming of the “Messiah” is what Catholics have predicted for centuries: The Antichrist.

I was never a religious person and I thought Catholicism was absurd (because the Novus Ordo Satanic “Catholic” Church that has masqueraded as Catholic since 1958, IS absurd, AND Satanic).

It took a literal road to Damascus moment to show me God is real and God is Love. And I then spent the next 4 years obsessively educating myself on Christianity. And finally concluded real Catholicism (only espoused by Sedevacantists today) was indeed the closest and best representation of reality, and in testing it ever since, I have only had repeated, unfailing proof that it is in fact the best and truest way to interpret reality as it is.

I no more wanted Demons and Satan to be real than any other libertine still stumbling around addicted to pleasure and excitement. But reality is as it is, not as we wish it to be, and ultimately, no one will be left on the sidelines.

As our Lord explained some 2000 years ago:

Either you are with Him, or you are against Him. Those are the only two choices available. Ultimately the choice between Good or Evil is binary. Though the road to it is far from binary, the final choice is.

And you will not be spared the having to choose; because not choosing is also a choice for the darkness.

So. Pick your master, for we all have one.

I pray those of you as hard-headed as I was get your road to Damascus moment right now, and that those of you a little smarter can get there by logic and reason alone, but I pray you all get there.

God is real. So is Free Will.

You are not a puppet. You get to choose.

I hope you choose well. Sedevacantism is indeed the Way. Research it for yourself, don’t take my word for it.

Oscar Winning Walter Matthau In “Very Moral Theft” | Hitchcock Presents

Was there ever a time in your life where you had little to no social interaction? How long? What happened?

I recall a couple of episodes of about three weeks each.

The first was during a winter break during my second year of law school. I think my finals must have been extraordinarily early, because I had an entire three weeks off, and the four-bedroom house I was sharing was vacated by my three housemates, all of whom scattered for long family holiday plans. I decided to clean out the basement of the house, part of which had been left untouched since I moved in, and was packed with various old tools, painting supplies and junk. In the process, I found some sandpaper, tack cloth, brushes and some ancient spar varnish that looked in great shape, so I decided to refinish my dining room table. I’d never done anything like that before and it was in the days before YouTube (or any internet, for that matter), so the fact that it turned out beautifully still amazes me.

I never left the house for those three weeks except to walk across the street to drop a library book in the return bin. I spoke face-to-face with only one other person, an ex-boyfriend who dropped off a Christmas present for me, and that was limited to the basics, Hello, How are you, Thanks for the thought. Good-bye. I probably spoke with my mother on Christmas Day, because I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t have called. And that was it.

I probably read a couple of dozen books, listened to a bunch of records, reorganized the hall closet, and built a couple of fires in the rarely used fireplace.

It was glorious.

The second was at a very rustic weekend vacation cabin I had bought on an Indian reservation north of Seattle (I owned the cabin, but it was on leased Indian land).

I was a practicing attorney at the time. A couple of cases scheduled for trial unexpectedly settled and freed up a block of three weeks with nothing that urgently required my presence, I hadn’t had a vacation in years, but it was on too short notice to do anything like foreign travel, so I packed up three weeks of supplies and a gallon of bleach to sanitize the well and went to stay at the cabin.

For those three weeks, I read, puttered around the cabin fixing things, hand-sewed some curtains, painted the interior, and saw nobody except the few cars a day that traversed the road in front of the cabin. I had no telephone (this was in the days of landlines only and there wasn’t one installed there) so I didn’t talk to anybody either. I had no TV, stereo or radio (except the radio in my car), so nobody talked at me, either. The only social interaction I had was that I did treat myself to a dinner out, alone, at a restaurant in a nearby town, and spoke to the waiter to give my order, ask for my check, and thank him on the way out. I’m pretty sure that was the only person I spoke to for three weeks. The only complaint I remember was that I didn’t bring quite enough books and quite enough wine.

Both of those episodes were long before the days of the Internet, social media, cell phones, email, etc. Isolation like that would be quite difficult today, I suspect.

After both of those experiences, I felt that I could have easily and enjoyably continued my isolation for another two or three weeks before I might start wishing for human contact.

Shorpy

What are the risks of allowing Chinese EV imports into the US?

It would risk shattering the illusion that Chinese Technology is just copies and fakes.

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Just like how Japan proved they caught up to America when their cars and electronics sold in the USA are found to be better quality and more high tech than American Products, Chinese EVs will show to Americans that Chinese products can be worth the money and high quality too.
If American start buying expensive goods from China too, then US industries are in trouble.

BANGS Rage Quits Over TRANS debate?

What’s the most unreasonable request you’ve received from your boss?

I had a job threaten me about missing work for my then wife’s surgery.

I worked in solid waste. Basically, I was a garbage man. I did commercial dumpsters for 11+ hrs a day, 5 days a week. Great money, but long, long hours. I had been in solid waste at the time for about 13 yrs.

So, on to the story. I was married at the time. My then wife had found out she had a bone issue in her foot. The bone had become necrotic, and they were going in to basically try to cut out the dying bone, use other bone and something called ‘bone putty’ to save her foot. This surgery was scheduled weeks in advance. We had just moved to the area we were living in maybe a year and a half earlier. Any family we both had were states away, and anyone that could help basically were still working. At first, I was like… okay. I’ll burn up a few vacation days so I can take her to the surgery and for a few days of recovery. But, as we got closer to the surgery, they were thinking she would be out of commission longer than originally expected. So, the doctor told me to get FMLA paperwork from my job. Basically, paperwork that allows you to miss work for medical reasons for yourself or a family member. I’m like, great. This will make sure I can be there for her and still keep my job. 5 weeks out, I get the paperwork, and fill it out. I take it to the doctor, and they fill out their part. It became one of the most annoying, stress filled things I’d ever be involved with. Several times each week leading up to the surgery date, I was constantly checking on the status. My employer would have a different excuse every time. “Oh, this wasn’t filled out correctly” or “they didn’t receive the 2nd page on the fax” or something. The doctors office hated me. About the 12th time I called the office to ask them to check on this or that and please re-fax it, they were almost to the point of ignoring me. I asked was this typical, and everyone I talked to were like, no. This is not typical. Some were like, I’ve never seen a company do this to their employee.

So, it’s the day before the surgery. I had been very vocal at work as to what was going on, and why I wasn’t gonna be there. Midway through my shift, my supervisor calls me to tell me that the FMLA paperwork still wasn’t correct. It’s not been approved, and I quote, “if you are not here tomorrow, I’ve been told to tell you that there will be consequences.”

I’ve never had issues with attendance. In the whole time I had worked for this shop, I never missed a day, never been late. I had coworkers who would call off to “go to the beach”. I remember just a few months earlier, I had to cover part of a route because a dude was going to a Nascar race weekend, and it was like, oh. Well, they called out. Here, here’s a few pages of their route. Just work it in. Nothing was ever done or said. But, I legitimately had a family member having a major surgery done and it was just the two of us in the area and less than 24 hours beforehand they are gonna tell me there would be consequences if I called out, having plenty of PTO time banked?

I remember telling them, look. I’m not going to be here. This isn’t up for debate now. They reiterated the threat. That day, I knew I’d never drive another garbage truck again. I knew that was the end of that career and chapter in my life. I had worked for several companies in several states. Some great. Some, not so great situations. But, this was the first time I had ever gotten put into a situation where they were either just wanting to be jerks, or show some form of power over me.

I’ve always given 2 week notices and even since this time, I always parted from jobs having given them plenty of time, trained a replacement. Tied up all loose ends. I believe in avoiding burning a bridge, but in this situation, I was done. I had a nasty voicemail left the night of. Then, literally while she was in surgery, i got a call that it was approved and it was only for that day. The surgery had further complications, and was worse than originally thought. I played phone tag with my supervisor and manager. Asking for a few more days. Then, I got a letter stating I had abandoned the job.

I’ve since gone on to other careers. Went back to college and got a degree related to the IT field. Worked several years in that field for a couple companies. When covid hit, I decided to follow a long time dream/fascination of getting into Healthcare. I’ve spent several years now working as a nursing assistant in a hospital. I’m going to college to be a respiratory therapist. This has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Part of me wants to look at it as everything happens for a reason kinda thinking. I do think if they had acted differently, there’s a good possibility I’d still be a garbage man. I enjoyed the job, itself. The pay was great. But, the biggest problem I always saw in that field was the way the shops were ran. The way management treated their employees. This shop was and I think still is one of the biggest haulers in the US. I had worked for them previously when I was living in Ohio, and based off of my reputation in OH, I acquired the same job in NC after having lived in FL and was moving north. But, I think it was just my time to move on. It was a lesson learned. Same with the 7 yrs I spent in IT. I think it was a character builder, and I think it helped me to be able to talk with and empathize with my current patients. I do wonder, will I ever run into those who were in upper management in my current job. Obviously, I’m going to give them the best care that I can provide. I guess I’m just wondering how they’d treat me.

This Isn’t Your Wife! | House M.D.

Since China sent military and coastguard vessels into Japanese territorial waters near the Diaoyu Islands, why did Japan send the Suzutsuki into Chinese waters and provoke China?

Japanese ships come if they want to, after all, our warships sail through their strait every day as if it’s just a regular street. Japan must have mustered great courage, trembling with fear, to come this time.

In the past, the U.S. would come once a month. They didn’t have much to do when they came; coming was the purpose itself.

You know, once a month, like clockwork, which made me suspect that if the U.S. Navy had a gender, it would definitely be female.

Now the United States is not coming, maybe to save fuel, it ordered its minions to come, last month the Netherlands, this month Japan. What use can a small raft be? It’s like a small dog, it barks happily.

If we talk about political wisdom, we have to look at Europe. Last time the United States pulled a group of people to conduct military exercises near China, Spain sent the warship in the picture – let me ask you, is this a warship? A real sailing battleship!

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Kishida Fumio is just like Bongbong Marcos, they are definitely doomed, maybe even along with South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol. But what else can they do? They have to make some moves; if they do nothing, they’ll just wait to suffocate to death.

Even pigs squeal and twitch a few times when they’re being slaughtered, let alone the Japanese Prime Minister.

But it’s useless.

Modern Women Are UPSET BECAUSE Men Keep Avoiding Them At Work

Beef Stew with Dumplings

This beef stew with mushrooms, dumplings and sour cream is a substantial and satisfying main dish. Serve it with a green vegetable salad and French bread.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Stew

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds (1kg) stewing steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 ounce (30g) (2 tablespoons) butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons brandy, warmed (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 pints (5 cups) homemade beef stock
6 ounces (185g) mushrooms, wiped clean
5 fluid ounce (150ml) (5/8 cup) sour cream

Dumplings

8 ounces (1/2 pound) bread crumbs made from day-old white bread
4 tablespoons water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground mace

Instructions

Heat the oven to warm 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a large plate. Roll the beef cubes in the flour mixture until they are lightly coated.
In a large frying pan heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is soft and translucent. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion and set aside on a plate. Add the beef cubes to the pan, a few at a time. Brown them well, adding more oil and butter if necessary. Remove the beef cubes as they brown and place them in a large ovenproof casserole. If you are using the brandy, put it in a metal ladle. Set it alight and pour it, still burning, over the beef cubes in the casserole. When the brandy has stopped burning, add the onion to the casserole with the bay leaf and stock. Cover the casserole and place in the oven to cook for 2 hours.
While the meat is cooking, make the dumplings. Put the bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl. add the water, a little at a time, and toss lightly with a fork. the bread crumbs should be just moistened, not soggy. Still using the fork, lightly mix in the eggs. add the salt, pepper, parsley, onion and mace. With floured hands, shape the mixture into walnut size balls. add the dumplings to the casserole, with the mushrooms, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Spoon over the sour cream just before serving.

Why did Sweden make their own fighter jets?

Because for a long time during the world wars and the cold war and quite some time before and after Sweden had a policy that was summarised as “Alliance free in peace, neutrality in war”. Now being neutral makes some people think that the country is vulnerable or a pushover. The opposite is generally true in reality. Neutrality only works if you have something to back it up with. It also means that you need to consider your weapons systems incredibly carefully.

Buying fighter jets from NATO or the USSR (though the latter would never really be the case for Sweden) means becoming dependent on their supply chains, their expertise and often conceding to some of their terms. This was not seen as acceptable, so Sweden started a domestic arms industry of some magnitude. This kept us less bound to NATO and also gave us the opportunity to create fighters based on Swedish circumstances and Swedish defence doctrine.

Swedish defence doctrine is basically summarised as going apeshit until either we get support from the side that didn’t invade us or until the opponent realises that it isn’t worth it. Every adult over 18 in Sweden can be called in for service in case of war, all discussions of surrender is to be treated as false and there are small bunkers, radar stations, hidden roads for air fields and so on everywhere and we have an arms industry that builds almost everything the Swedish defence needs.

This has been somewhat softened after the cold war ended, but a lot of it is still in place and our arms industry is one of the pieces still going strong.

A Gripen can be serviced by a conscripted 18 year old for most things, it can take off from small roads in the woods, from quickly converted airfields (my old University was built to be converted to an airbase in case of war) or basically any somewhat straight piece of hard ground. This makes it essential for the Swedish style of total defence. Any somewhat straight road, and we have a lot of them can be used to stations a quick refueling and service station for Gripens. Sure it can’t match the top of the line American fighters in many other fields, but for defence it doesn’t have to and it’s a lot cheaper for us to produce ourselves than it would be to buy something that while better in many other ways, don’t fit our doctrine.

Tension Subsiding in South China Sea

Elephant In The Room Shaped Like A Monkey

Perry Terrell

Elephant In The Room Shaped Like A Monkey

By Perry Terrell

“You suck.”

“Lauren!” yelled Jared. “For lack of a better term?” He thought she was joking.

“There is no better term. You just plain suck.”

“Why?” Jared asked.

“Why? Why? Why, you ask? I see that monkey. I know it’s dark in this space ship, but I see that monkey. I thought since the two of us won this mission, it would be a great chance for us to be close and really get to know each other. But you brought a monkey along? Why would you do that? Why?”

Jared looked puzzled. He was almost dazed and confused by Lauren’s outburst and attitude.

“Suppose I want to kiss you and wind up kissing that monkey.”

“Well, she has lips too.” He laughed so hard. He couldn’t see what the problem was with the monkey. Also, he still thought she was joking.

“She? She? It’s a she?” Lauren was screaming.

Jared was making frowning faces but Lauren couldn’t see his expressions because of the darkness.

For a moment there was silence.

Lauren went to the window and raised the shade. They were already on the moon and all she could see were Lunar Craters. Hundreds and thousands of them.

“I want to go home,” she said.

“Ahhh, we’re on the moon, Lauren. We have data to gather and pictures to take. Besides, you could have brought a pet.” Jared was trying to comfort her. He was saying to himself that this was going to be a real long mission if she keeps this up.

“Well, my horse was in the shop and I couldn’t get him out in time for this trip.”

For a moment Jared thought she was going to join him in a little humor. He went over to her by the window and put his arms around her waist.

“Monkey, monkey, monkey,” she started yelling. “Get your monkey away from me.”

Jared threw his hands up and back away. He said to himself again, yep, this is going to be a very long and painful mission.

Meanwhile, the monkey was kicked back trying to see what she could see, mostly listening.

Jared went over to his monkey and patted her on the head.

“How did you get that monkey on this ship? I didn’t see you with a monkey packed with your things.”

“The Captain put the monkey on the ship for me.” Immediately after he said, “for me,” he regretted it. He should have made it seem like the Captain did it as a part of the mission.

“So, it is your monkey,” said Lauren.

“The monkey is a part of the mission.”

“By doing what exactly? You do know that three is a crowd.”

“Lauren, please. Let’s just do our job and get along. The monkey is not a problem.”

Lauren had romantic feelings for Jared. She was good friends with the moderator and had her manipulate the drawing to have the two of them paired up to take this mission together. There were a couple other candidates qualified to take this mission and gather the necessary data, but by the luck of the draw, she was paired with Jared.

But with that monkey in the room, she had regrets. Although, she did fancy herself as romantically persuasive, she decided to ignore the monkey and try and concentrate on Jared. Besides, they were going to be stuck in this space ship on the moon for 27.3 earth days or there abouts.

In her astronaut training, she think she read that if a person stays in one place on the moon, then the sun rises, stays up for about two earth weeks, then set, and stays down for about another two earth weeks. Then that makes a complete day on the moon which lasts as long as 27.3 earth days, or something like that. She was almost sure she remembered the correct calculations.

“OMG!” said Lauren. “This monkey is going to start stinking. I’m not going to try and clean her up.”

“Okay, Lauren,” she said to herself. “Get a grip. Ignore the monkey in the room. Twenty-seven point three days alone, well almost alone with Jared is going to be a good thing. At least the monkey won’t be talking.”

Lauren took a few deep breaths and composed herself the best she could. Then she started feeling around and trying to see Jared. She couldn’t find him, so she called out.

“Where are you, Jared?” Then she thought that he better not be hugging that monkey. She didn’t mention the monkey as she was trying to make peace.

Jared wanted out of this trip too, but it was so very much too late and only the first day.

“I’m over here getting the cameras in place. We need to take the videos and digital snapshots.”

Lauren couldn’t help herself. She said, “snapshots and videos of what? Selfies with you and your monkey?”

“You are a brat, Lauren.”

“You are calling me a brat?”

“Yeah, I call ‘em as I see ‘em.”

“Well see this.” The monkey handed her a banana peel and she threw it across the ship.

“You know, I never wanted to go out with you, Lauren.”

“But you did. Why? Was your monkey busy that night?”

“Well, why did you accept?

“I took one look at you, Jared, and you looked like an idiot looking for his keys under a street lamp because that was where the light was. And I said to myself, he can’t be that pathetic. He is an astronaut afterall. You see, I have a weakness for the underdog.

“Oh, you flatter me.” In his mind he called her a witch and a few other things.

“You are like a non-drowsy sleeping pill and a crash landing all rolled up in one, Lauren Dear.”

“Wait. Are you calling me an oxymoron?”

“Well at least you are not an idiot, yet. But you do have more beans inside you than a burrito.”

Lauren realized she was not accomplishing what she had set out to do which was to keep Jared in her life. She felt that she was getting to know him alright. But, so far, they were not getting closer.

She thought it over in her mind. We need to call a truce. I suppose I should jump to it first.

“Truce, truce, truce,” she kept saying.

Jared took a deep breath.

“A truce? That works for me.”

Jared started feeling and looking around for Lauren, slipped on the banana peel and landed on top of her.

She put her arms around him and was thinking to herself that Jared’s monkey might not be too bad to have along after all.

Jared knew where the banana peel came from and was thinking the same thing.

“This is going to be a great mission, Lauren felt good to say.

“Yes, Dear, it’s going to be great waking up every morning and not feel like I’m in the middle of the freeway.

Lauren wanted to react to that remark, but she let it go and kept holding Jared in her arms.

Men being men

What do you eat when you have nothing to eat?

A problem with food banks, and eating randomly when the opportunity arises, it that a lot of what these agencies provide is processed foods that are heavily laden with salts, sugars, non-nutritious fats, and many chemicals (including preservatives) that can be toxic to the body. If I were low on monetary and food resources, I would shoot for the natural, nutritious foods that are inexpensive or easily obtainable. Buy them in bulk if possible. Examples of inexpensive foods that pack a nutritional punch, ones that are also tasty:

The humble potato. They can be chopped up, smeared in extra virgin olive oil and baked in a microwave oven. Avoid the butter, margarine, ghee, etc. Do not fry the potatoes like they do the French fries. You could add spices, depending on your taste. Also add tomato paste before the baking. The nutritional value of the potato is very high, but loading it with trans-fatty oils, high cholesterol fluids will negate the value. And the potato is tasty and filling.
But for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, an alternative to potatoes that is both filling and low sugar and calorie is the carrot. And carrots are both inexpensive and easy to consume as either raw, medium-cooked, or fully-cooked. You can more easily lose weight while eating carrots, although they are not as nutritious as potatoes, But eating a balanced assortment of nutritious foods will make up for that.
Tomato paste, mentioned above is a thoroughly inexpensive way to eat tomatoes. The red paste is a concentrated and safely processed form of the highly nutritious tomato. A huge bulky can is sold for about $5, would last for weeks in the cooler, even if you use a lot of it every day.
Some in the bean family such as cowpeas, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Buy them raw, to defray the expenses and to avoid the salted canned ones. Place them in water overnight. This will hydrate and soften them and make them easier and faster to cook the next day.
Oatmeal. A canister, depending on size, will last you weeks or even months.
The egg is famously nutritious, and one a day is enough. Boiled, or fried in olive oil. Wonderful animal protein, many B-vitamins.
Drink your tea or coffee in moderation. The antioxidants are there and helps keep you alert. Use stevia, the natural no-calorie sweetener….inexpensive and not bulky. Cut out the sugar, the Equal, and the Splenda. Go for Stevia….comes in several name brands.
An orange or tangerine a day does wonders.
Carrots are another inexpensive nutritious powerhouse.
Eat your nuts. The least inexpensive way to consume nuts , and to avoid overeating them is to buy them in bulk at the grocery store or places like nuts.com. And of course, many roasted nuts from the stores are overrated. If say you placed small amounts of a Brazil nut, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, peanuts, flaxseeds, etc (or whatever you prefer) in a small Pyrex bowl, added some water and olive oil, microwaved the mixture, you would come out with a very nutritious homemade power bar. Just don’t over roast or burn. Having natural foods at home is not only cheap, but deters you from overeating, and eating processed foods. Also, prepare your snacks at home. Nuts place you in a good mood
Banana. Delicious and nutritious, and filling, mood-enhancing, hydrating, inexpensive. One a day does the trick.
Water…drink your water. This can’t be emphasized enough. This is the medium of body and other functions
Go for inexpensive vegetables, rainbow colors, instead of the tv diners which are hazardous to your health. Eating natural foods makes it so much less expensive to manage your health
Exercising goes well with eating inexpensively and nutritiously, whether you are on a budget or not. My list is inexhaustible, but I suppose a reasonable guideline.
A bit of garlic/onion should be incorporated in the diet, daily.

Be the Rufus

“No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it.” Christopher Ratte.

Some Persian soldiers had buried their treasure at the time when the last remnants of Persian soldiers and Persian sympathizers were driven out of Hellenistic Greece. Archaeologist Christopher Ratte and his team have been in Western Turkey for years working on the ancient site of Notion – then part of Ionia – and have found a pot of rare Persian gold coins in what appears to be a basement room.

Credit: Notion Archaeological Project.

The New York Times has published a story on this find, with interviews of Christopher Ratte. Here is a share of that article:

By Franz Lidz, Aug. 2, 2024

It is the late fifth century B.C. and a mercenary soldier kneels in his modest quarters, digging a hole in the earthen floor. He places a small jug, called an olpe, in the hole for safekeeping and covers it with dirt. In the olpe are his savings — scores of gold coins, known as darics, each one equal to a month’s pay.

But something happens to the soldier — possibly something sinister — and he never retrieves his hoard, which remains undiscovered for the next 2,400 years.

That is one of several scenarios proposed by Christopher Ratté, an archaeologist at the University of Michigan, to account for the cache, which he and his research team recently unearthed from the ruins of Notion, an ancient city-state in modern-day Turkey. While digging beneath the courtyard of a house dating to the third century B.C., the excavators found the remains of an earlier dwelling. “The coins were buried in a corner of the older building,” Dr. Ratté said. “We weren’t actually looking for a pot of gold.”

Darics were chiefly used to provide payment to soldiers of fortune. Andrew Meadows, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the project, said he knew of no other hoard of this type to turn up in Asia Minor. “This is a find of the highest importance,” he said. “The archaeological context for the hoard will help us fine-tune the chronology of Achaemenid gold coinage.”

The archaeological site at Notion spans 80 acres atop a promontory in western Anatolia, a borderland dividing Asia from Europe. It was one of the Greek-speaking communities that emerged in the region during the early first millennium B.C., perhaps because of migration across the Aegean Sea. The deposition and loss of the Notion hoard occurred at a time of warfare, insecurity and great power machinations in a contested frontier zone.

This was true in deepest antiquity, as remembered in the story of the Trojan War,” Dr. Ratté said. “And it remains true to this day, as demonstrated by the Syrian refugee crisis.” He noted that the small harbor on the east side of the city was one of the departure points for Syrian refugees who fled across Turkey to Europe during the refugee crisis a decade ago.

Anatolia is the birthplace of the Western world’s first state-issued coin, the stater, which was created by a seafaring people called Lydians. King Alyattes standardized the weight and design of the Lydian stater, which, beginning around 610 B.C., was struck in electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver. The king’s son and successor, Croesus, is credited with minting the first true gold coin, the Croeseid. The expression “rich as Croesus” refers to his extravagant wealth as well as the opulence of Lydia during his rule.

Fortifications at Notion, a Greek-speaking community that emerged in western Anatolia during the early first millennium B.C. Credit: Notion Archaeological Project/University of Michigan.

Excavations at Notion last year. While digging beneath the courtyard of a house dating to the third century B.C., researchers found the remains of an earlier dwelling and a cache buried there. Credi: Notion Archaeological Project/University of Michigan.

In 546 B.C., the entire area, known as Ionia, was conquered by the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Although Croesus was defeated in battle by Cyrus the Great, his gold-based monetary system lived on. The Persians continued to manufacture Croesids until they introduced their own bimetallic currency, made up of silver and gold coins. The silver coins were called sigloi, and the gold ones were darics — a name derived from either Darius I, who ruled the Persian Empire from 522 B.C. to 486 B.C., or dari-, the root of the Old Persian word for gold.

In 427 B.C., according to the Greek historian Thucydides, an Athenian general named Paches attacked and killed a troop of pro-Persian mercenaries at Notion after luring their commander into a trap. The Persian sympathizers were then expelled, and Notion was reorganized under Athenian supervision.

Two decades later, a decisive naval battle in the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta was fought off the coast of Notion, which the Athenians had been using as a naval base. Dr. Ratté said that the gold hoard might have been connected to the events of 427 B.C., or later, with the Athenian evacuation of Notion.

“It is possible it was not associated with either of these dramatic events,” he said, “but was simply the savings of a veteran mercenary soldier in a time and place when soldiers of fortune could make a lot of money if they were willing to risk their lives for the highest bidder.” Many Greeks fought for the Persian Empire, including the Athenian historian Xenophon, who was an active mercenary for the Persian king Cyrus the Younger from 401 B.C.- to 400 B.C. — the same time period when the Notion hoard was tucked away.

In 387 B.C., within a generation after the Athenians were defeated by the Spartans, Notion and the other cities of Ionia were reintegrated into the Persian Empire. They remained Persian possessions until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 334 B.C., at which point production of the daric quickly declined. Alexander and his immediate successors had many of the existing gold pieces melted down and recast as coins bearing their images, making darics rare today.

The Notion darics are stamped on the front with a likeness of the Persian king kneeling in a long tunic. In his left hand is a bow; in his right, a long spear. The backs of the coins are blank, except for a punch mark. The hoard is being stored at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in nearby Selcuk, Turkey, along with imported Athenian pottery that was recovered at the dig.

Dr. Ratté believes that the fact that the loot was never reclaimed is a clear sign of disaster. “No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it,” he said. “So only the gravest misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure.”

Truth

Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real? How does it break our understanding if things?

Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real? How does it break our understanding of things?

How did you draw the conclusion that; “mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real?”, explain go into more detail. Unless of course you are a mathematician or psychist and you yourself have issues with infinity being real?

In mathematics, infinity is not just a vague notion of endlessness, but a rigorously defined concept that can be expressed in multiple ways, i.e., cardinality of sets, ordinal numbers, limit concept, symbolic representation, to name a few. Mathematicians have developed sophisticated tools to work with infinity, which strongly suggest that overall they do not have issues with it.

But, from a physics stand point things start to get complicated as the concept of infinity is more problematic and often indicates a limitation of our theories rather than a physical reality. This manifests itself in a number of ways, cosmology and quantum mechanics being prime examples. It is also a challenge when we start talking about black holes and singularities that represent points where physical quantities become infinite, suggesting a breakdown of the theory of infinity, as “normal” rules just don’t apply or they breakdown completely, which in real terms is nothing more than the end point of our understanding.

Many physical models use infinity as a form of idealization, and what I mean by that is, a lot of physical models use infinity as a convenient approximation (e.g., point particles, infinite potential wells), while still recognizing these are idealizations. Keeping in mind that no physical measurement can ever yield an infinite value, as all measuring devices have finite ranges, otherwise what’s the point of attempting to measure something in the first place?

You have not covered the philosophical perspective of infinity in your question which in many ways is just as important as it is in physics, mathematics and the physical world itself. Things like; does infinity actually exist in nature, or is it merely a useful mathematical construct? Infinity leads to numerous paradoxes (e.g., the paradox of Hilbert’s Grand Hotel, for more detail on this go to Wikipedia) that as a thought experiment challenges our intuitive understanding of what we believe infinity actually is. Infinity often represents the boundary of what we can know or are able to measure, that highlights the limits of human understanding.

Then we come to the practical implications of infinity. Some theories for example that produce infinite results often lose their predictive power, which indicates a lot more refinement is required. Infinite series and processes must be truncated for practical calculation purposes, which introduces a need for approximations, as there is absolutely no point them going on forever.

The appearance of so-called infinities in physical theories often drives a search for a more comprehensive framework to work within, (i.e., quantum gravity attempts to resolve singularities in general relativity). This is a signal, or indication that different thinking needs to be applied and more intensive research is required. To that end, in my mind infinity is not an end point, but simply a marker that requires one to go onto the next stage, whatever that may be.

Infinity in mathematics is a well-defined and useful concept that allows for the exploration of abstract ideas beyond finite limitations. In physics, infinity often signals the limits of a theory’s applicability, which then prompts further, deeper investigation and refinement of our understanding of the physical world. The interplay between mathematical infinity and physical reality of infinity is basically a work in progress and will continue indefinitely, as, when you think about it, is there any end to infinity?” Perhaps no…as that is what infinity is, across just about all domains no matter how one thinks about it or how it is expressed.

Q1: Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real?
A1: I don’t think they really do..is infinity is a concept on all levels is not fully 100% “resolvable”.

Q2: How does it break our understanding of things?
A2: Again, I don’t think it does, it is more a boundary where our understanding stops and it is merely an indicator that we need to dig deeper, refine and further our understanding. Human knowledge always has and always will have a limit, it will never, ever be infinite.

At the end of the day, there will never be an answer to your two-part question, it will go on forever, all the way to infinity and beyond…whatever that is…

ALIEN (1979) MOVIE REACTION!

Is a commander legally allowed to order a soldier/subordinate to his death?

Yes.

This was brought home to me during an exercise in the mid-80’s when I was a young Engineer Platoon Leader. My platoon was attached to an Infantry Battalion for a long field training exercise. We were equipped with HMMVW’s with TOW missiles and were trying to operate against tanks. That turned out to be pretty tricky, the tanks were very good, and the tactics we were using were not fully developed. We ended up getting kicked around the training area pretty routinely.

In one scenario, the Brigade Commander, a full Colnel and a Vietnam Veteran ordered the Battalion I was working with to hold a particular pass “at all costs.” The Battalion did a credible job defending, but then got flanked, which led to the Battalion Commander, also a Vietnam Vet, to order a withdrawl.

I was pretty new, but I thought at the time that this was a good call. In my view, holding onto the position any longer than we had would have led to the extinction (ln the exercise) of the Battalion, about 500 guys. The Battalion Commander wanted to live to fight another day, and what he was doing was doctrinally sound.

This particular point got discussed at length during the After Action Review. The Battalion Commander got asked why he ordered the withdrawal when he was ordered to stand. He laid out his reasoning, which made sense to me. I was there. There wasn’t anything else to do.

There was this long silence. Then the Brigrade Commander looked at the Battalion Commander with this laser-beam look and says, “John, if I tell you to go die on some hill, I’ve got a damned good reason for doing it. My concerns, the Division’s concerns, are bigger than yours. If I have to sacrafice your Battalion in order to preserve something bigger, it’s my job to order you to do it. It’s your job to take your boys and go out and die.”

This is the dark side of combat that no one really likes to talk about. It doesn’t happen often, normally because of a miscalculation or mistake, but units get asked to make these kinds of sacrafices. When you are an officer, if you’re doing your job right, your unit is like your family. Words that describe how close units bind together in combat fail me. Others have done it much better. These are your brothers, your sisters, your children. When you get asked to do something like this, it’s like asking your children to go out and die for you. Then you have go out and die with them.

Anyway, I’ve never forgotten it. It made me think through a lot of things before I became a Company Commander and had to take folks to war.

Its all about timing

Is the “face culture” of the Chinese superior and more civilized than the “honor culture” of North Americans, Arabs, Somalis, Afghans, Nigerians, Turkic and Mongolian peoples, etc.?

Face culture comes from Confucian culture. As a unique cultural and psychological phenomenon of the Chinese people, face culture has greatly influenced the daily social life of the Chinese people.
North Americans are Christian culture
Arabs, Somalis, Afghans, Nigerians are Islamic culture
Turkic and Mongolians are nomadic culture
The values of Dignity, honor, face are different among Christian culture, Islamic culture and nomadic culture, and the difference is very big.

Honor and face cultures attach great importance to regulating individual behavior by social expectations and cultural norms. However, the two cultural phenomena differ in several crucial aspects.

The new cultural framework of dignity, honor, and face was proposed based on three different cultural logics and reveals that while both honor culture and face culture place importance on adhering to social norms, honor culture places greater emphasis on both self-awareness and external evaluations for self-worth, whereas face culture places more weight on external evaluations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing

Additionally, honor culture is characterized by an unstable social hierarchy prone to competition, violence, and virtue, while face culture prioritizes modesty, harmony, and cooperation within a more stable hierarchy. Especially at banquets, whether or not to drink is directly related to face.

From indigenous perspectives, the self-image and social image in honor culture are relatively consistent, and honor encompasses moral, gender, and family-related aspects that may be defended through violence. In contrast, self-image and social image in face culture tend to be incongruent, and face involves morality and social achievement, which is expressed through the dimensions of seeking face and avoiding losing face with an emphasis on status and authority.

Combined with the above two perspectives, these core differences between honor and face cultures can be attributed to the moralization and instrumentalization of social cultural norms.

Specifically, honor tends to moralize social and cultural norms by transforming descriptive norms into prescriptive norms, where majority and typical behaviors that exist in a culture are considered behaviors that group members should or must abide by. In contrast, face instrumentalizes social and cultural norms by using descriptive and prescriptive norms as means and tools to maintain relationships, demonstrate status, and uphold authority.

This perspective provides new insights into cultural phenomena, such as the positive correlation between violence and virtue in honor cultures, where violence becomes a social norm that adapts to the honor culture environment and is moralized into a virtuous attribute. The social norm of harmony in face culture exists both as value-oriented harmony influenced by Confucian culture and instrumental harmony in daily life, leading to a dissonance between face and heart.

Biscuits

Roisin O’Riordan

She was going to kill him. She was actually going to murder him. Yes, she has said it plenty of times before but this time she meant it. This time she would drag him by his stupid hair to an airlock and shove him out to space where he can suffocate.Seven months. She lasted seven months stuck in this shuttle with him, but now she was finally going to crack.It started off with the computer. He programmed it to call him “Hot Stuff.” She changed it back. Then, he programmed it to call him “King of the Bandages.” Once again, she changed it back. Twenty nine nicknames later-yes, she kept a list-the most recent development was “Big McDaddy.”And since his names apparently weren’t keeping him preoccupied, he decided to spend time obsessing over hers. Specifically, her first name. On the top of her medical file is “B. Miller” neatly typed out, but he wanted to know more. The guesses started off sensible enough with Bella and Bethany-they have now devolved into Bread and Bacteriochlorophylls.And somehow, no matter what happens, he won’t stop grinning. No one should be as cheery as this guy, it doesn’t seem healthy. Every time she sees him she wants to growl in frustration, but he remains as sunny as the actual suns they pass.But this time is worse than all those other time. This time he took the biscuit because this time he broke a rule that could get himself and her fired. This time he… well, he took the biscuits.”I can’t believe you!” She screeched, storming into the medical bay. “I can’t believe you would actually steal from the passengers!””I’m sorry?” He asked looking up from a rather heavy looking book. He was still smiling. Asshole.”The biscuits. Don’t even try to deny it. I know it was you who took them.””Ok.” He went back to reading.”Ok?” That threw her off her guard. She was expecting an argument. For him to try feign innocence before she finally broke him and he begged her not to tell their boss. It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

“Ok, I won’t deny it. I took the biscuits.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is there anything else or…?”

“Well… well… what do you have to say for yourself?” Her voice got weaker and weaker throughout the sentence. She really had no idea where she wanted to go with that.

“…They tasted nice?” Oh, that made her blood boil.

“Nice? Taste? That’s not what I was asking. Do you know how much trouble you could be in for this.” He was an idiot, he had to be. Maybe, he just didn’t care. No that couldn’t be it, could it? This job involves being away from Earth for years at a time and being fired tends to mean never getting work anywhere else. Maybe he thought the job would be easy and that he would get away with stuff like this. Not on her watch.

“I know how much trouble I will be in-none. No one cares. No one apart from you. Speaking of which, why do you care?”

He is unbelievable. “I care because I was put in charge of making sure everything is ready for when the passengers wake up.”

It is a requirement of every shuttle to have at least one engineer, and, if asked, she would tell people that she is the engineer-because she is. However, the shuttle is built fairly sturdy, and the AI seems to be doing a fine job of maintaining everything. It’s not that she wants things to go wrong… it would just be nice if there were a few mishaps that called for her assistance. This lack of jobs can make floating in space a tad boring, hence her eagerness to take on the role of an over-glorified party planner.

“Look,” he said, closing his book, “in eight months time we’re stopping for fuel at a space station. If we happen to be low on supplies-which we won’t be ’cause these passengers have more than enough-we can stock up then.”

“What if one of them wakes up?” It’s a weak argument but one she feels strongly about. She has read every story there was on passengers waking up from the deep sleep they are put into before take off. The passengers they were currently transporting were Taubverlians, so the four year journey would probably feel like a human’s version of a week to them but apparently it’s a week they would rather sleep through. What if they woke up angry? What if they got so annoyed they decided to file a complaint? What if those biscuits were the only thing that would have been able to calm them down and stop them from demanding the whole crew gets fired? It’s unlikely, but it is possible.

“Really?” He asked. She glared at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. “You need to calm down before you give yourself a stroke. I check, double check and triple check each passenger’s pod everyday and there hasn’t been even the slightest hint that one of them might wake up before they’re supposed to.” He let out a sigh and for the first time since she met him, his smile faltered. “It’s your first trip right? Thought as much. You see, after a while, you will start to get bitter. You’ll start to resent the passengers, our bosses, whoever it is at home that you’re sending your wages back to. The thought that you will more than likely be working here until the day you die and the knowledge that it is extremely rare for a crew member to ever see Earth again combined with the fact that if someone in charge screws up and needs someone to blame we will probably be killed… well, at some point or another, it gets to you. That’s why I play around with the AI and steal the occasional biscuit. That’s why Ellie stole a bottle of whiskey. That’s why Charlie is cheating on her husband with Smith. These acts keep us sane. And they’re not hurting anyone-not if no one finds out.”

She could somewhat sympathise. Ok, she could sympathise a lot. She was bitter. Of course she was bitter about… everything, but she wasn’t going to complain. Her family needed her to have this job, and so must his-it’s not like he would ever see his wages, so they have to be going somewhere.

“Our supervisors don’t care as long the passengers get to their destination safe and sound. You can relax, Birdy.”

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “That is not what the B stands for.”

His smile was now back to full voltage as he realised he won. “We have been in this tin can for seven months and I still don’t know anything about you. What are your hopes, your dreams, your fears? Where are you from? And what exactly does the B stand for? It doesn’t stand for Biscuit, does it?”

She may come to regret this, but at the moment her stress is leaving her and she feels… lonely. She doesn’t have anybody to talk to on this shuttle apart from when she is arguing with him. Hearing him talk about their colleagues that he clearly knows so much better than she does just reminded her of how much she has isolated herself. “Brooklyn.”

“You’re from Brooklyn? Cool, I have a cousin that lives there, or used to at least.”

“No-well, yes I am from Brooklyn but, that’s what the B stands for.” The look on his face was almost worth it. Almost.

“So, you’re from Brooklyn… and your name is-”

“Oh, shut up.” She tried to fight a grin.

“…Were your parents really worried about you forgetting where you lived?”

“I shouldn’t have told you. I should have just stuck to Biscuit.”

He let out a laugh at that. Dear god, it was brighter than his smile. “Ok, ok, I’m sorry Biscuit.” She shot him a glare with much less heat than the previous one. It was kind of nice talking to him-not that she would ever dream of saying it to him. Just before she got a chance to retort, a series of short beeps filled the room. “Time for me to go check on the passengers again.”

“Oh, right. I have work I need to go do as well.” She turned to leave, ignoring the pang in her chest. She has her work to focus on, friends would just take up time.

“Wait.” He tossed her a small metal box. She stared at the box, then at him, then back again. At his nod she opened up the latches and the contents very nearly managed to surprise a snort out of her. Biscuits.

Tension Subsiding in South China Sea

Changing Geo-Political arrangements.

What terrifies you about Xi Jinping?

Mr. Xi doesn’t terrify me, but he certainly “terrifies” my German friend. Let’s call him Karl.

Obviously, Karl isn’t a basketcase of nailbiting anxiety and fear over a man a continent away. But he related a spine-tingling moment some years back listening to the news while driving on the autobahn.

Before we get into that, a little background about Karl.

Karl, perhaps unsurprisingly, speaks Chinese. What tickles me though, is he speaks funny Chinese.

Notice I said Chinese and not Mandarin.

Karl speaks a creole of accented Mandarin and horror of horrors, the Changsha dialect.

Now, try making sense of the hilarity hearing a thick German accent fighting his own tongue to make the proper tone for Mandarin words abused by the Changsha pronunciation.

After all these years, I have concluded he has been putting up a show all along to bewilder and get a rise out of me deciphering his words.

He has a future in standup, if he ever needs a change of scenery.

Back on topic. What piece of news made him nervous? It was a single statistic from China’s anti-corruption drive.

“More than a million party officials have been disciplined.”

He was flabbergasted by how seriously the Chinese were taking the campaign because when he was there, he had concluded corruption was so deeply ingrained in the culture it was impossible to root out. In fact, that was a primary reason why he left China, even though the money was lucrative.

Karl has an interesting way of bringing his point across, and he was ready when I pressed.

“China isn’t Germany. A million out of a billion is a mere drop.”

“Yes, but China either gives lip service or they do a thorough job. 1 million is a thorough job.”

“True. But why should that jolt?”

“Because nothing happened, Bill.”

“What do you mean nothing happened?”

Evidently he was waiting for this moment of weakness because he broke into a sly smile and declared:

“Nothing happened to President Xi.”

I was truly incredulous.

“I lost you Karl. You expected him to fall victim to the campaign he initiated because he is dirty too?”

“No, silly. The fact nothing happened means we have witnessed the coronation of the first Chinese emperor of the 21st century, if only in practice.”

“Now you sound like a flat earther.”

“No no. Nothing far-fetched. How do you think they land a big fish like Zhou Yongkang? Using the police? Or the army?”

“The President probably ordered his arrest personally.”

“Yes but what was the investigative apparatus and how did they manage to arrest him? Zhou was the security tsar.”

“Oh. I think I’m understanding. Even the FBI will have trouble arresting the vice President.”

“Sort of. The Xi administration basically set up their own supralegal modern day Embroidered Uniform Guard that was vested with political power to deal with anyone, even the biggest fish. The million they mentioned? A substantial number are senior cadres, nodes in the power structure. The Chinese think in terms of guanxi or relationships so tackling corruption equals identifying and destroying webs of collusion.”

“Do you think Xi went too far?”

“No. He did a fantastic job. I am just surprised the faction wars didn’t flare up in response. Not even a whimper. Xi has great standing within the party.”

“Ok, so he cleaned up. Why does that terrify you? He is more powerful than ever?”

“Not really. People fail to realize the five year plans were being executed like clockwork in the midst of rampant corruption. He would have reached the state objectives without rocking the boat.”

“He did not need to pick this fight?”

“No. He had to. It was the right time.”

“The stars didn’t align for Jiang and Hu?”

“Yes. The force was not with them.”

“The FORCE? Dude, you have been playing me all day!”

“Electricity, my boy. You can build the fanciest roads and buildings but without electricity you cannot urbanize.”

*Incredulous stare*

“For sure it is electricity. Hu was a hydroelectric engineer. China’s electricity output increased more than 2-fold during his time in office.”

“What does it have to do with corruption?”

“China essentially went full steam ahead to urbanize. Jiang wasn’t even sure how the system would work as it transited from Central planning to market economics as it spread inland from the SARs. Hu laid the foundation to guarantee future growth. The GFC gave China the breathing space to shape a cultural change among the ruling elite. A bunch of people got rich too quickly and developed money fever.”

“What does the GFC have to do with it?”

“China’s economy fundamentally shifted post 2008. China finally flexed her domestic muscle and decided they had to be less reliant on the west. But they had to inevitably slow down as the west recovered from a balance sheet and sovereign debt crisis. It is this recentering to OBOR and domestic growth that gave Xi the breathing space to tackle corruption nationwide.”

“Man, that’s deep but all that says is China has a good man at the helm. What makes him fearsome?”

“Well, when I was there the way the Chinese were throwing money around was unbelievable. Too much waste. And too many funny things going on. Putting a stop to that means the Chinese are getting on board the next stage of growth, one that is much higher in quality, and sustainable. The Chinese rocket shot up the sky in spite of excesses. Can you imagine a people without? Us Germans are counting the days when the Chinese become direct competitors to German technology and quality. The Chinese are getting their act together.”

Note: The emperor reference is no insinuation of shenanigans. Rather it is Karl’s intent to frame how far the Xi administration can push reform. In other words, Xi has the people’s mandate, just like a legitimate Son of Heaven.

Karl is real, but I’ve paraphrased our conversation.

Note: The profundity of Karl’s astute observations is contained within the satellite composites of nightime China, taken two decades apart.

Bill Pfeiffer’s Chili Capital Punishment

Bill Pfeiffer’s Chili Capital Punishment is the winner of 1980 World’s Championship!

Yield: 14 to 18 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons MSG
9 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons cumin
4 tablespoons beef bouillon (instant crushed)
2 cans beer
2 cups water
4 pounds extra lean chuck (chili grind)
2 pounds extra lean pork (chili grind)
1 pound extra lean chuck, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large onions, finely chopped
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup oil or kidney suet
1 teaspoon mole (powdered)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Masa Harina
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, add oregano, paprika, MSG, chili powder, cumin, beef bouillon, beer and water. Let simmer.
In a separate skillet, brown 1 1/2 pounds of meat in oil or suet until meat is light brown.
Drain and add to simmering spices. Continue browning meat in batches until all meat has been added.
Sauté finely chopped onions in oil or suet. Add to spices and meat mixture. Add water as needed. Simmer two hours. Add mole (MOE-lay), sugar, coriander, hot pepper sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Dissolve Masa Harina in warm water and add to chili. Add salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

What was your first clue you were no longer as young as you thought you were?

I was born in 1965, which means I am 59 as I write this response. In the 1980s, I worked as a DJ in a bar called The Notorious Club 26, and I played music from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.

As the DJ, I would say things like, “Remember, never trust anyone over 30. If you are over 30, don’t trust yourself.” As a 20-something, I thought I was being funny. Then a horrible thing happened: I turned 30 in 1995.

I was single at the time, and I realized that all the time I wasted being a DJ interfered with my social and personal life. I worked 6 days a week, and on Tuesday of each week, I got paid. Who wants to go out on a date on a Tuesday? Who wants date some who works from 9 pm until 3:30 AM?

I wass 30, looking back from where I came, and realized that I had wasted the last 10 years of my life. I worked, made very good money, got a lot of cash tips for the customers, loved my job, but my life sucked. All I did was work, sleep, and do household jobs. I had no social life.

I kept working but I also went back to college, and finally finished the work for my BA. After that, I was able to quit the DJ job and work during the day instead of being a vampire on a day pass.

I’m not going to lie: 30 seemed old to me. When I turned 40, I got a card that said something like 40 is the new 30.

I’m 59 years old now, and my hair is gray, just like my beard, and my body is a wreck. However, I know that my life has been full and fun. I’m not sure what comes next, but I am looking forward to the trip.

Johnny West 1960s toy figurines

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Are you proud to be a Chinese person?

As a Chinese person, I never felt any connection to the “patriotism” that the Chinese Communist Party instilled in me since childhood.

In elementary school, our teachers told us, “The most important principle in writing is to show your love for China.” Well, I didn’t understand at all. How could a child possibly grasp what it means to “love China”? For an elementary student, “patriotism” is nothing but outdated stories and empty political slogans.

As I grew older, my aversion to “patriotism” only increased. The reason was obvious: if “patriotism” had a significant impact on one’s well-being, why had I never seen anyone get rich because they “loved China”? And why had I never seen anyone fall into a miserable situation because they “didn’t love China”?

When I started using the internet, I discovered more meaningful things. I realized that China could only avoid destruction by embracing Western political systems. During that time, I read many articles by “independent Chinese intellectuals,” including economists, Chinese immigrants abroad, lawyers, and entrepreneurs.

Back then, I hoped these independent intellectuals could awaken the “numb Chinese people” through their writings. They were active on BBS, blogs, social media, and China’s version of Twitter. I spent a lot of time reading their articles and enthusiastically commenting. I admired them and saw them as the future political stars of China. At that time, I had my own blog called “A Chinese Citizen,” with the slogan “For a Bright Future of China.” I wrote every day, and when I had nothing to write about, I would repost negative news about China and add my own gloating comments.

The trolls on Quora today are nothing compared to the old me.

Later, I got married and had my own child. As a freelancer, I had time each day to spend with my growing child. To expose my child to nature, I took them to many places. Busy with accompanying my child, working, cooking, and doing laundry every day, my life focus gradually shifted.

One summer evening when my child was three years old, we drove to a famous large lake in northern Xuzhou called Weishan Lake. A section of the Grand Canal passes through the Weishan Lake area. The sunset bathed the hundred-kilometer-long embankment road along Weishan Lake in golden light. My wife, captivated by the beauty, asked me to stop the car for a while. I parked by the roadside, and we were greeted by the cool evening breeze and the slightly fishy smell of the lake water. We all quietly listened to the waterfowl returning to their nests.

When a long line of cargo ships appeared at the end of my vision on the Grand Canal, another fleet from the opposite direction sounded their horns as they passed through the Linjiaba lock. The sunset deepened, and the afterglow moved from the embankment road to the surface of Weishan Lake. The vast lake, looking like an ocean, stretched beyond the horizon. Waterbirds in the reeds were startled by passing ships, taking off with pleasant sounds. Watching my child jumping with joy and my wife enjoying the cool breeze, I felt a deep sense of happiness. In that moment, I suddenly realized something:

Weishan Lake is a gift from nature to the locals; the Grand Canal is a monumental achievement by our ancestors. The various aquatic products from Weishan Lake have nourished generations of people on this land. Today, these endless cargo ships continuously transport energy and agricultural products to ports along the route. We enjoy the tranquility of nature, while our material life benefits from China’s vibrant economic system.

The natural geography is a gift from God; historically, it is a territory our ancestors expanded on horseback; and in reality, it is the result of countless generations of Chinese people’s hard work. For economic and social activities to run efficiently, the country’s leaders need exceptional talent to design reliable development plans. Without all this, there would be no individual happiness. The CPC is a positive part of this picture—not the whole, but just as important as all other parts.

I live on this land in this lifetime, and so does my child. Everyone I love and everyone who loves me live on this land. I love them and hope they remain healthy, happy, and joyful. Protecting them means ensuring that this land is free from war, plague, hunger, and poverty. Only when these foundations are solid can I fully devote myself to life and family. Isn’t this the relationship between an individual and their country? The CPC has achieved this, so what exactly am I complaining about every day? Should I deny everything just because of some bad news on the internet and some unfortunate events on this land?

By Weishan Lake at that moment, I grasped a simple truth: to love this country, to love its mountains and rivers, its history and culture, the heroes who shed blood and tears in modern history, and the forces leading this country to rejuvenation. At the same time, when my child grows up, they should see themselves as a master of this country, participating in its development. This is what a young boy should aspire to.

There is no such thing as love or hate without reason in this world. To love something, you must first understand it, knowing its strengths and weaknesses, and recognizing its significance to us. Otherwise, “forced love” is fake, blind, and short-lived. “Patriotism” is no different. Only by fully understanding this land, this country, and the forces driving China’s progress, with all their pros and cons, can one develop genuine love.

I am becoming such a Chinese person.

She Gave Him PRE and POST Date Bill and it Backfired

The Trigger For WWIII Just Arrived – What Are The Implications For Americans?

Guest Post by Brandon Smith

If the year of 2024 has proven anything so far, it’s that our worries about the potential outbreak of WWIII are absolutely reasonable. The skeptics making accusations of “conspiracy theory” and “doom and gloom” have been proven wrong yet again. The geopolitical atmosphere is turning sour fast.

I still don’t think a lot of people realize how truly volatile the situation is globally right now. From my point of view, WWIII has already begun, at least in economic terms.

Let’s not forget the fact that Ukraine is essentially a proxy for all of NATO against Russia. And, the situation in the Middle East is about to become much worse. Because of the alliances involved and the fragile nature of global energy exports there is a danger of systemic collapse should a wider war break out between Israel and multiple Arab nations. It appears that such a war is imminent.

But why should Americans care? It’s pretty simple – War spurs shortages, and shortages in the middle of a stagflationary crisis are a very bad thing.

Sanctions against Russia affect around 10% of the global oil market and around 12% of global natural gas consumption. But so far all that oil and natural gas is still flowing around the world, only the trade routes have changed. The Middle East, on the other hand, accounts for over 35% of the global oil market and 18% of the natural gas market. Widespread chaos in this region would mean economic crisis on a scale not seen in a century.

Think we have problems with stagflation now? Just wait until energy prices go to the moon.

Around 30% of all oil exports travel through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage which a nation like Iran can easily block for months at a time. Sinking a few larger vessels in the straight would obstruct all cargo ship traffic and oil tanker traffic. Trying to clean up the mess would be difficult because artillery, which is almost impossible to intercept, can rain down from Iran on any vessels trying to drag sunken ships out of the way.

Iran has mutual defense pacts with multiple governments in the region including Lebanon and Syria, along with military ties to Russia. The Turkish government is unlikely to allow western troops to use their airspace to launch attacks. The US military presence in Afghanistan is gone and the Iraqi government will never allow foreign troops to use their land to come to the aid of Israel.

This greatly limits the west’s launch points for an offensive large enough to blitz Iran. The vast majority of attacks would be from the air, and if the Russians start supplying Iran with batter radar and missile technology then there’s no guarantees Israel or the US would gain full control of the air space. In other words, if a wider war breaks out it will not end for YEARS and it’s going to be fought on the ground.

Of course, most establishment experts have claimed that the situation will never escalate to that point and that the threat of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is minimal. I have been predicting the opposite for a number of reasons, just as I predicted that there was a high chance of war in Ukraine months before it happened.

In October of 2023 in my article ‘It’s A Trap! The Wave Of Repercussions As The Middle East Fights “The Last War”’ I warned that a multi-front war was about to develop between Israel and various Muslim nations including Lebanon and Iran. I noted:

“Israel is going to pound Gaza into gravel, there’s no doubt about that. A ground invasion will meet far more resistance than the Israelis seem to expect, but Israel controls the air and Gaza is a fixed target with limited territory. The problem for them is not the Palestinians, but the multiple war fronts that will open up if they do what I think they are about to do (attempted sanitization). Lebanon, Iran and Syria will immediately engage and Israel will not be able to fight them all…”

My purpose in that article was to outline the dangers of US involvement in a larger war that would require conscription and escalation with Russia. Despite the “experts” insisting that the odds are overblown, it now appears that the next stage of escalation is about to begin.

Iran, Lebanon and Israel have been exchanging limited fire for months now. This is nothing new. What is new is the change in tone after a Hezbollah rocket strike on a children’s soccer game in the remote Druze village of Majdal Shams that killed 12.

On the other side, Israel’s brazen assassination of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil this week is a clear catalyst for war. Haniyeh has been engaged in a diplomatic mission to start peace negotiations in Gaza. His assassination sends a clear message that Israel has no intention of entering into talks with Hamas.

IDF officials also announced that they had killed top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in a precision missile strike Tuesday in Beirut. There’s no escaping it now.

Iran’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered retaliation against Israel and issued an order for Iran to strike the Israelis directly. Iran will likely use extended missile barrages, but also stage troops in Syria and Lebanon. The Houthis in Yemen will then increase their attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea. It’s hard to say how much Russia will involve itself at first, but I have no doubt more advanced Russian missiles and other weapons will make an appearance on the battlefield.

The prospect of world war is immense. Israel will not be able to fight in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran all at the same time. Energy exports in the region will definitely face a slowdown, if not a complete breakdown. At that point the war won’t just be about Israel, it will be about a global energy crisis. I don’t see any scenario in which the US government doesn’t get involved.

The high risk of terrorism this entails should not be overlooked. We’ve had an undefended border and record illegal crossings for a few years now under Biden. There’s not telling how many foreign agents are in the country and I believe this was by design. I think the establishment maintained open border policies because they wanted such people here. The more terror these agents cause the more the public will be tempted to increase government powers to deal with the attacks.

Beyond that, the political left in the west has tied itself to the Palestinian wagon as if it’s their business. In reality, leftists view the war in Gaza as just another vehicle for their outrage. They use minorities, they use gays and now they’re using Muslims. It’s the classic Marxist strategy of hijacking the social causes of other groups and co-opting their momentum.

Gaza is just another excuse for progressive spastics to riot and start burning more of the west down (their true goal). Anyone that opposes them will automatically be accused of being a “Zionist sympathizer” even if Israel is not their concern. So, there will surely be Muslim terror attacks, but also civil conflicts triggered by leftists exploiting the situation to their advantage.

The timing of these events in tandem with the election is definitely not coincidental. Whoever ends up in office will essentially be “stuck” with the war, inheriting a disaster from day one. Once US forces are committed to an allied effort, there’s no chance any president (including Trump) will pull those forces out. If things get bad enough, there might not even be an election in November.

For those that think we can “win” on multiple fronts, the truth might shock you. Eric Edelman, who serves as Vice Chair of the US National Defense Strategy Commission, has given warning about the impending conflict, stating:

“There is potential for near-term war and a potential that we might lose such a conflict…We need our allies to produce more. Our defense industrial base is in very bad shape. The European defense industrial base is in even worse shape. We need our industrial base, their base, and the industrial base of our Pacific allies. Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan–they all need to be stepping up because to match what Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are doing is beyond our ability to do it ourselves.”

I have written about the logistical shortcomings of the west in a WWIII scenario for some time now. At the top of the list will be manpower, just as we have seen in Ukraine. This is why we have been hearing military and political officials hint about a new draft over the past two years. They know what’s coming.

A draft to fight for globalist causes is unacceptable. I’m not going to delve into debate over whether it’s right or wrong for western countries to throw their weight behind Israel. Frankly, I don’t care about that argument. I don’t have anything invested in either side of the conflict. I care about Americans. And, I know that making the US military the go-to solution to the Middle East problem is going to end with a lot of dead Americans. I also know that the expanding crisis would make certain special interest (globalists) very happy. As I noted last year:

“The establishment seems particularly obsessed with convincing US conservatives and patriots to participate in the chaos; there are a number of Neo-cons and even a few supposed liberty media personalities calling for Americans to answer the call of blood in Israel. Some have described the coming conflagration as “the war to end all wars.”

I believe that the real war is yet to truly start, and that is the war to erase the globalists from existence. They want us to fight overseas in endless quagmires in the hopes we will die out. And when we do, there will be no one left to oppose them…”

The trap has just been set. We’ll have to wait and observe the scale of the response from Lebanon and Iran, but I believe the worst case scenario is at hand. There are multiple powderkeg events in progress around the world right now, but the Middle East situation looks to be the most disastrous by far in terms of how it will affect the US.

Why is the US not attacking Iran? Haven’t the US had enough of this ayatollah’s nonsense? I’m always interested to know what the end game for the US is here?

There’s a hot topic on the Chinese internet: Is the United States now at the end of the Tang Dynasty or the end of the Ming Dynasty?

I’m in the Ming Dynasty camp.

The fall of the Tang Dynasty was essentially due to the power of the Guanzhong aristocratic group blocking the upward mobility of the Hebei class. Although it was nominally due to the rebellion of the An-Shi insurgents, it was actually a civil war between the Han Chinese of Hebei and the Han Chinese of Longxi.

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（What really led to the demise of the Tang Dynasty was this brutal battle in which most of the army was destroyed.）

Similarly, the fall of the Ming Dynasty was also essentially an internal Han Chinese issue.

Even though there were massive problems with the distribution of interests between the north and the south, it was essentially a civil war between the north and the south.

Since both falls were due to unequal distribution of interests leading to the collapse of the country, why do I insist that the United States is currently at the end of the Ming Dynasty?

Three characteristics:

First, during the fall of the Han and Tang dynasties, these massive entities in Chinese history still maintained overwhelming military advantages over surrounding ethnic groups, whereas the United States does not have this advantage now.

Second, before the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there was a period of, uh, I’m not sure if I should say this, but it is indeed recorded in history books, a so-called “men dressing as women,” and LGBTQ was very prevalent. I have no discrimination against homosexuality, truly none! In ancient China, including the Warring States period and the most prosperous Han Dynasty, there were many rulers who were homosexuals, whom I admire! Look, I’m saying this, so I definitely do not discriminate against homosexuals, right?

What I want to say is that when these rulers were homosexuals, soldiers and ordinary people did not have a tendency to change genders, but at the time of the dynasty’s collapse, there were many grassroots males doing this…

I mean absolutely no discrimination, but it is very similar to the records of the late Ming Dynasty…

Third, spending countless amounts of money and achieving nothing. It’s incredibly frightening. Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver invested, achieving nothing…

In general, I believe that the United States now resembles the end of the Ming Dynasty very much.

The real fall of the Ming Dynasty happened during the “Three Great Campaigns of Wanli,” when the Ming Dynasty still seemed very strong and launched three large-scale military campaigns. But seriously, hasn’t the United States also fought in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan? These three seemingly world-shaking wars actually only fattened the military leaders?

A hot topic on the Chinese internet is: Who least wants the United States to collapse?

80% of the answers are: China.

Chinese netizens are very clear that this world is maintained by the United States. If the United States collapses, it would be a disaster for the world, including China. No one can escape. So we clearly provide this answer based on our own interests: United States, you must not collapse!

The battle that marked the fall of the Ming Dynasty was the Battle of Salhu.

I do not want the United States to engage in wars in the Middle East again, as it is clearly America’s Salhu moment.

That would be a disaster for China, the United States, and the world.

In this world, no one can defeat the United States, except the United States itself.

Should China receive refugees?

No.

I’m from Hong Kong, a city that took in Vietnamese boat people who fled the Vietnam War, at the request of the United Nations. It placed huge economic and social burdens on the city, and the United Nations, after decades, has yet to pay back the 1.3 billion HKD it owes us for our efforts in accommodating them (as of last year, they’ve only paid back 166 million HKD, a mere fraction).

Taking in refugees is an expensive affair that doesn’t always come with benefits. We had enough trouble accommodating ethnic-Chinese Vietnamese people, who were culturally similar to us. Could you imagine if they were from an Islamic-dominated culture? I’m not just talking about the child sex rings, gang-rapes or honour-killings you see in Europe and the UK, I’m talking re-education, teaching them our language and culture, which is difficult and rarely succeeds, in addition to helping them find low-paying jobs, which affects the livelihoods of our grassroots citizens.

I understand the humanitarian principles of helping those in need, but taking them in is not the best solution. The elites who decide on our behalf to let them in can do so in their own good conscience, because they’re not the ones who have to bear the consequences. It’s not their jobs that will face higher competition from low-skilled foreign labour – if anything, they stand to profit from saving on workers’ wages. It’s not their wives and children who have to put up with the gazes and advances of lonely, desperate men (Dr. Clemens Ladenburger being an exception). It’s not their neighborhoods that will face greater poverty and crime. It’s not their communities that will be fractured, as the original residents move out to make way for the new ones moving in.

But most of all, I think young men fleeing their own countries just offends us on a cultural level. You see, there was a time when China wasn’t the second largest economy on earth. Our grandparents had to deal with the Imperial Japanese military, then considered to be one of the finest fighting forces in the world. Even western powers in the Far East couldn’t stop them – Hong Kong (then a British colony) fell in two weeks, with the Japanese only losing a few hundred men.

Guess what the Chinese people back in those days did about it? They fought back valiantly, and suffered the second-most casualties in WW2. Even those who fled to America supported the war effort by sending home what little money they made working jobs white people felt were beneath them.

Refugees (especially young men) should stay in their countries and work to make it a better place for their countrymen. No one can save you but yourselves. The Chinese have known this for at least a century now.

No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
– The Internationale

The Psychopath | House M.D.

Why is North Korea so hated?

I’m going to give a pro tankie answer, even though I am not a big fan of tankies. That’s because I have to agree with them here.

There is absolutely no reason for North Korea to be hated by the West. They are this defensive because they know they are hated and the West just wants to destroy North Korea… and for zero geopolitical reason at that.

The USA destroyed every city in North Korea, and put more bombs on North Korea than they did on Japan which brutally invaded Asia and attacked America’s Pearl Harbor. 635,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Korea, compared to 160,000 tons of bombs in Japan.

North Korea had 9.26 million people before the war. More than 1 million North Korean civilians were killed or missing due to the Korean War. To compare, less than 1 million Japanese civilians died in WWII, with 100,000+ of them killed in the atomic bombings, in a population of more than 70 million.

The war that America waged on North Korea wasn’t even a war at this point. It was outright genocide. Hitler would be proud of this. Every last North Korean was a target (and some South Koreans too, No Gun Ri Massacre was an example). The aim wasn’t even to put pressure on the North Korean regime, it was to give civilians hell. That is what strategic bombing is aimed to do, give civilians hell.

North Korea would not be justified to invade South Korea (which, frankly, is a capitalist hellhole as much as North Korea is a radical communist juche hellhole today). If North Korea did such things, I would condemn North Korea as well and demand that North Korea go back to its borders.

But it would be very justified to build hundreds of nuclear weapons, and set conditions for its use being the second total destruction of North Korea as happened during the Korean War. Luckily for normal people, North Korea only has dozens of nuclear weapons, and it has only very recently acquired the ability to hit the US mainland with nuclear weapons using just one nuclear weapons platform.

When you read the North Korean history, it makes sense why Kim Jong-un is so preoccupied with building nuclear weapons. If I was him, I would also build nukes.

I’m happy to see countries be able to defend themselves from imperialists the hard way against all odds, be it Israel or North Korea.

America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better (Reaction)

The truth hurts.

How did the ancient Chinese study for the imperial examination? Did they just repeatedly read dozens of scrolls every day?

The imperial examination system was a talent selection system implemented in ancient China to build a vast bureaucratic system and control the entire empire.

For its time, this system was quite advanced.

Firstly, it ensured a relatively open path for social mobility, giving children from poor families a chance. Secondly, it was relatively fair; while the winners of the imperial examination might not have been outstanding managers, they were certainly not fools.

At the very least, they had to read an immense amount of books, be knowledgeable, and be intelligent.

(Someone:Let me tell you something, folks, nobody reads more books than I do. Believe me. I’m the best at reading, okay? I’ve read more than anyone else—more than all the other politicians combined. They say, ‘ how do you know so much?’ Well, I’ve got the best books, the smartest people, and I understand everything. I know all the facts, the details, you name it. Nobody’s smarter, nobody’s better informed. It’s tremendous, folks, really tremendous. And believe me, when it comes to being well-read, I’m simply the best.”)

Moreover, the exams were not purely about comparing poetry or essays but included a large number of “strategy and policy” questions.

These questions are somewhat similar to modern civil service exam questions or political knowledge tests for students.

I found a few examples of ancient exam questions and, trying to adapt them to today’s global situation, rephrased them.

You can take a look to get a sense of the type of questions.

1 The United States has established hundreds of military bases around the world, while China’s military strength is mainly concentrated domestically. What are the reasons for these two strategies, and what are their respective advantages and disadvantages?

2 China’s ethnic policies are inherited from the Soviet Union, which has been criticized by many. However, it seems to be functioning well now, better than the Soviet Union. What do you think is the most important reason for this?

3 Roosevelt’s New Deal has some socialist characteristics, while China’s economic policies have many capitalist features. Share your views on this.

4 During President Trump’s tenure, what were some characteristics of the government officials he hired?

(Someone:I’ve got the best, the smartest, the most incredible people working for me. I pick winners, and let me tell you, they make America great again—just like I promised. The greatest administration, believe me. We’re bringing jobs, we’re bringing prosperity, and we’re making this country shine like never before. It’s fantastic, really fantastic,the best team, making America greater than ever. No one does it better.)

5 During the Korean War, China and the Soviet Union were allies, but in the Sino-Vietnamese War, China and the U.S. became quasi-partners. Share your opinion on this.

These are five exam questions related to politics, history, and military affairs, each requiring a detailed answer. There are also other questions covering topics such as education, economy, diplomacy, and so on.

Additionally, there was the Eight-Legged Essay examination, where candidates were required to use the sayings of sages as arguments and write an essay strictly following the standard format.

Overall, answering these questions well within a limited time is quite challenging, especially considering that you are competing with thousands of the most diligent and intelligent individuals in China.

An interesting fact: The top scorer in the imperial examination was called the “Zhuangyuan.” Only one was selected every three years. Over the 1,300-year history of the examination system, there were a total of 504 Zhuangyuans.

The first one was from the Tang Dynasty, and the last one was from the Qing Dynasty. Their hometowns were very close to each other, and today this area is known for having one of the strongest cities in China’s college entrance examinations, Hengshui City in Hebei Province.

The United States Financial System is a Joke …

The United States is sinking fast…

The Bracky Bros

When I was turning into a young man, perhaps 18, or 19 or so I used to hang out with my best friend; Robbie. Now, I have mentioned elsewhere that he also had a group of friends. They were “orbiters” of his circle of friends. They were fine and we got along just fine.

Now, they hardly ever talked. There were three of them. All brothers. one set of twins and an older brother one year older. Their name was Bracken, and we just referred to them as the “Bracky bros”.

They rode around in a black duster.

It was an amazing car, and in the late 1970’s it could really barrel down the roads. But you know, they weren’t piston heads. No. They were just good-time guys that liked to drink and party.

Because they didn’t speak too often, they reminded me of Larry, Daryl and Daryl from the Newman show.

I was always under the impression that they were rather poor. I didn’t think any of them held jobs and they didn’t actually appear all that bright. So that assumption was based on the friends that they hung out with: Robbie and the rest of the Western Pennsylvania crew.

Well… one day, I had to go with Robbie to visit them at their home. I had never been there before, and we took some back roads, and then finally saw the lone mailbox at the side of the road. We then drove though the driveway. And it was a long one. Sheech!

Finally, it opened up at a large, massive house with a five car garage, and a few other out-buildings. I met his sister (well one of them), Heck! I didn’t even know that he had a sister.

And his mother.

Turned out that their eldest sister was in the United States foreign service overseas, and their parents were very well to do. I didn’t get the opportunity to go inside, but I didn’t need to. You could smell the wealth from inside the car.

It is said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and that is true, but you must be extra cautious in judging people by appearances and associations. I was under the impression that the Bracky boys were the same as the other guys they partied with. They weren’t. They always remained aloof and observing.

And now I know why.

As you get older, you experience things and learn things. Be care and wise out there.

Today…

As a teacher, what is the harshest truth a student has ever taught you?

Shortly after my divorce, I was teaching reading in 6th grade. I was unhappy but going through the motions of teaching the best that I could. I was tired after school and less than a model parent to my own two children.

One of my 180 students that year, Mark, a quiet and polite student, was only attending my first period class two or three days a week. He rarely did his homework and failed most of his tests. At a conference with his other core teachers, I was not surprised to find out that he was failing his other classes as well. As a teaching team we called a parent teacher conference. We were hoping to work together with Mark’s parents in an effort to help Mark’s attendance and motivation.

The conference was scheduled for 7:15am in the morning before school. Mark’s father came in smelly, unkempt, extremely overweight and drunk. His mom had left the family with no notice or word of if she’d ever return. Mark’s father was explosive, miserable and ready to punish Mark harshly if he didn’t improve. Quite frankly, I was a little afraid for Mark.

After the conference I asked Mark to come to class just to talk for a minute. After starting the class and assigning a task for the other students, I called Mark to my desk and told him that I was sorry for his situation and hoped things would get better for him. I asked him if he might find more peace at home by doing some of the things his father asked him to do.

Mark responded quickly, “Why? So I can be more like him?”

My harsh truth came instantly. I realized then that I needed to be a happier, healthier person to give my own kids a better example. Why would they want to do what I asked if they saw me as a miserable adult? Mark motivated me to become a happier adult and taught me how to be a better parent.

P.S. Thank you all for your questions of concern for Mark. I would love to tell you a happy success story for him. However, shortly after the conference, Mark and his father moved away from the school area. He didn’t stay in touch with me, any of his other teachers or any of the students. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to Mark. I wish this was an isolated incident but our schools are full of similar stories, especially in lower socioeconomic areas. In my opinion, this type of story won’t improve until parenting improves. Is there hope for advancing parenting skills?

Men Are REJECTING College EN MASSE And Choosing Trade Schools While Women Rack Up Debt

THE FOURTH TURNING: What Every Boomer Patriot & “Prophet” Needs To Understand—POST-HASTE!

Via State of the Nation

Editors Note: The following prescient essay on “The Fourth Turning” was published 14 years ago and much has transpired which has borne out that “the final turning of the screw” is now taking place. Therefore, it behooves everyone, young and old, rich and poor, smart and foolish to take heed of what is upon US. That “US” is these once United States of America.

There’s an old adage: “Whenever America catches a cold, the rest of the world comes down with pneumonia.” Which means that when The Fourth Turning hits the USA hard, as it will with the climax of the 2024 election cycle, the entire planetary civilization will also get busted upside the head with a four-by-four. And why shouldn’t it in light of the utter depravity to which Western civilization has sunk. See: Shocking French Depravity On Full Decadent Display During Degenerate Olympics

What’s the critical point?

If you don’t know about, and believe in, and understand “The Fourth Turning” by now, you had better, because otherwise you will soon feel like you have been hit like a ton of bricks before you have been run over by a freight train. And, for many folks, even that is a gross understatement. See: HUGE Changes Coming To Planet Earth

Perhaps the single greatest driver of the rapidly accelerating downward spiral, which the wealthiest and most powerful nations on Earth are now experiencing, is the inexorable push toward technological singularity. More specifically, it’s the Transhumanism Agenda and the quest for Autonomous Superintelligence that is driving the entire world into the abyss. For the attainment of human immortality is nothing but a satanic desire to usurp the divine. See: AUTONOMOUS SUPER-INTELLIGENCE & TECHNOLOGICAL SINGULARITY: The Real Driver Of The Free-Fall Civilizational Collapse

What’s really crucial to correctly comprehend during the upcoming tumultuous, turbulent and tempestuous times is that there is ONLY one way to navigate them successfully. For only living life, going forward, on a firm spiritual foundation will get US through this eye of the needle. That’s for real!!!

Those who are completely broke, busted and disgusted need to know that a strong connection with the divine is the ONLY solution. For when The Great Leveler cometh, those who are disconnected from the Supreme Being will have nothing to support them, and nothing to hang on to. Hence, the acquisition of right knowledge can be very helpful toward that end. And knowing one’s place during this most defining moment in human history can be very empowering and edifying. See: THE NEW ATLANTIS: Master Plan Of The Ages

So, no matter how old you are or what your station in life currently is, get a grip at least on the mundane forces that are gathering around all of US as well explained below. For the more prepared each of US is, the more we can mutually support each other and see this thing through to a positive outcome. After all, this is the time we have all been waiting for … … … and why each of US was born during this “GREATEST SHOW EVER ON EARTH”.

One last pivotal point, and it’s as urgent as it gets. You will soon read about the central role that the Baby Boomers play in this final battle in this last war between the forces of light and the powers of darkness. In their current stage of Elderhood, the Boomers are the “Prophets” of society. They are older and wiser and braver than the rest of you. Therefore, it behooves all the younger generations to listen carefully to them and not mock them as they have for decades. After all, it was the Baby Boom Generation, working very closely with the Beat Generation, who shut down the Vietnam War—the first war ever terminated by a popular movement in world history.

Baby Boomers Your Financial & Economic
Winter is Coming, The Fourth Turning

The Burning Platform

“Thus might the next Fourth Turning end in apocalypse – or glory. The nation could be ruined, its democracy destroyed, and millions of people scattered or killed. Or America could enter a new golden age, triumphantly applying shared values to improve the human condition. The rhythms of history do not reveal the outcome of the coming Crisis; all they suggest is the timing and dimension.”

— Strauss & Howe (The Fourth Turning)

Winter is coming. Are you prepared? Americans see time as their enemy. Most Americans have bought into a view of the past and future as linear. When you observe the world in linear way and things are going well, the population is happy and confident. If you view the world in a linear way and things are going badly, the population sees nothing but terrible times ahead. This linear outlook of history and the future is not rational or supported by facts.

I’m convinced that world history is not on a linear path towards Armageddon and the Rapture. This belief is preached by many of the mainstream religions, but the truth is that we’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end in the 2nd Coming of Christ. The American belief in a destiny of never ending progress will undergo its 3rd major crisis period since its founding. The resolution of this crisis is 10 to 20 years in the future. The outcome will remain in doubt until the definitive resolution.

Our everyday lives clearly support a cyclical view of the world. There are 24 hours in day progressing from light to darkness and back again. There are 365 days in a year progressing from Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter, and then starting the cycle over again. A month is dictated by the four phases of the Moon. Our oceans rise and fall in a predictable pattern of high tides and low tides based on lunar phases.

Even Christian religions that preach a linear view of the world, celebrate their beliefs in a predictable annual cycle encompassing the life of Christ from is birth, life, death and resurrection. The human life cycle extends 80 to 100 years going through the stages of childhood, young adulthood, midlife, and elderhood. This cycle has not changed over the whole history of earth. A long human life approximates a century of time. The rhythm of time has a regularity and cadence that is predictable on a generational level. The elites, most academics, religious zealots and social engineers scoff at the idea of predictable cycles of history. It throws a monkey wrench into their deceptive self aggrandizing agendas.

Generational Theory

“We perceive our civic challenge as some vast, insoluble Rubik’s Cube. Behind each problem lies yet another, and another, ad infinitum. To fix crime we have to fix the family, but before we do that we have to fix welfare, and that means fixing our budget, and that means fixing our civic spirit, but we can’t do that without fixing moral standards, and that means fixing schools and churches, and that means fixing the inner cities, and that’s impossible unless we fix crime. There’s no fulcrum on which to rest a policy lever. People of all ages sense that something huge will have to sweep across America before the gloom can be lifted – but that’s an awareness we suppress. As a nation, we’re in deep denial.” Strauss & Howe – The Fourth Turning

Anyone who is being honest recognizes the country is on a path towards a major calamity. We have been living beyond our means for decades and the fiscal mismanagement of the country will come to a dramatic climax in the next decade. What many deny is that this crisis was pre-ordained based upon a predictable timeline of generational forces repeating over and over again throughout history. The elites are continuously stunned that every 20 to 25 years a fresh mood engulfs the country and new generations act differently than the generations who proceeded them. The privileged are astounded because they don’t want to accept the fact that progress is not linear and that society will undergo highs and lows over the course of a century.

Strauss and Howe have been able to trace consistent 80 to 100 year generational patterns throughout modern history. The 20 to 25 year quartiles are a High (1st Turning), an Awakening (2nd Turning), an Unraveling (3rd Turning), and a Crisis (4th Turning). They have also identified four archetypes that occupy their necessary position within the 80 to 100 year cycle. These archetypes are Prophets, Nomads, Heroes, and Artists. History forms the generations as the generations create history in a repetitive dance throughout the ages. The archetypes always follow the same path. As an example, the Prophet archetype is always born during a High, comes of age during an Awakening, enters midlife during an Unraveling, and spends their elderhood during a Crisis.

Below are charts detailing the archetypes and the 12 Turnings since the founding of the American Republic. There is a remarkable consistency of timing and scope regarding the previous Turnings in our history.

The archetypes that comprise a human life cycle follow the same repetitive pattern throughout history and they show the same traits and attitudes as their preceding archetype. Strauss & Howe describe the archetypes as follows:

A Prophet generation grows up as increasingly indulged post-Crisis children, comes of age as the narcissistic young crusaders of an Awakening, cultivates principle as moralistic mid-lifers, and emerges as wise elders guiding the next Crisis. (Boomers – indulged, narcissistic, moralistic, wise)

A Nomad generation grows up as under-protected children during an Awakening, comes of age as alienated young adults of a post-Awakening world, mellows into pragmatic mid-life leaders during a Crisis, and ages into tough post-Crisis elders. (Generation X – abandoned, alienated, pragmatic, tough)

A Hero generation grows up as increasingly protected post-Awakening children, comes of age as heroic young team workers of a Crisis, demonstrates hubris as energetic mid-lifers, and emerges as powerful elders attacked by the next Awakening. (Millennial – protected, heroic, hubristic, powerful)

An Artist generation grows up as overprotected children during a Crisis, comes of age as the sensitive young adults of a post-Crisis world, breaks free as indecisive mid-life leaders during an Awakening, and ages into empathetic post-Awakening elders. (Homelanders – suffocated, sensitive, indecisive, empathetic)

The First Turning is referred to as a High. A High always follows a period of Crisis. The hallmark of a First Turning is a heightened sense of community and collective confidence, driven in part by the fact that the society has just come through a difficult and challenging period. Consequently, during First Turnings, societal institutions tend to be strong while individualism is weak. The post-World War II “High” of the mid-1940s through early ’60s is the most recent example of a First Turning.

The victory over Nazism and Fascism marked the beginning of this High. The United States was on top of the world. We exited World War II as an ascending superpower. The Marshall Plan rebuilt Europe and Japan. The middle class grew and flourished as former GI’s built the suburbs and the interstate highway system. During this period Old Prophets disappear, Nomads enter elderhood, Heroes enter midlife, Artists enter young adulthood—and a new generation of Prophets is born. These new Prophets were the Baby Boom Generation.

The Second Turning, called an Awakening, starts out feeling like the high tide of a High, with signs of advancement and prosperity everywhere. Just as everything seems to be going along swimmingly, large swaths of society begin to chaff under the social conformity of the High, beginning to gravitate to more individualistic pursuits and demanding that their personal interests come first. The “Consciousness Revolution” of the mid-1960s through early 1980s was our most recent Awakening.

The trigger for this Turning was the assassination of John F. Kennedy. No one expected the turmoil that would occur over the next 10 years. Urban riots, campus riots, Civil rights protests, Kent State, Woodstock, Watergate, the feminist movement, counterculture, drugs, violent crime and family strife marked the next two decades. The New Age movement and Me Generation dominated the culture until the Reagan era. During this phase Old Nomads disappear, Heroes enter elderhood, Artists enter midlife, Prophets enter young adulthood—and a new generation of child Nomads is born. These Nomads are known as Generation X.

The Third Turning, called an Unraveling, is the opposite of a High. Individualism rules, while establishments such as government, religion and military are increasingly weak and discredited. Neil Howe describes a typical Unraveling:

“This is a time when social authority feels inconsequential, the culture feels exhausted, and people feel bewildered by the number of options available to them. It is a time of celebrity circuses and a tremendous amount of freedom and creativity in our personal lives, but very little sense of public purpose.”

The most recent Third Turning began in 1984 with Ronald Reagan’s optimistic Morning in America message led to the fall of communism and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The culture wars that have raged since the mid-1980’s have turned the initial optimism into an overwhelming sense of pessimism. There is no national consensus. The country’s leaders have ignored national problems such as unfunded Social Security and Medicare obligations, a coherent energy policy, and a deteriorating educational system. Popular culture centers around celebrity circuses like Michael Jackson’s death and Michelle Obama’s fashion choices.

Americans reflect darkly on the future as growing financial and social inequality tears at the fabric of the country. The rich take advantage of the financial service economy and grow ever richer at the expense of the middle class. The poor pay no taxes and receive social transfer payments and take advantage of easy credit to live like the rich. The middle class is disillusioned and angry as manufacturing jobs leave the country.

Previous periods of Unraveling in American history were also decades of cynicism and bad manners. The Roaring 20’s were the last Unraveling period that led to the stock market crash in 1929, the Great Depression and World War II. History teaches us that Third Turnings inevitably end in Fourth Turnings. During this phase, Old Heroes disappear, Artists enter elderhood, Prophets enter midlife, Nomads enter young adulthood—and a new generation of child Heroes is born. The latest Hero generation is the Millenials

Lastly, there is the Fourth Turning, called a Crisis. We are currently on the verge of a Fourth Turning. This is a time of great turmoil, when society’s basic institutions are torn down and rebuilt, and seemingly intractable problems are addressed. The apparently unsolvable financial dilemma of the country along with comprehension that Peak Oil has occurred will trigger the Crisis.

The ultimate resolution could be rational and well thought out or it could end in a fiery fight to the death between countries or generations. During Fourth Turnings, America engages in a struggle for its very survival and redefines its identity as a nation. Large wars are often a part of this process. The American Revolution, Civil War, Great Depression, and World War II were all facets of past Fourth Turnings. During this period Old Artists disappear, Prophets enter elderhood, Nomads enter midlife, Heroes enter young adulthood—and a new generation of child Artists is born.

According to Strauss & Howe past Fourth Turnings in U.S. history we have overcome intractable problems and forged a new beginning:

“In the 1790’s, they triumphantly created the modern world’s first democratic republic. In the late 1860’s, wounded but reunited, they forged a genuine nation extending new guarantees of liberty and equality. In the late 1940’s, they constructed the most Promethean superpower ever seen.”

Sometime between today and 2025, this nation will undergo a test of its very survival. The ultimate outcome will be in doubt. Strauss and Howe paint a dire picture of the coming decades:

“The risk of catastrophe will be very high. The nation could erupt into insurrection or civil violence, crack up geographically, or succumb to authoritarian rule. If there is a war, it is likely to be one of maximum risk and effort – in other words, a total war. Every Fourth Turning has registered an upward ratchet in the technology of destruction, and in mankind’s willingness to use it.”

Boomers Unraveling

“America feels like it is unraveling. Though we live in an era of relative peace and comfort, we have settled into a mood of pessimism about the long-term future, fearful that our superpower nation is somehow rotting from within.”

— Strauss & Howe (The Fourth Turning)

Most of my adult life has been spent during the current Unraveling. In 1984 I was twenty-one years old and about to enter the workforce. The country was recovering from the worst recession in decades and the turmoil of the 1970’s was subsiding. Ronald Reagan (GI Generation) won re-election with a 49 state to 1 landslide victory over Walter Mondale using his Morning in America campaign slogan. Reagan’s tax cuts, interest rates starting a two decade decline and increased military spending combined to juice the economy. Reagan’s policies were the final dagger in the side of communism.

The Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell. What many thought was the end of history, with democracy and capitalism victors, turned out to be a fleeting high. The initial signs of Unraveling were seen during Reagan administration. The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, leading to questions of competence at NASA. The Iran-Contra scandal derailed the Reagan agenda as he showed signs of mental decline. The American military retreated from Lebanon after 220 Marines were killed in a terrorist attack. The stock market crashed, losing 508 points in one day, a 23% decline. The movie Wall Street with its amoral cynical view of the world captured the darkening mood of the country.

The first George Bush administration was marked by the Gulf War, which planted the poisonous seeds for our future War on Terror, and the recession which cost George Bush a 2nd term. The unraveling could clearly be seen in the 1992 Presidential election, as Ross Perot won the most votes as a 3rd Party candidate since 1912. During the Clinton administration the country continued to fragment, became more divisive, and cynical.

Politics became gridlocked, which resulted in reduced government spending. A laissez-faire attitude was promoted by Alan Greenspan and Robert Rubin for the financial markets. This led to the Dot.com bubble and its eventual collapse. Trust in financial, government, and religious institutions continued to erode. The Oklahoma City bombing and the Columbine high school slaughter convinced many that something was very wrong with our culture. A distrustful alienation had solidified into an overwhelming gloom.

The Unraveling picked up speed during George W. Bush’s administration. The stock market continued to implode, the economy entered recession and half the country felt that George Bush was not a legitimate President. Then the country was shaken to its core by the 9/11 attack. For a brief time, the country rallied around the flag and fully supported the invasion of Afghanistan. This appeared to be the trigger for the next American Crisis. Instead, it resulted in an acceleration of the Unraveling. A true trigger for a Crisis period will rally the entire population (Fort Sumter, Pearl Harbor).

The disastrous invasion of Iraq, horrific financial management of the economy by Alan Greenspan, individualistic greed and hubris of Wall Street, blatant corruption in Washington D.C., and complete lack of regulation by governmental agencies led to the collapse of the global economy in 2008. Decisive public action regarding $56 trillion of unfunded social liabilities, soaring public and private debt, and non-existent energy policy has been deferred for decades. Now there is no doubt that this paralysis and inaction will lead us into the next Crisis. The majority of Americans feel we are not on the right track, because we’re not. The coming catastrophe will truly test the mettle of our country.

Generation X – Assuming Command

“We yearn for civic character but satisfy ourselves with symbolic gestures and celebrity circuses. We perceive no greatness in our leaders, a new meanness in ourselves. Small wonder that each new election brings a new jolt, its aftermath a new disappointment. Not long ago, America was more than the sum of its parts. Now, it is less. Around World War II, we were proud as a people but modest as individuals. Fewer than two people in ten said yes when asked, Are you a very important person? Today, more than six in ten say yes. Where we once thought ourselves collectively strong, we now regard ourselves as individually entitled. Yet even while we exalt our own personal growth, we realize that millions of self-actualized persons don’t add up to an actualized society.” – Strauss & Howe (The Fourth Turning)

Barack Obama became the 1st Generation Xer to be elected President of the United States. His background is a classic Nomad story. He has lived the life of a wanderer, living all over the globe, a child of divorce, fatherless, raised by grandparents, and a free agent in his career. Generation X grew up as abandoned children and alienated young adults. Generation X leaders will be pragmatic, savvy and practical. Obama has proven thus far to be pragmatic and able to get his agenda initiated. Previous Nomad leaders who proved to be highly competent doers during a time of Crisis include Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Patton, and Harry Truman. You may not agree with Obama’s plans or policies, but it is clear to anyone that he is an intelligent, pragmatic man that will institute dramatic change in the policies of the United States.

It is very likely that Barack Obama will lead the country into the next Crisis. He will not lead us out of the Crisis, as it is unlikely to subside until 2025. As the Unraveling transitions into Crisis the apathy reflected in historic low voter turnout will reverse itself as Americans become mobilized by the Crisis. The economy always undergoes wrenching transformations during a Crisis. The U.S. economy will likely be racked by panic, depression, inflation and war. We have witnessed a preliminary financial panic, but the real panic will be much more traumatic.

The separateness and blame witnessed during the Unraveling will transform into gathering and family togetherness. McMansions will become useful as three generations will more frequently live under one roof. Immigration will decline as the population will fear outsiders and place strict restrictions on foreigners entering the country. During the coming crisis, our culture will likely be cleansed, censored, and harnessed for the public good. The current ongoing financial debacle will ultimately contribute to the Crisis causing trigger of a worldwide oil shortage.

Peak Oil + Green Energy = Crisis

“But I guess it just reminds me that as a society, we don’t have the ability to actually come to grips with a crisis until it hits us in the face. I am discouraged enough now to think that we’re going to have to have a really nasty shock before we wake people up. The most optimistic estimate for the average depletion rate of the world’s currently producing oilfields is between 4% and 5% annually, or about four million barrels per day at our current rate of production. That means that each year we must find enough new oil to first replace those four million barrels of lost daily production before we even add enough to meet new demand. This is all the more worrisome because world oil discovery of new reserves has been slowing since the mid-20th century.” – Matt Simmons

Matt Simmons has been a lone voice in the wilderness warning Americans about the impending crisis that will be caused by Peak Oil. His prediction of a worldwide peak in crude oil production at 73 million barrels per day in 2005 has proved correct. Worldwide total liquids production peaked at 86 million barrels in 2008. All of the easy oil and gas in the world has been found. Additional supplies will be found deep below the ocean, in challenging arctic regions, in tar sands, and shale. It will be dramatically more expensive to extract oil from these sources. Oil discoveries have been in a steady decline since the 1970’s.

The United States has been dependent on 600 million barrels of oil from Mexico every year. By 2012 Mexico will become a net importer of oil, so 600 million barrels of oil will need to be replaced. Iran’s oil production is in decline as capital investment has been ignored for years. Russia’s production has peaked. Saudi Arabia continues to lie about its ability to ramp up production. Their oil fields are 40 years old and in terminal decline. By 2012, the world will only be able to produce 80 million barrels per day. There is no doubt that demand in 2012 will be higher than today’s 85 million barrels per day as China, India and other developing countries continue to grow. Even a Wall Street economist could predict what will happen to prices.

Peak oil will have the most dramatic affect on America. We have 5% of the world’s population, but use 25% of the world’s energy. Practically 85% of the world barely uses energy. World population of 7 billion will likely grow to 10 billion by 2030. China and India both are selling more cars annually than the U.S.

As people throughout the world enter the middle class, they want cars, TVs, and modern appliances. Energy demand cannot be turned back. Infrastructure constraints will exacerbate the coming energy crisis. The NIMBY crowd has managed to keep any refineries from being built in the U.S. since 1976. Our energy infrastructure is made of steel and is rusting away. It would take trillions to upgrade the energy system. These investments will not be made. The geologists and other experienced oil men are retiring, and no one is replacing them. Matt Simmons’ recommendation for the upcoming crisis is DOA:

“We should basically be going back to creating a village economy, so that we really reduce the energy intensity of how we live,” he says. “We need big time conservation, not feel-good conservation. Make things where they’re used. You’ll end long-distance commuting, and we have the tools to do that now with webcams. Grow food locally. Grow food in your backyard. If they’re not commuting, people will have time to do that.”

The Green Agenda that is sweeping the country and is fully supported by the Obama administration will be the final nail in the coffin. The blueprint of success for the Green Agenda is ethanol. Government subsidized a fuel that required more energy to produce than it provides. The mal-investment in ethanol plants led to a boom and the usual bust when government interferes in the free markets. The use of corn for fuel caused prices to rise for other food crops and meat. With the crash in oil prices, ethanol plants have been going bankrupt at an accelerating rate. Renewable energy and green jobs are the catch phrases being used by Obama and the Democrats pushing the Al Gore led agenda.

“I believe it is appropriate to have an ‘over-representation’ of the facts on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience.”

— Al Gore

I’d like to know the difference between over-representation and lying. The real inconvenient truth is that the United States depends on oil, natural gas, and coal to supply 87% of its energy, with nuclear power providing another 7%. The beloved solar, wind and geothermal sources supply 1.5% of our energy needs. Harry Reid and his green disciples believe coal and oil are ruining the world. They want to eliminate the fuels that power 87% of our economy. Maybe they should just keep implementing their economic policies and keep the country in a permanent recession, as carbon emissions have declined over the last three years. Their false science claims, scare tactics in grade schools, and use of green catch phrases will not generate the energy needed to run this country.

The green extremists want to eliminate coal as an energy source in the U.S. Even though nuclear energy emits no Carbon Dioxide, it is unacceptable to the green extremists. There is just one small problem. The chart below shows that coal and nuclear provide 72% of all the electric power in the United States. Renewable energy sounds good, but it cannot replace our existing sources. Inconvenient facts like no ability to distribute any energy created by wind and solar to the places that use the energy are completely ignored by green extremists. Our transportation system depends on oil to provide 96% of its energy. I don’t think anyone will be commuting to work in a solar car or wind powered car in the near future. A plug in car will require electric power that comes from coal and nuclear plants.

The Cap & Trade Energy bill will eventually be rammed through by the Democratic controlled Congress. It is being spun as a bill that will reduce greenhouse gases and create thousands of green jobs. What is a green job? Will we turn unemployed investment bankers and auto salesmen into solar panel and wind turbine manufacturers? The green agenda bill will penalize manufacturers, refineries, natural gas producers and electric utilities with increased taxes. Sounds great. Let’s penalize the polluters.

Every company that produces something will pass their costs along to their customers. This bill will increase the average family’s energy costs by $1,500 per year. It will convince many companies to move operations and jobs to China and India where these regulations don’t apply. Our agriculture industry will bear the brunt of this burden as they use tremendous amounts of energy in farming. Expect food costs to go up a lot. Since low income families spend a greater percentage of their income on energy, this bill will damage their finances the most. It will also trigger the coming Crisis.

20 Year Crisis – Financial Collapse, War, Rebirth

“Most of today’s adult Americans grew up in a society whose citizens dreamed of perpetually improving outcomes: better jobs, fatter wallets, stronger government, finer culture, nicer families, smarter kids, all the usual fruits of progress. Today, deep into a Third Turning, these goals often feel like they are slipping away. Many of us wish we could rewind time, but we know we can’t – and we fear for our children and grandchildren.”
Strauss & Howe (The Fourth Turning)

The skies are darkening and a cold wind is beginning to blow. Autumn began with bright skies and warm breezes, but the atmosphere has gotten bitter as swirling winds rip the remaining leaves from the trees. Winter is approaching rapidly and it gives all indications that it will be a bitter, dangerous, harsh time for all Americans. We wish we didn’t have to face the coming trial, but there is no avoiding it. Generational moods are transitioning, and a Crisis will envelop the country for the next twenty years. Courage and fortitude on a level not seen since World War II will be required.

The celebrity circuses like the Michael Jackson funeral, Britney Spears comeback tour, and Brangelina’s latest adoption will seem so trite during the coming Crisis. Wearing a blue rubber wristband and putting a yellow ribbon on your Mercedes SUV will not cut it. Previous 4th Turnings in U.S. history have involved total war. Deaths during the American Revolutionary War were approximately 50,000. Total deaths during the Civil War were 600,000. Total deaths during World War II were 73,000,000. How many people will die during the coming Crisis? No one knows the answer in advance. An integrated global economy, combined with nuclear weapons, advanced military killing machines, terrorists, and peak oil appears to be a recipe for death on a colossal scale.

Anyone who doesn’t sense a turning in the mood of the country is just not paying attention. There is a foreboding feeling that something is dreadfully wrong with our country. For those addicted to cable television, we are about to leave the sheltered, superficial, coddled world of Housewives of Orange County and enter the frigid, dangerous world of The Deadliest Catch with 40 foot waves and the threat of a watery death at any moment.

A dramatic event will soon shock the nation into action. The catalyst for the Crisis will likely be a sequence of events that will shift the mood of the country. The 1st event will be seen as the financial system meltdown in September 2008. The 2nd event will be viewed as the government’s reaction to the crisis. The remarkable sweeping steps taken by Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner, and Barack Obama have further weakened the U.S. financial system and left it vulnerable to the next sudden shock.

The approaching Crisis will be sparked by known existing threats that have been ignored and discounted by our Baby Boom leaders. These known threats include titanic current deficits, colossal unfunded future liabilities, and unavoidable Peak Oil. As the economy continues to hemorrhage jobs, Congress will do what they do best and spend billions more on stimulus pork. As the National Debt approaches $15 trillion in 2012, a spectacular collapse of the U.S. dollar becomes more likely.

By 2012 the world will realize that Peak Oil is a fact. As demand outstrips supply, prices will rise dramatically. This is when a catalytic event is likely to plunge us into a harsh Winter of darkness and death. As the U.S. economy begins to collapse under the weight of debt and oil shortages, a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological weapons on U.S. soil would plunge the country into chaos. Other possible triggers could be a natural disaster such as an earthquake that destroys significant portions of California or a hurricane that destroys oil rigs and refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.

Significant oil shortages will bring commerce to a halt. Food shortages would occur within a week of oil supply disruptions, as most of the food in our stores must be delivered by truck. As real unemployment reaches 25%, interest rates soar, and the dollar becomes worthless, civil unrest will breakout and the Department of Homeland Security will be called upon to fight and imprison its fellow citizens.

Past Crisis periods were marked by Prophets leading and Heroes sacrificing (Gandalf & Frodo) as the soldiers of the Crisis. In 2012 the country is likely to turn to a Baby Boom President with strong leadership skills such as Newt Gingrich or someone who will appear out of nowhere (Abraham Lincoln was an unknown two year Illinois Congressman). As the U.S. domestic crisis deepens, Russia and China will attempt to take advantage of U.S. weakness by expanding their influence and control in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Countries with domestic problems always turn outwards for a real or created threat to rally the nation. With the oil crisis getting worse, the U.S. will go to war in order to secure the precious supplies needed to run our economy. With China also seeking oil supplies a military conflict with China and Russia is quite possible. If the conflict turns into a cyber war of destroying satellites and disrupting computer communications, world leaders could be fighting blindly.

If one of these leaders panics and decides to launch some of their nuclear arsenal, the world could be changed beyond all recognition. This scenario seems impossible today. On October 24, 1929 when the Stock Market crashed, did anyone foresee a twelve year Depression with 25% unemployment, a World War that killed 73 million people, and the creation and use of an atomic bomb in the following sixteen years? The impossible becomes possible during a Crisis.

A Crisis can end positively or negatively. Our previous Crisis periods have resulted in new golden ages. If the leaders we choose are strong, wise, and judicious and the Millennial generation can rise to the occasion as their GI generation grandparents did during our last Crisis, we can rejuvenate our national destiny. Winter always turns into Spring. But, Strauss & Howe offer a chilling warning:

“History offers no guarantees. Obviously, things could go horribly wrong – the possibilities ranging from a nuclear exchange to incurable plagues, from terrorist anarchy to high-tech dictatorship. We should not assume that Providence will always exempt our nation from the irreversible tragedies that have overtaken so many others: not just temporary hardship, but debasement and total ruin. Losing in the next Fourth Turning could mean something incomparably worse. It could mean a lasting defeat from which our national innocence – perhaps even our nation – might never recover.”

By James Quinn

Dear Eva, Space Girlfriend

Karen Quick

The sirens blare all throughout the ship as the emergency lights flare up crimson red and flash so brilliantly it could give even the blind a headache. I grumble to myself, not for the first time, that perhaps rather than focusing on building such an elaborate panic system, the amare ships could focus on maybe making a design that wasn’t infiltratable?The amare to my right moves his humanoid figure to glance in my direction, and I can tell without looking that he’s got his eyebrows raised at me, probably wondering what I dared mutter under my breath.“I was wondering if the guards have managed to catch the intruder yet,” I offer before he gets a chance to ask. In response, he grunts, and I can tell just by the warbling notes that the answer to my question is still no. The amare glides away from me towards the screens to join my mother, who is currently occupied with chastising the control men for letting such a grievous error occur on the fleet’s lead ship of all places.Of course, how could they know that the intruder the guards are trying to find is, in fact, one of the guards? My mother’s arms start to glow mahogany, symbolizing her frustration, which I felt was a tad excessive considering that all four of her eyes were glaring and her mouth was set into its thin-lipped position of doom. It’s an infamous expression of hers, as those on the outlying systems of the galaxy say that those who incur the Queen’s wrath have to retire from their regal positions and become farmers just to rid themselves of their newfound anxieties.It’s just a rumor.Probably.One of the guards enters the command center and makes the mistake of telling the amarean rulers that the intruder has somehow managed to evade all search groups and is only about an estimated thirteen quaarsects away from breaking into this very area. The queen, of course, is very angry to hear this and decrees that the royal family is to be ushered towards the safe rooms until the threat is contained. My reactionary smile elicits no alarm; to any of the onlookers, it may seem only as if I’m relieved to be taken out of the supposed sphere of danger. But in truth, this is exactly where the “intruder” will be heading us off. Everything seems to be going according to plan.Let’s get this straight:I’m the Amarean Princess of the Evenor Galaxy. (I’m not trying to brag; it’s just simple fact).Our intruder is one of the odiums, our sworn enemies, who is currently posing as one of our palace guards.By race, and by class, this odium is my enemy.She’s also my girlfriend.My family races down corridors on the starboard side of the spaceship, my mother muttering as we go that this was supposed to be a fun, carefree, simple family vacation into the neighboring sector. My father grunts his condolences to her and she swats his arm with a hand. “When we return home, deary, I’ll be firing all of the guards and pilots. They’re incompetent, all of them.” Mother’s arms surge again in mahogany. “I never should have let you do the important decision making,” she curses.Father grunts to tell her that she looks lovely today.She doesn’t get a chance to respond, however, when the guards surrounding us come to a sudden halt and draw out their Atomic Meson Desecrators, each aiming them at something unseen through the haze of stocky bodies and glowing arms. There’s really only one thing–or rather, one person–it could be though.Mother’s arms glow neon in a surge of frustration. “How did they know we’d come this way?” She stomps her feet and even tries grabbing a Desecrator from one of the guards. “Impossible!”Some of the guards shout at the figure beyond us to surrender, and even the queen calms down enough to see what the intruder does.

And the answer is: nothing. (Because it’s a hologram, but of course they wouldn’t know that.)

I can tell, because the guards start advancing slowly and warily, warning the creature to take their advice and just surrender already. Even my parents start to creep forward, flickers of curious orange dancing on their elbows.

A sudden gust of wind from directly behind me tousles my flowing sleeves and hair and would have startled me more if I didn’t know it was coming. “Don’t forget your lines,” a voice like dewberries on the melting fruit blocks of Cavarst sounds behind me. Elation and adrenaline flood my systems, turning my colors from a calmer green to bright, bright pink. In the few quaarsects I have left, I channel my emotions by focusing on a single thought–the idea of my parents, and the whole galaxy really, to discover the truth: that I’m dating an odium, and I like it.

The embarrassing shades of pink morph into an alarming yellow reserved only for moments of panic, and I summon forth a scream that even the renowned performers of Quada’ar would envy. In unison, every amare in the corridor glides abruptly to see what caused such a sound to come from me, and the colors of the amare switch from a spike of frightful brown to yellows, like my own.

Like two actors trust the other lead to fulfill their part of the role, I don’t bother to turn around and check that my supposed captor is holding an Atomic Meson Desecrator against my side. An arm wraps swiftly around my neck, cutting off the scream from the depths of my throat. My own hands raise towards it instinctively and claw away at it but to no avail. I can see out of the corner of my right eyes that in the hand attached to this arm is an Ectoplasmic Flash-Shifter: the handheld equivalent of a full-scale transporter. I register the mounting panic in the eight collective eyes of my parents as they identify the gadget at the same moment that the guards do.

“I’ll be taking her with me,” the voice from before growls with menace, before activating the Ectoplasmic Flash-Shifter. The last thing I see before I close my eyes is the hand of my mother grabbing my father’s fearfully, as she screams at the guards to do something.

I blink, and when light filters in again I find myself on an entirely different ship. Through one of the gaping windows, I can see the faint outline of the royal fleet, though it’s hard to identify as a consistent flow of asteroids float past the hull. We must be attached to one of them, I guess, so that the fleet’s radars don’t notice us.

“Make yourself at home,” my captor jokes, tossing the Desecrator into a bin labeled props. She’s a bit on the taller side, dressed in the uniform of the amarean guards. As she morphs back into her natural skin she loses the look of one of my kind, replacing the flowing colors with pale arms and the second pair of eyes for impressively long eyelashes, which she then proceeds to bat excessively in my direction. I laugh.

“I think today’s performance was encore-worthy, no?” She smirks at my comment before inclining her head towards one of the doors. We walk side-by-side, catching up on each other’s latest endeavors, deciding what royal official she’ll go undercover as next, debating whether or not I should be returned with a ransom or escape all on my own–all perfectly normal things to discuss with your enemy-turned-girlfriend.

We spill out into a dining hall, where in floating mists of liquid nitrogen, small eddies caused the droplets to swirl about in a dance known only to them. Large fronds and flowers were doted lovingly upon by insects undoubtedly purchased from the exotic markets of Frundrum. At an oddly shaped table, morphed into such a pattern that it arguably had no definitive shape sat at all a tall, wiry looking humanoid, whose head perked up at the sound of us entering the space.

“Good morning!” he called, for in odium culture days are nonexistent and their preferred “time of day” is the morning. “It’s good to see you again, Kay,” he says to me, using my nickname, for amarean names are depressingly long and are rather a headache for any other species to say. He motioned towards the seats irregularly spaced around the table, and we sit down. After offering us a few breakfast delicacies the man relaxes back to eat what’s been placed before him.

My captor reaches with a glass into the air and catches a bit of liquid nitrogen inside. “Will Mom be able to make brunch today?”

“I’m afraid not, Eva,” my potential father-in-law responds as Eva takes a sip of liquid nitrogen.

For odiums, if a name is longer than three syllables then it’s not the name of an odium, and really if anything in their lives gets too complicated they no longer consider themselves odium. Sometimes when I’m with my girlfriend’s family, I can’t help but think that if my mother tried the detoxing approach that they did, perhaps she wouldn’t be so uptight all the time. My mother, calm? The thought is almost laughable.

Eva’s father pauses between bites of intergalactic scrambled eggs to look at me. “And dear Kay,” he journeys, in that ever-calm tone of his, “I was wondering what time your parents would like you home by?”

I share a look with Eva. “Well, if we’re doing a ransom,” she starts, “then maybe–”

“Sometime after lunch?” I finish.

The other odium at the table wipes his fingers serenely on his napkin. “That’s fine by me,” he tells us. “Have you two made any extravagant plans for today?”

“Not this time,” I say, peering out of the window at the fleet and imagining what sort of chaos is ensuing at this very moment.

“That does remind me though,” my girlfriend announces, redirecting my attention. “I heard that there’s to be a new play on Quada’ar starting shortly if you’re interested. Opening night is said to be several days from now. This Saturday, I believe.”

I smile, thinking of what sort of scenario we’ll think up next to whisk me away for several hundred quaarsects. Something crazy, I’m sure.

“This Saturday, you said? Then it’s a date

“Why Are They Ruining OUR BUSINESS?” NO-FAULT DIVORCE Will Be Cancelled; Women ARE ANGRY | The Wall

Spaghetti in Mushroom Cheese Sauce

Spaghetti in Mushroom Cheese Sauce is quick to make and features a creamy and cheesy mushroom sauce. Garnish with parsley or cilantro to add some extra color flair.

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1 (2.29 ounce) packet Maggi Creamy Mushroom Soup Mix
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (4 ounces) cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 (1.5 ounces) cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (16 ounce) box dry spaghetti, prepared according to package directions
Fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

Mix milk and mushroom soup mix in small bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat; add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add soup mixture, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened.
Add spaghetti; toss until coated. Garnish with parsley.

Notes

Sauté some fresh mushrooms and add them to this just before tossing the spaghetti with the sauce.

Adventure Pictures

Neocons, Kamala and a wider Middle East conflict

What is the future of fast food?

In the western world? The future of fast food is independents and smaller chains.

You see most of the fast food chains you see today are franchises and conglomerates.

McDonalds isn’t actually a fast food company, the same way Ford isn’t a vehicle company. They’re companies that make money any which way they can.

McDonalds and similar companies realised that Franchise royalties and fees were a nice money spinner. However, they found that buying locations and RENTING them to franchisees was an even bigger money spinner.

They keep hiking the rents to keep profits up at non organic levels. Franchisees have to increase prices to pay the rents less people eat there. Franchisee goes bust eventually unable to make it work out.

Independents will either own completely or pay commercial rents (which are getting slaughtered) and as such have lower overheads and can simply sell their products for less money.

It’s happening, this is in the UK Bolton. An old woman runs a ‘cafe’ out of her own home. There’s no retail rent to pay so she can make profits at lower cost.

It’s happened in Hong Kong already. There are many ‘virtual’ restaurants where it is delivery only. In Kowloon bay there’s a huge factory building with food panda bikes outside. Inside has numerous delivery only restaurants. They can sell at the same prices as everyone else but make more because they pay rents for non high street/prime retail rents.

US to knock out Rus+Chinese satellites. Moldova is US’ vassal. Rus advance in Donetsk O. Rus’ Nukes.

Why do most Koreans think that China is very backward?

Korean professor Kim Do-nam once pointed out on a Korean program that South Korea is the only country in the world that looks down on China, but there is no South Korea in the eyes of Chinese young people.

South Koreans proud of Samsung, in China basically very few people use, even if the Chinese mentioned Samsung, will only talk about Samsung cell phone explosion scandal. China’s domestic cell phone quality early beyond the Samsung, but in the price is much cheaper.

To the Chinese, South Korea is just a pea-sized micro-country, whose economic scale is not even as large as that of China’s Jiangsu Province.

There is no Korea in the eyes of Chinese young people. They have long set their sights on the world’s number one superpower, the United States. Surpassing the United States is the idea of Chinese young people.

The speed and comfort of China’s high-speed railways have given South Koreans traveling to China a sci-fi movie addiction.

And the convenience of the life of ordinary people in China is also far beyond the imagination of Koreans, because even in ordinary towns and villages, the Chinese people buy things only need to use a cell phone to scan a code to pay, unmanned supermarkets in big cities, shared bicycle is greatly facilitated people’s lives, and these are in South Korea is still very rare.

In short, it is sad for the Korean nation and pathetic for over-arrogance that young Chinese people have long since made the United States a target for competition, while Koreans continue to do what they do.

Naturally, Koreans do not want to recognize the fact that Korea has always been a third-rate country and that it has served China, Japan, and the United States as its sovereigns in that order, and they feel that the only way for Korea to gain the respect of the world is to belittle China and distort its history to the fullest extent possible.

They began to look down on China in every aspect, and soon China left Korea far behind, a reality that Koreans apparently did not pay attention to or did not want to pay attention to, but the facts were there, and as they watched the gap between the two countries gradually widen, a lot of Koreans became exasperated, and in order to preserve the last vestige of decency in their favor, Koreans began to entertain themselves and started to go around stealing China’s culture just to keep indulging in the fantasy in order to continue indulging in their fantasies.

When China’s young people are working hard for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, many South Korean young people are still stuck in the past, feel that China is not as good as South Korea, I can only say that this kind of ridiculous idea will only continue to widen the gap between the two countries.

I hope they won’t be too alarmed when they wake up from their fantasies.

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

Many years ago, I worked for a subsidiary of VISA. I was hired to perform security checks on fraudulent debit cards issued by credit unions. My first week on the job, I showed up excited to work. Following company policy, I sent out letters explaining to the branch managers that I’d be investigating their systems.

One by one, the branch managers called and pleaded with me to not look for fraudulent debit cards, rightly pointing out that this was not a problem. Apparently me logging into their databases from the back end made it impossible to perform their vital functions, shutting their systems down. After enough of them called, I stopped doing my job and brought the issue to my boss.

I assumed that my boss would give me better database access to review the records without interrupting service or give me another assignment. I reminded him of the issue every week and pointed out that I had nothing else to do. He told me that he was very busy and would get back to me the following week. After two months of this, I gave up and stopped asking.

Months later, with nothing to do, I brought reading material to work. I made long distance phone calls for eight hours. I wrote reporting pieces for magazines on the clock. I started showing up to work wearing t-shirts. I began showing up closer to 10 AM. I started to run my own business from my desk at VISA. When Solitaire got boring, I became the most adept Minesweeper player that had ever lived.

Nothing that I could do seemed to get me in any trouble. I would show up to a passive aggressive note on my desk if the previous day’s activities were too flagrant. But it came from a woman at an adjacent desk who didn’t work in my department.

Before long, I had put many hundreds of hours into growing my own business and was tiring of the place. And now I had a book tour coming up. I asked for time off and human resources turned me down. I explained that I would have to quit. My boss said, “From everything that I’ve heard, you did such a great job here. You can always come back!” I wondered about who doesn’t excel at that job.

Knowing what I know now, I believe that the security checks were required by the government in federal regulation so while they don’t actually need to be performed, the job is termination proof as the company has to fill it. If it wasn’t for the soul-sucking social environment, I would have gone back after that tour.

Update: 20 years later I was asked to participate in a focus group for business owners about online banking. I was screened heavily and accepted. When I arrived, it was at this former VISA office, talking about the business I started at my desk to the people who now do my old job. They never asked if I had previously worked there or if I had a background in finance. And honestly, I don’t feel like I do.

NATO Just Crossed Putin’s Red Line with this Massive Attack

This is really good. I love the comment that the “Hill” (Congress) is a madhouse. They are just clueless.

Both India and China have over 1 billion people so why does China look clean and modern and India looks dirty and behind in the times?

Anyone who knows China and India reasonably well could answer this question with some sense.

I was born a few years after India’s partition, spent my first early 20 years there, and left India in the early 70s for Canada. I had three options to pick from three countries: the UK, the USA, and Canada.

I picked Canada even if it was not my first choice because I did not have to go to my parents for financial help.

From childhood, I was very intrigued by China and Canada. I got a chance to work/study/with Chinese Canadians and gained tremendous knowledge about China and the Chinese. Subsequently, I visited China six times.

Now, let us dig into the root causes of differences between India and China.

Indians have ZERO civic sense, absolutely none. The whole country is a big garbage bin.
On the other hand, the Chinese have a reasonably great civic sense.
Chinese megacities are super clean because the Government is stringent and enforces laws, and punishment is prompt.
India is a lawless land. India has a wrong governing system, borrowed from precious rulers, and it is a failed system even in their own country; it is NOT fit for India.
India is no match for China in any sense. All these slogans are useless/empty noises. China wants to meet world standards in cleanliness as Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland.
And I know China and the Chinese do not even give two hoots for India.
India is not even 1/6th of the Chinese economy and has sky-high drugs/alcoholism/violent crimes/hunger/massive corruption, and, of course, full of filth.
Women are not safe in India; on the other hand, Chinese women can walk by themselves in the middle of the night without any fear.

One visit to a small town/village in China opened my eyes and defined my civic sense.

In this village/town, there appeared to be no public garbage collection. I observed one lady in the street collecting garbage from her street and bringing it to the more significant collection center. It appeared to me that all households took turns doing this duty. The citizens seemed to be self-motivated to keep the streets and surroundings clean.

main qimg 27383d3d935ab08e9b034e144f8f1724

THE WORLD WON’T BELIEVE CHINA LOOKS LIKE THIS

The US laws ban the US from collaborating with China on space, but asks China’s lunar soil. Ukraine laws ban Ukraine from talking to Putin, but asks Putin for peace talks now! Why are the US’ democratic laws rubbish which can be thrown away any time?

The US turned into a kakistocracy where circus acts, snake oil salesmen, sellouts, and dementia patients run the government.

Americans mocked and ridiculed China’s successful trip to the previously unexplored dark side of the Moon. Well well well, then the US sent the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station. It looks like the Hotel California where “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!”

Shorpy

The Divine Purpose of Cats | 6 types of cats that expel negative energy from your life!

Why do the EU and NATO fear China so much that they have resorted to threatening China?

China will take away their excess profits.

When I was a child, my family bought a television set.

I will never forget that day.

The whole family got up very early and counted the money over and over again—it was all of my father’s salary for 36 months, saved bit by bit by the whole family.

At that time, China couldn’t produce its own televisions and had to import them from abroad, which was extremely expensive for us.

I need to explain why China could make hydrogen bombs and nuclear submarines back then, but not televisions.

Because after its founding, China was so poor and backward—poorer than any African country—that it could only invest its limited resources into vital projects for survival, especially in heavy industrial equipment.

People worked on empty stomachs and exported every grain of saved food to earn foreign exchange, which was immediately reinvested into heavy industry production.

(Movie screenshot: Do you know what they are doing? They are not calculating accounts, but calculating nuclear weapons data. At that time, China had no computers, and even calculators were rare. They could only rely on countless people to use the crude calculation tools invented by their ancestors nearly 2,000 years ago to calculate bit by bit… It was very sad and tragic.)

The origin of China’s nuclear submarines can be traced back to an American children’s toy. At that time, Huang Xuhua, known as the father of China’s nuclear submarines, had no idea how to build one. One day, while visiting a diplomat’s home, he discovered that the diplomat had bought a $2 American toy nuclear submarine for his child. Huang was delighted and carefully analyzed the toy’s exterior and internal structure. Ultimately, he found the inspiration he needed.

Eight years later, China’s first nuclear submarine was launched.

This is also why I have always believed that the diffusion of technology is inevitable. Permanent blockades are impossible.

****

This was actually very against human nature and extremely painful.

By the 1980s, public discontent had reached a shocking level, and the Chinese Communist Party had to use some foreign exchange to buy imported luxury goods, such as televisions, to appease the people.

My family also experienced a similar situation when bought a TV.

At that time, a neighbor had a TV, but the child and I had a bad relationship.

All the children in the neighborhood could go to his house to watch TV, except me.

When his family played cartoons, I also wanted to watch them.

I stood in front of his closed door and “listened” to the TV cartoons.

But that kid didn’t want me to “listen” to the TV, so he came to beat me up.

Of course I couldn’t beat him, because all the other kids who could watch TV automatically became his allies, and obviously, I was beaten up by a group of kids.

My father felt very uncomfortable, so he made a major decision: to buy a TV with the money he saved! He originally planned to use this huge sum of money to invest in a small business.

That television brought a happy childhood to my neighbors and me.

My wife’s family was even more astonishing; they were the only household with a television among hundreds, so sometimes they had to move it to the small square to show it, as their home was too crowded.

Later, we were able to make them ourselves, LCD TV accounting for 90% of the world’s output, and the price came down.

Nowadays, products like televisions and tablets are cabbage price.

Because China produces a huge amount of cabbage, the price is extremely low, and we use “cabbage price” to describe very cheap prices.

Air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves—once they were “Made in China,” they all became “cabbage price”, and many poor people around the world could afford them.

The same goes for mobile phones. Now, out of 10 mobile phones in the world, 7 are made in China.

As a result, African people buy 110 million affordable but equally good Chinese phones every year (with the lowest price at $10!).

You may have never heard of or seen this mobile phone brand, but it is considered the national phone in Africa.

This kind of thing has happened in countless industries.

The next industries should be cars and large passenger aircraft.

The thing in the picture below is called a tunnel boring machine.

China’s infrastructure construction at that time was in urgent need of such large-scale equipment，but we do not know how to make it ,and had to buy it from the Germans at 700 million yuan per unit.

Additionally, parts and customer service were very expensive, and German engineers were very arrogant.

There was no choice but to endure it. What else could you do when your country wasn’t capable?

Now?

Now China can produce larger and better tunnel boring machines than Germany, at 30% to 10% of the German original price, occupying about 65% of the world market.

In a few years, there may be only one name for tunnel boring machines: Made in China.

Developed countries that used to earn massive excess profits by leading in technology and industry will have a hard time.

If they don’t cut prices, they can’t compete at all.

If they do cut prices, there won’t be as much profit.

So, developed countries can’t look at China in a friendly way.

Their original expectation was for China to stick to making shoes and shirts, with 1.4 billion laborers supporting less than 1 billion golden people.

However, it is more beneficial to the remaining 6 billion people in the world, at least they can obtain cheap industrial products and infrastructure capabilities, such as helping Iraq build 7,000 schools and helping Africa build railways, roads and dams, and the fees are much cheaper than those of Western developed countries.

So they are usually more friendly to China.Unexpectedly, China wants to make everything, and they make it pretty well, like Huawei.

This is a structural conflict that cannot be reconciled.

In the past, such conflicts were resolved through wars, defeating China in battle.

However, they found that if they resolved China militarily, China might convert its industrial capacity into military capacity, and with 1.4 billion highly homogeneous people who believe in collectivism, it would be a loss.

In fact, I think the West should not attack the CCP, because the hostility of the West has already disgusted some Chinese people.

We should all be worried about ambitious people.

The pictures is the headquarters of a Chinese shirt manufacturer.

Does it remind you of something? That’s right. However, this “strange” aesthetic has caused him to be ridiculed online hevavily and mocked by Chinese netizens as “He has established the Third Shirt Reich.”

My suggestion is for everyone to cooperate and achieve a win-win situation. By interacting more, they will gradually get used to China’s presence.

Pizza Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 cup milk
Oregano, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Garlic to taste
32 ounces spaghetti sauce
1 package pepperoni, sliced
1 pound ground beef or turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups (or more) shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Combine cooked spaghetti, milk and eggs. Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread spaghetti sauce over spaghetti.
Brown ground beef or turkey. Season with spices; drain.
Place ground beef or turkey over spaghetti sauce.
Add a layer of pepperoni.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees F.

This Is What “Always” Happens Before A Superpower Falls

CryoSleep

Fletcher Cobb

Well it turns out that when you are traveling for several months through space, cryopods are pretty nice. If you are traveling through a self driven spacecraft there isn’t really much to do, hence the cryosleep. Not only does it prevent you from getting bored, it also slows your aging and metabolism. For the Newmans who were flying on the The Sparkler Flight No. 174, the cryo pods had a small problem: they didn’t freeze up.“Hey, Jim, when will this pod freeze us?” asked Emma Newman“I don’t know, how about you ask the pilot? Oh, wait there isn’t one. I told you we should have bought the other flight.”“Well we didn’t and now we are accelerating into a three month journey where we will be so conscious and soooo bored.”“Let’s just get out of this (beeping) pod. Isn’t there an emergency open button or something?”“How would you expect a person in cryosleep to push the-”“Found it!” Jim said as he pushed a red button and the temperature dropped. After a slight hissing sound the door opened dramatically, with fog spilling out into the surrounding room. Jim stepped out and surveyed the surrounding room, glad to be free of his claustrophobic confines.“Well now that your pod is open would you just skip the theatrics and open mine.” yelled Emma, who couldn’t find the button about three feet from her face.Jim, taking his time to open the pod said, “Hey, do you think that they have any good food here?”“Well, let’s see. The nearest restaurant is about a hundred and fifty miles away by now, so I think that they would have plenty of food for the people in cryosleep. Just open my pod!” The last part Emma practically yelled.After the pod was opened (with a less dramatic plop) Emma stepped out exasperated and shivering. She glared at Jim. Jim absently inspected a poster about how the cryopods works. Emma glared harder, hoping Jim would look at her. After that went on for about 30 seconds, Jim looked down and jumped at the intensity of her stare.“Well, the food I was talking about.”“No.”Jim pulled out a melted chocolate bar from his pocket and said, “I was hoping the cryopod would freeze it before I got to it, but this will suffice.”Emma just stared and blinked at him. “You had a chocolate bar this entire time and you didn’t tell me?”“No, two chocolate bars.” At this Emma displayed visible frustration. She held out her hand, hoping to get the other chocolate bar. He gave her one of those small fun sized bars. Emma displayed even more visible frustration at this concept. She threw it in her pod to save it for later.“How will we get into a working pod?” Emma asked.

Jim ignored her and just stared at that poster on how the pods worked.

“How will we?” Emma asked.

“We probably need to replace the temperature sensor. The poster said so.” Jim told her factually.

“How will we get those?”

“They stock them at Targets across the world.”

Emma just slapped him.

“What was that for?”

Emma slapped him again.

“We could find one in the storage.”

“Now that is helpful.”

Jim slapped Emma.

“What was that for?”

After confusion about where the storage was they finally found it. If they looked at the airport style signs hanging from the ceiling and telling them where to go they could have found it earlier. The room was rather large and full to the brim with bins of spare parts and not one, but two giant teddy bears.

“Let’s split up. You go left, I go to the teddy bears.” That was Jim.

Emma held up an uno reverse card. Now she was the one who checked the teddy bears.

After five minutes Jim came back and Emma knew they had to switch places. After about thirty seconds of having to switch, Jim yelled to Emma.

“I found the temperature sensor. It was right behind the teddy bears. Emma, what were you doing with the teddy bear?”

Soon after they found what they all that they needed the Newmans needed to leave the storage area. At this point in time they found themselves in a fork in the hallway. Jim decided to go left, Emma decided to go right.

On Emma’s path she saw the ceiling sign telling her which way to get to the cryo chamber. “I found it!”

“You might have but you have to come here.” yelled back Jim.

“Will you go to the pods after?”

“Yup!”

Emma walked back to Jim, annoyed but also knowing he wouldn’t give in. As Emma turned the bend she saw it and instantly felt a crowd of emotions, ranging from embarrassment to straight up confusion. She walked into a food court. And a Target. At the same time. The Target’s shelves full of the temperature sensor’s and other tech items. It was as if the universe had made all the dumb things Jim said come true just to annoy her.

Then she realized it. Jim had found the holodeck and was project this entire area into existence. “Why did they have a Target-food court simulation on the holodeck?”

He held up a USB thumbdrive.

“Again, why do you have this on a thumbdrive?”

“You don’t?”

Exasperated, Emma just gave up. “Now will you just fix the pods?”

“Sure, I guess,” and they walked back into the cryo chamber. Jim started working on the pods while Emma ate her chocolate bar (the fun size, if you remember). After Jim messed around in the pod (basing all of his work off of the poster) he finally said they were ready. Emma had finished the tiny chocolate a long time ago.

“Alright, this should work. Get in.” said Jim.

“You first, you’re the one who fixed it.”

“And you’re the guinea pig.”

“Fine,” said a very annoyed Emma, getting into the machine.

Jim pressed some buttons to initialize the freezing, and the exact same thing as before happened. It got chilly, but it didn’t freeze them. “Hey, Jim, I think you broke it.”

“Well, obviously”

“Can I try to fix the pod.”

“Ok, I guess,” said a very disappointed Jim.

Emma got out of the pod and started poking around inside. She had no idea how the pod even worked. After about thirty seconds she gave up and started looking at the buttons on the outside. Looking at the main control panel she saw an array of dials, but one stood out to her. The temperature dial was set to “Refrigerate”, not “Cryosleep.”

“Hey, Jim, the pods were set to keep us cool, not make us sleep.”

“Oh, come on,”

Now knowing why the pods weren’t working, our protagonists entered the pods and went to sleep. This time it worked. They would wake up and be at their destination, with a story to tell. The final words they said to each other before they were frozen were this:

“See you in three months Jim!”

“See you- wait, I was wondering where this burrito went!”

Cheating Fiancée’s Hopes & Dreams SHATTERED When Her Drunken Facebook Posts Result In Her Getting…

Don’t drink and post…

Finally…

MM has a few words…

Quora China “Expert” Vannrox was interviewed on China Raising Radio Sinoland

Here’s my interview with Jeff on a wide range of topics regarding China. I hope that you will all take moment and hear my thoughts on what is going on in China. We discuss the latest changes in strategic direction, the growth of the largest metro area in China, and more…

Video interview plus transcript HERE.

Dancin’ Fool

It’s the middle 1970’s. I am in middle school.

A couple of cute girls run up to me and pull me out of study hall to go square dancing with them.

One day. Then the next. Then the one after that.

Maybe I wasn’t a football player or a popular Jock, but I was a dancing fool. All the girls wanted to dance with me. And I really loved it.

These square dances were a lot of fun. I loved the attention; and being part of a group. Even then, I did not realize how starved I was for BELONGING.

The girls would look at me, touch me, and talk with me. And it was fun. Fun! And the time went by so fast!

Then I graduated from high school and entered university.

Disco fever hits America.

Still, I wasn’t so much into the movement as I could of been. I was more of an observer. Books and studying were my drivers.

Everyone was “Doin’ the hustle”. Me too. LOL.

I was a party fool.

Looking back, you know, dancing played a major social role in my ability to meet and be with girls. Too bad that there were movements that were trying to remove it for religious reasons.

Silly. Huh?

Now, here I am. In China. Everyone dances. From free impromptu dances on the curbs to KTV’s and clubs. Everyone dances.

Forget social media applications. Go out, put on some music and start dancing. There’s a lot worse things that you can do to occupy your time.

Don’t know how to dance, or are too self consciousness?

Go Zorba the Greek style…

Or, my favorite, Jamaican Rasta-man…

When in doubt go “Grateful Dead” and do the hop to the beat, and pretend that you are stoned.

Today…

What are your views on China almost owning Laos? How careful do other small nations need to be from China?

The word “owning” is not appropriate; it should be described as a win-win situation. Laos is a landlocked country with no ports, only 4 kilometers of railway nationwide, and underdeveloped roads.

In December 2021, after the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Laos has had a direct railway connection with China. This has greatly improved Laos’s economy, with optimistic projections suggesting that Laos’s GDP will increase fivefold by 2030.

(I am confident about Laos’ economic prospects, because it is said that in 2020, the most corrupt bureaucrat in the country only had $500,000！ which is much better than many poor countries, If the corruption problem is not big, the economy will surely take off)

The railway has opened up transportation between China and Laos, bringing hundreds of thousands of job opportunities to Laos, and China benefits as well.

China’s agriculture is severely lacking in potassium. Although Russia and Belarus are major potash exporters and friendly countries, having an additional source of imports is beneficial. Laos, with its world-class giant potash deposits, lacks the technology and funds for mining, and hasn’t even begun selling them.

China’s construction of potash mines in Laos, purchasing at reasonable prices, creating local jobs, developing the industry, and meeting its own needs is indeed a win-win situation.

China has a huge demand for durians, and Laotian durians are very cheap. Selling them to China via the railway significantly increases their income, making everyone happy.

China can produce industrial goods, medicines, and other necessities cheaply and in good quality, satisfying Laotian needs. Laotians are also very satisfied.

Moreover, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. conducted 580,000 bombing missions on this non-combatant country, dropping 270 million cluster bombs, of which about 30% remain unexploded. Currently, 80 million small bombs are scattered and buried in Laos, causing deaths and injuries every year.

By constructing this railway, Chinese engineers have cleared thousands of unexploded bombs, at least ensuring the safety of the railway line. This act alone is of immeasurable merit.

China and the West are different in one respect: as a developing country that was oppressed by great powers for over a hundred years, we know very well what that feels like.

Now that we have some money, it is natural to help others while benefiting ourselves through mutual benefit.

2500 years ago, Mencius said, “Only a benevolent nation can interact with smaller nations on an equal footing”—not by dropping 270 million bombs on them.

To take a step back, even if driven solely by China’s own interests, such as buying potash mines and trying to push prices down, the short-term gain might seem profitable, but in the long run? If we don’t consider the other party’s interests, it will ultimately harm our own.

There are areas needing improvement.

For example, on the station signs within Laos along the China-Laos Railway, although Lao script is at the top and Chinese is below, the Chinese font size is the same as the Lao script, which seems a bit inappropriate.

It would be better if the Chinese font were smaller.

I have always been a little worried about hurting the feelings of the Lao people.

However, it seems that Laotians have not raised this issue.

She explains what is going on

Money is NOT value.

Should the USA give one aircraft carrier to each one of China’s neighbors to stop China from bullying its neighbors?

Originally Answered: Should the USA give 1 aircraft carrier to each one of China’s neighbor to stop China from bullying its neighbor?

Funnily enough, this question reminds me of an ancient punishment of the Thai Royal Court.

If a Thai king happened to dislike a particular minor noble, that noble would be “gifted” with the finest war elephant from the royal regiment.

Now what could go wrong with that you might think? After all, an elephant is a mighty war beast and also a valuable trophy that kings would fight each other to own.

Well, they are also one hell of an eater, consuming an unholy amount of food and water every day.

want some?

They also need space, care, training, and exercise – all of which requires a lot of people and costs a lot of money. That’s why, normally, only the likes of kings or very powerful nobles could afford their accommodations.

So what happened if some unaccomplished, minor nobles were awarded with one?

In a few months, they would become broke: They couldn’t get rid of the elephant because it was a gift from the king and also could not leave them neglected because of its royal status.

I think something similar would happen if the United States were to “gift” any carriers to the minor nations in the South China Sea.

Just some insight

I love hearing from youse guys about how your affirmations are going. Here’s one from a member of the MM collective. I deleted the queries and personal data. But still, I always find these reports interesting…

I've been on a 3 month on/4 off Intentions Campaign run since summer 2023 when I started my first (late starter, I know-- but I'd old baggage I needed to dispose of before committing to a campaign-- I like fresh psychological starts!). 

After a quiet start, I'm now halfway through my second break, and the roller coaster ride has just kicked off-- white knuckle, baby.

> Yikes!!!

> The tell tails have all hilariously manifested, too. Very very strange and uncanny feeling. Things that were calm in my life are now turning upside down and I'm glad-- It was well needed. But stressful. (Have included safety protocols so nothing crazy.)

We were mocking my husband at a neighborhood party until he stood up & told me it’s over forever.

NEVER, ever make fun of your husband or wife.

What can be expected from the meeting between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and China’s top legislator Zhao Leji?

On July 29, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meroni met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.

Zhao Leji said that the National People’s Congress of China is willing to give full play to the role of the regular exchange mechanism with the Italian Parliament, carry out multi-level, wide-ranging and multi-channel friendly exchanges, and provide legal guarantees for the practical cooperation between the two countries.

Meroni expressed the hope that the legislative bodies of the two sides will strengthen exchanges, promote cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture and other fields, and promote the healthy and stable development of Italy-China and Europe-China relations.

Of course, this is all official jargon.

To put it simply, Merloni hopes that China’s National People’s Congress and the Italian Parliament will increase exchanges so that Italian parliamentarians can understand China’s parliamentary model, so that they will not encounter too much opposition from pro-American parliamentarians during parliamentary questioning.

The reason I say this is because of what Italy has done over the past period of time.

In the recent EU vote on imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Italy voted in favor.
The Italian Ministry of Finance issued a statement after the G7 Finance Ministers’ Meeting, saying that the G7 opposes so-called “unilateral actions” that undermine global trade, and implicitly pointed the finger at China.
Senior Italian naval officials announced that the country’s aircraft carrier will visit the Philippines after participating in Australian exercises to show support for the Philippines.

Last year, the Meloni government’s decision to withdraw from the “Belt and Road Initiative” itself had a huge impact on the mutual trust between China and Italy. Judging from the delegation that Meloni brought with her to China, including Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli and energy group Eni, the focus of her visit to China is obviously to discuss bilateral economic and trade cooperation with China.

Why does Italy still want to do this?

In fact, if we look at the preparations for this visit to China alone, Meloni’s sincerity is still sufficient.

In addition to the luxurious business delegation mentioned above, it is reported that Meloni has also prepared a generous gift for China.

According to the Italian media “24 Hours Sun”, the Meloni government intends to “transfer” the use rights of the discontinued car brands of the European auto giant Stellantis Group to Chinese companies.
Italy has specially prepared a working group to discuss cooperation in the automotive field with China. At present, the EU is imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Objectively speaking, if Chinese auto companies can invest and build factories in Italy, they can indeed resolve the high tariffs faced by exports to Europe. For Italy, they can obtain investment from Chinese companies through such cooperation and boost the local auto industry.

This is a win-win situation.

Moreover, perhaps in order to eliminate the impact of Italy’s withdrawal from the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Meroni also announced during his visit to China that he would sign a three-year action plan with China to restart cooperation with China.

We can understand Meroni’s move. This plan is actually an alternative to the “Belt and Road Initiative” jointly built by China and Italy.

Meroni showed such sincerity. In the final analysis, Italy still needs China.

On the one hand, Italy is currently facing severe high inflation and debt crisis.
On the other hand, the trade volume between China and Italy last year showed a significant decline compared with 2022.

Since Italy withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative, it has faced a series of economic problems. If Italy wants to change the status quo, it can only bow to China.

However, Italy is a member of the G7, and it is unrealistic to expect Meloni to completely bow to China.

Therefore, we speculate that Italy’s series of actions against China, either indirectly or directly, before Meroni’s visit to China, may be a bargaining chip prepared by Meroni to bargain with China.

Italy was previously indecisive about withdrawing from the “Belt and Road Initiative” mainly because Italy wanted to maintain mutually beneficial cooperation with China on the one hand, but did not want to bear pressure from Western countries because of the “Belt and Road Initiative” on the other hand.

Before officially withdrawing from the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Meroni sent people to visit China for consultations, trying to prove that withdrawing from the “Belt and Road Initiative” would not affect Italy’s attention to China.

But it is obvious that Meroni completely underestimated the negative impact of this move on Sino-Italian relations and the “Belt and Road Initiative” — After Italy joined the “Belt and Road Initiative”, China has placed Italy at the top of its foreign cooperation priorities. If Italy can still enjoy such a position after its withdrawal, it will inevitably lead to other countries following suit and questioning the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

Meloni’s preparation of bargaining chips for her visit to China in advance can only mean that although she regrets withdrawing from the “Belt and Road Initiative”, she still has not figured out how to balance the relationship between China, the EU and the United States.

As a major EU economy and a member of the G7, it is difficult for Meloni to sing a different tune from the EU and the United States, at least on the issue of imposing tariffs on China.

But at the same time, Meloni also knows that based on the background of Italy’s withdrawal from the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Italy must show enough sincerity if it wants to restart cooperation with China.

The EU will ban the sale of new fuel vehicles that are not zero-carbon emission from 2035.

China is the world’s largest electric vehicle industry and dominates the global electric vehicle industry. BYD has confirmed that it will open “super factories” outside of China in near the borders of Hungary and Serbia, and Italy could be the location of BYD’s second “super factory”.

Chinese Tesla rival BYD to open EV manufacturing plant in Hungary

The announcement comes as Hungary continues to try to position itself as a global hub for EV manufacturing.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/12/22/chinese-tesla-rival-byd-to-open-ev-manufacturing-plant-in-hungary

BYD signed land agreement with Szeged for the car factory in Hungary

BYD’s landmark agreement with Szeged, Hungary, for a new energy passenger car factory. BYD’s landmark agreement with Szeged, Hungary, for a new energy passenger car factory.

https://carnewschina.com/2024/01/31/byd-signed-land-agreement-with-szeged-for-the-car-factory-in-hungary/

Meloni wants to have a certain initiative, so she can only talk about economic and trade cooperation with China on the one hand, but on the other hand, she can find ways to maintain some noise that caters to the United States.

However, in front of Meloni, the Chinese senior officials have made it clear that China is willing to further strengthen political mutual trust with Italy to promote the development of China-Italy bilateral relations in a more mature and stable direction. This is a necessary condition for the two countries to deepen cooperation and achieve expectations.

As for how to strengthen political mutual trust, China has put forward a requirement for Chinese companies to invest in Italy, that is, Italy needs to provide a fair, safe and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

If Italy undermines the atmosphere of Sino-Italian cooperation again in the future due to pressure from the United States, the political mutual trust between China and Italy will probably be even more difficult to repair.

Therefore, if Meloni wants to continue the results of his visit to China, he must take practical actions to safeguard the development of Sino-Italian relations.

“All HELL BREAKS LOOSE” (In the Next Few Months) says FED Insider

Barbarism or Civilization

By Michael Friday, July 26, 2024 Globalism and its Institutions, Interviews No tags Permalink

Luca Placidi:
Welcome, everybody. It is a great pleasure and honor to have with us today Professor Michael Hudson. For those who still do not know him, Michael is a professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and he is a researcher at the Levi Economics Institute at Bard College.
Just to mention a few works published with the help of technology, we want to recall Superimperialism, the Economic Strategy of the American Empire. Its third edition came out in 2021. Then we have “… And Forgive Them Their Debts,” published in 2018. The latest is The Collapse of Antiquity, published in 2023.

Michael is also a former Wall Street analyst, a political consultant, and is hosting the Geopolitical Economy Hour together with Radhika Desai, which is broadcast at Ben Norton’s YouTube channel, Geopolitical Economy Report. Professor, welcome, and thanks again for being with us today.

Michael Hudson:
Well, thank you for inviting me. I’m glad to be able to speak to an Italian audience.

Luca Placidi:
That is very good. Thank you. To kick off our conversation, would you agree that the Ukrainian war and even more the latest NATO summit with its final declaration are showing us that we are now back in a multipolar war, in which the global South it is opposed to the Western world?

Michael Hudson:
Well, it’s more than just a geographic split. We’re really in a civilizational split, and it goes much deeper. What’s at stake is what kind of economy is the world going to have?

Is it going to be a financialized, neoliberal post-industrial economy, which is what the United States and Europe are pushing? Or is it going to be the kind of economy that textbooks talk about, where economies produce agricultural and industrial goods to feed themselves and make everybody prosper? I almost would use Rosa Luxemburg’s phrase, Barbarism or Socialism, because the West no longer has the means of real economic control over trade and production. It only has military force, terrorist violence and corruption to maintain its control.

The NATO West does financial control by having loaded down the global South and even many Asian countries with dollarized debt for the last 70 years. That dollarized debt holds them in a financial neocolonialism, an international debt peonage. Besides that, the ultimate power that the United States and Europe have to maintain their unipolar control to prevent other countries from going their own way and pursuing their own interests is to bomb them and mobilize terrorism.

The NATO West has lost its basic industrial or agricultural control because it has outsourced its industry to China and other Asian economies, and its sanctions against Russia and other countries has obliged them to become self-sufficient instead of relying on the West for a widening range of their basic needs. So these countries are now in a position to use their labor, industry and agriculture to make themselves prosperous and regain control over their economies, not to make U.S. and European investors rich. They want to take control of their economies in a way that will raise their wages and living standards.

That can’t be done if they follow a policy of privatization, World Bank advice and the IMF’s instructions to sell off their land and raw materials, privatize and sell off their public infrastructure, communications, electrical systems and water rights to foreigners while getting rid of government regulation and social-support programs. The West’s demand is to let the private sector run everything without government “interference.” Well, there’s no way that any economy can grow and get prosperous without being a mixed economy with strong public infrastructure providing basic needs at non-monopoly prices.

There are many natural area for governments to operate more efficiently than the private sector. They can provide basic services that otherwise would be monopolized to charge extortionate prices to extract predatory monopoly rents for their owners. If a government doesn’t provide education, the result will be what’s happening in America, where the average cost of a college education is $40,000 or $50,000 a year. If you don’t have public health, you’re going to have a very expensive privatized health care that’s not available to everybody. In the United States that absorbs 18% of GDP, more than any other country. That kind of monopoly overhead doesn’t leave much room for the overall economy to be competitive with mixed public/private economies.

Most important, if you let money and credit be privatized by banks instead of doing what China has done and keep money as a public utility, then you let banks decide where the economy’s credit will be allocated. That makes them the economy’s central planners. Their preference is to supply credit not to finance industrial investment and growth, but to finance debt-leveraging to inflate prices for real estate, stocks and bonds, and for raiders to take over companies and empty them out, leaving debt-ridden shells in their place. like Thames Water in Britain, Sears Roebuck in the United States. That is what has been happening since the 1980s under Thatcherism and Reaganomics.

So the split between the West and the rest of the world, the global majority, is really about what kind of an economy most of the world will have. That’s why the United States is fighting so viciously to maintain its unipolar control. It’s fighting against the global majority today in the same way that it fought against the Soviet Union after 1917. It doesn’t want a rival kind of economic system to develop. So what we’re seeing is a split with the global majority that is trying to decide how to design an economy that’s going to help their member countries grow? That is the global fracture that is occurring, and it’s a civilizational break.

How are Global South countries to grow if they remain obliged to pay all of the dollarized foreign debts that they’ve been loaded down. These debts are the legacy of being obliged to follow destructive International Monetary Fund advice to impose austerity and to privatize and sell off their assets in the public domain in order to obtain the dollars to pay their foreign creditors? The Western model is thus basically a form of financial colonialism. Its anti-government philosophy has devastated the Wes’s economies as well as those of debtor countries.

The rest of the world thus has an object lesson in what to avoid if it does not want to end up looking like the United States, post-Thatcher/Blair Britain or Germany since its anti-Russia sanctions of2022. I’ve discussed this in The Destiny of Civilization: Finance Capitalism, Industrial Capitalism or Socialism (2022). Today’s civilizational break is not only against Russia and China. You can trace the break back to the Bandung Conference of non-aligned nations in 1955, seventy years ago.

In 1955, what was called the Third World or non-aligned nations recognized that they were being made poorer and poorer by the rules of the world economy that American diplomats and geopolitical strategists institutionalized with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the dollar standard. That international trade and monetary system was exploitative, first and foremost against America’s potential rivals in Britain and other European countries, and against the former colonial systems of these countries that the United States sought to appropriate and exploit for its own benefit.

The post-World War II order has been a new kind of imperialism. It basically is a financial imperialism, not the European-style colonial imperialism enforced by a military occupation. Financial control has proved less costly and hence more efficient for the neoliberal mode of international exploitation. Non-aligned victim countries couldn’t break away in 1954 or since because Cuba, Indonesia and the other non-aligned nations were not large enough to “go it alone.” If they tried to go it alone, they would have ended up looking like Venezuela has looked like in the last few years, or like Cuba looked like after its revolution. If the United Sates and Europe had imposed such sanctions, countries resisting this system would have been obliged to surrender to the West to avoid economic disruption. But sanctions were not even necessary at that time under “free market” imperialism U.S.-style.

The United States was in a position to treat countries resisting this exploitation it as outcasts. Its threat was to tell countries that acted to protect their economies, and especially their public enterprise, that the West would isolate them if they tried to go it alone. Their economies were indeed too small, even on a regional level, to survive on their own. They felt that they needed U.S. support and that of its IMF and World Bank.

What has changed is the remarkable growth of socialist China since the 1990s and post-neoliberal Russia since the late 1990s under President Putin. Today for the first time, Eurasian nations have enough economic self-sufficiency outside of the United States and Europe to be able to go it alone. They no longer need to depend on the NATO West, which is losing its ability to economically control them.

In fact, it’s the NATO West that has become dependent on China, Russia and the rest of Eurasia, along with the Global South if its people can resist their own client oligarchies to throw off their financial chains and adherence to the self-serving U.S. “rules-based order.”

What is so ironic is that U.S. diplomacy itself is spurring their break-away. One might have expected that China, the Global South and India, Latin America and Africa came to realize just how they’re being exploited, they would have taken the lead in breaking away. Yet it is the United States and NATO that have driven them to break away, by imposing trade and financial sanctions that have forced them to go it alone.

Ever since the war in Ukraine by the United States to break Germany and Europe away from their trade and investment relations with Russia and China began in 2022, the United States has mobilized its European and other English-speaking dependencies to impose economic sanctions that has devastated economies obeying these policies.

The backlash resulting from German de-industrialization and America’s elbowing aside France as an arms supplier (e.g., for submarine sales to AUKUS and in trying to replace France in its former African possessions) is driving other countries away. America and Europe have isolated themselves from the Global Majority, replacing its prosperous trade and investment with Russia and China with economic dependency on the United States for oil and other higher-priced imports.

What’s so amazing is how self-destructive of its own global empire U.S. diplomacy has been. The focus of U.S. diplomacy on locking in its control over Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea by obliging them to join its anti-Russian and anti-Chinese sanctions has obliged these designated U.S. enemies to replacing trade dependency on the West with their own mutual self-dependency.

They realize that they can never depend on the United Stats and European satellites for imports again. That should have been obvious to U.S. strategists. Once a country is blocked from importing its food, what’s it going to do? It’s going to grow its own food. When the United States imposed sanctions on Russia to block European exports of food to it, for instance, Russia was driven to produce its own butter, crops and other food instead of importing it from the Baltics and other former suppliers.

When U.S. officials demanded that its allies stop exporting computer chips to China, it moved quickly to develop its own domestic supply.
Other countries can’t depend on the United States or Europe for their food because they may be cut off again. So they’ll have to become self-sufficient.

They can’t depend on the NATO West for industry or technology because it can try to disrupt their economy by interrupting their supply chains to force it to follow pro-NATO policies. As for Europe, it is left dependent on the United States now that it has let itself be isolated from Eurasia and the Global South.

The global fracture that is occurring in today’s world is not reversible. And it is all happening so quickly. Once a market is lost to countries able to free themselves and provide their own basic needs, that market is not recoverable.

If the United States and NATO Europe stops exporting food and industrial products to sanctioned countries, they will make these products themselves. So when you sanction a country, it’s as if you’ve provided them with tariff protection to nurture their own production. That’s the “infant industry” argument that enabled the United States to rise to industrial power in the late 19th century.

The logic was clearly spelled out by U.S. strategists. (I summarize this strategy in America’s Protective Takeoff: 1815-1914: The Neglected American School of Political Economy (2010). Needless to say, U.S. neoliberal rhetoric has sought to erase this history so as to “pull up the ladder” so that its logic will not be used by other countries to emulate the U.S. economic success – the same government sponsorship of industry that made Germany, France and other countries so successful since the 19th century.

Latin America and Africa are seeing that it is time to liberate their economic from “free-trade imperialism.” Instead of using their agricultural land to export plantation crops to the North, they’re going to use their land to begin feeding themselves with their own grain, their own rice and other food crops so that they no longer have to depend on American and European farm exports.

The U.S. policy of bullying countries by imposing trade sanctions has cut its own economic throat, so to speak. It’s almost humorous to see it dismantle the free-trade imperialism and dollar dependency that earlier generations of U.S. diplomacy tried so hard to impose on the rest of the world.

The meetings this year by the BRICS+ countries under Russian leadership this year and China next year are all about how to plan a trajectory for becoming independent from reliance on the West. That is what U.S. diplomacy itself has driven them to do.

Luca Placidi:
As you were saying, Professor, it seems like the TINA Paradigm has been destroyed because now we have alternatives. It seems that the European political class is hopelessly submissive to the U.S. agenda. This is really disturbing, at least for us in Europe, because the war in Ukraine has destroyed the European economy.

Just think, as you’ve described, how the impact of the sanctions has penalized industrial production especially in Germany and Italy. Yet this has not been enough for Europe to reverse course and pull out of this conflict.

Michael Hudson:
I think that you could call the war in Ukraine since 2022 an American war against Europe, because the great loser has been Germany, Italy, France and the rest of Europe. The United States has seen the writing on the wall and decided that if there’s going to be a fight between North America along with NATO against the rest of the world, it had better start by solidifying its control over Europe as a profitable market and debtor instead of its turning to Asia and being lost by the United States.

Essentially, U.S. strategists are acknowledging that they know that America is not able to produce a real industrial surplus anymore. Its neoliberal trade policy has outsourced its industry to Asia.

The only new market that it can secure if the Global Majority breaks away is that of Europe. That explains why the United States arranged for the Nord Stream pipeline to be blown up, and convinced Europe voluntarily to commit economic self-destruction by not buying low-priced Russian gas, oil and raw materials. While this has driven Russia and China together with their Asian neighbors, the losers have been European.

German industry has been moving out of the country to the United States and elsewhere for lower-cost energy. It’s been emigrating largely to the United States, making it the beneficiary. If you’re a German industrial company, what else are you going to do if its economy is shrinking.
If you look at labor productivity over the last hundred years, it’s goes parallel with energy use per worker.

Energy is really the key. That’s why a central aim of American foreign policy since 1945 has been to control other countries in two ways, starting with oil. The United States, along with Britain and Holland, have controlled the world oil trade so that they can turn off the electricity, turn off the lights of countries that try to break away and act in their own self-interest.

Along with oil, the second tactic that America has used is to control grain and food. Let independent countries starve in the dark. But here once again, the sanctions have mainly been to make Europe suffer.

Remember, America has fought against the European Economic Community ever since it was created in 1958. From the outset, America fought against the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). But for the EEC, the most important aim of integration was to protect its farmers and do for European agriculture what America had done for its agriculture.

Agricultural price supports enabled capital investment to raise farm productivity. Europe rationalized its agriculture and increased its capital investment to make it more productive. The result was that Europe has not only replaced its dependence on American food exports, but has become a major agricultural exporter. But now the expanded European Union is now suffering because of the sanctions not only against importing Russian gas to make fertilizer. And by supporting Ukraine, Europe is letting it dump its low-cost grain in Poland and other countries. Farmers already have staged riots to protest against their farm markets being undersold by the Ukrainians – with U.S. investors trying to buy up this land. That could roll back European agricultural independence and make it dependent once more on the United States or on countries that U.S. investors control.

The effect of this Cold War III so far has been to drive Europe back into the American orbit. The United States insists that there’s no alternative to this neoliberal geopolitics. Western textbooks indoctrinate students to believe that neoliberalism is the best way to run an economy efficiently – by not having a government to protect self-reliance and living standards, not to regulate against predatory monopoly and financial rent seeking. The aim is to let capitalism evolve into monopoly capitalism, which is really finance capitalism, because monopolies are organized by the financial sector as “the mother of trusts.”

Although the United States has said there’s no alternative, there obviously is. But if countries don’t follow an alternative, they’re going to end up looking like Germany. In fact, what’s happened to Europe as a result of the war in Ukraine and U.S. sanctions is an object lesson for other countries to see what they don’t want that to happen to them.

The neoliberal program has broken down in the West just as it has long since broken down for the Global South. Its central aim is to privatize the public sector. Yet for centuries the European capitalist takeoff was funded by industrial capitalists themselves aiming to lower the cost of production so that they could undersell other countries by government subsidy of tangible capital formation.

How can economies lower their cost of production? For starters, if companies are obliged to pay wages high enough for their workers to pay for their own health care and insurance, to pay for their own education, for their own debt-leveraged housing costs, the high price of paying a living wage will eat into industrial profits. To avoid this, European countries, like the United States, had their governments provide inexpensive basic needs so employers wouldn’t have to cover these costs.

The basic strategy of industrial capitalism was for governments to provide education, public health and basic infrastructure that otherwise would have been monopolized in private hands. Governments educated workers, trained them and helped raise their productivity by protecting and subsidizing capital investment. Governments provided water and electricity at subsidized rates so that labor would not have to spend its wages to buy high cost energy, high cost transportation and kindred basic needs.

The result was to lower the break-even costs of labor, so that European and American industrialists could undersell other countries.

Neoliberalism ended this seemingly obvious economic strategy. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan started a class war by the British and U.S. financial sectors against labor by privatizing their public utilities. Instead of England’s government providing clean water, which everybody needs to live, it sold off rent-seeking rights to financial managers raise prices to extract monopoly rents. To make matters worse, Thames Water and other privatized companies borrowed from banks and used the money to pay dividends to stockholders and buy their own stock to raise its prices to reap capital gains.

These rentier charges are now taking a big chunk out of the European wage earner’s budget. That makes employers pay higher wages. You can say the same thing for telephone service and other basic infrastructure utilities that now are privatized and financialized.

Privatizing formerly subsidized telephone service and communications makes workers pay much more. The result is a wage squeeze, but also a profit squeeze because of the high cost of living and doing business in a rentier economy.

So since 1980, the whole European model – in fact, the whole model of industrial capitalism – has been reversed. Instead of industrial capitalism trying to cut the costs of production, minimizing what Marx called the false costs, the faux frais of production, prices charged by privatized infrastructure monopolies have gone way up. Labor’s living standards throughout Europe have been squeezed at the same time that their wages have had to be increased so that they can afford to pay for privatized services that used to be subsidized public services. Following the neoliberal model has made Europe uncompetitive, just as it has deindustrialized the U.S. economy.

The lesson for China has been to have socialism to restore the 19th-century industrial ethic that nearly all economic observers believed was leading to socialism of one kind or another. China’s living standards have soared, yet its wages are lower than that of the neoliberal economies thanks to the fact that socialism provides inexpensive transportation, public health care and so forth as described above.

Most important of all, socialist China creates its own money and controls its credit system. Instead of the Bank of China lending money to financial predators to buy companies and load them down with debt and drive their stock prices before leaving them as bankrupt shells like Thames Water in England, the government spends money directly into the economy.

It’s overinvested in housing and real estate, to be sure, but it’s also invested in modernizing its high-speed railroads, modernizing its communication system, modernizing its cities, and above all its electronic internet system used for monetary payments. China has liberated itself from debt dependency on the West – and in the process, made the West dependent on it.

This could only have been done by government investment and regulation under a long-term plan. The Western financial model lives in the short run. If you’re going to allocate credit and resources to make fortunes by living in the short run by taking as much as you can as quickly as you can, you will not be able to make the capital investment to develop long-term growth. That’s why American information technology companies have not been able to keep up with their Chinese counterparts. Financialized “market forces” oblige them to use their income for stock buybacks and to pay out of dividends. That is the case with U.S. technology across the board.

China’s companies investing in information and internet technology plow their profits back into reinvestment in more research and development. Such innovation has shifted from the West to the East, which has rediscovered the logic of industrial capitalism developed by the 19th century’s classical political economists.

To be sure, China and other BRICS+ countries are trying to reinvent the wheel. They know that the Western model doesn’t work. The question is, what is the best alternative to neoliberalized, privatized and financialized economies?

It is amazing to me that there has been so little discussion of classical economics in the West. The value, price and rent theory of Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill and their contemporaries came to a head with Marx. That has left almost the only people talking about industrial capitalism’s economic reforms have been Marxists. Universities in America no longer teach the history of economic thought – or economic history, for that matter. It is as if there is only one kind of economy – the anti-government privatized “free market” that has taken over since the 1980s.

Students are taught that there is only one way to run an economy: the free enterprise neoliberal way. So when Asian and African countries send their students to the United States or England to study, they’re not taught about how industrial capitalism took off by raising wages and living standards to make labor more productive. Instead, the learn the economics of class war – from the employer’s short-term view.

Neoliberal trade theory is the most blatant example of today’s junk economics being awarded by Nobel Prizes as if that can somehow legitimize it. The result is the International Monetary Fund’s austerity plan masquerading as “stabilization plans.” Once a country like Argentina or Chile runs up a foreign debt, it is directed to obtain the money to pay this foreign debt by imposing anti-labor policies, dissolving labor unions, lowering wage levels while taxing labor (“consumers”) more, as if pauperized labor will make them competitive enough to earn enough export income to pay their foreign creditors.

When a policy like this has been shown to be destructive for the past century yet is still being imposed, it’s obvious that this is not an innocent error. You might call it a very successful error. It has succeeded in preventing the Global South from earning its way out of debt and from developing is own self-sufficiency in food and other basic needs. It has succeeded in creating domestic client oligarchies whose interests are to become agents of this Western NATO-centered model instead of seeking to develop their own economies.

It is to avoid this destiny that today’s geopolitical breakaway by the global majority in Asia, Africa and Latin America are moving to replace the finance-capitalist model. Their move to reinvent the wheel is following the logic of the original industrial capitalist takeoff that was evolving into socialism. If you look back to the late 19th century’s flowing of classical political economy, not only by Marx but by political parties across the political spectrum, we can see that there was going to be socialism of one kind or another.

What kind of socialism is it going to be? There was Christian socialism, libertarian socialism, Marxian socialism and other kinds of socialism. This classical literature and political debate was rich, but it came to an end with World War I. That was a disastrous turning point in Western civilization.

The rentier classes, the landlords, the monopolists and the bankers had been fighting back against the industrial reforms that were happening in the most advanced industrial economies of Europe and the United States. The wealthy elites were terrified that support for these reforms would lead in Europe to a revolution like that created Soviet Russia. The West was even more terrified of what seemed to be happening in Germany that was looking like it was likely to go socialist.

The vested rentier interests, especially the wealthiest classes, feared that this threatened to end the ability of a wealthy financial oligarchy of the One Percent, maybe even five percent of the population. For the past century it has built up its financial wealth by forcing the rest of the economy into debt. The result has been a social malaise as Western populations in the United States and Europe, have come to believe that There Is No Alternative.

The lack of an alternative has enriched the One Percent. The U.S. economy has polarized, and so has Europe’s economies. The wealth of Europe, Italy included, has been sucked up to the very top, to the financial layer that has taken control of economic planning and public policy as if their privatized self-interest is more productive and efficient than an alternative that would raise labor’s living standards and self-reliance.

Financial elites throughout the world are a cosmopolitan class. It’s not only wealthy Italians but wealthy Europeans, wealthy Americans draining money from their own industrial sectors, the agricultural and the commercial sector. This stateless international class has its law of motion in its drive to force the entire global economy into debt so as to use its debt leverage to foreclose, above all on the assets of the public sector by getting governments into debt.

Backed by the IMF, World Banks and U.S. courts, international bondholders (including domestic oligarchies keeping their wealth outside of their own countries) force debtor governments to sell off public infrastructure. In the case of corporate debt, creditors foreclose on companies and break them into parts.

This behavior has de-industrialized the United States and Britain. Yet while the economies of the United States and Europe have gotten poorer and poorer, the wealthiest One Percent have got richer and richer. That’s why the United States and Europe have not joined the Global Majority but are trying to fight against its demonstration that there is a better alternative for civilization.

The NATO West’s ruling elites have overplayed their hand. By treating the rest of the world as an enemy for resisting U.S.-sponsored control, this diplomacy has driven other countries together to create an alternative. That alternative involves creating alternative institutions to the International Monetary Fund in a BRICS central bank to deal with inter-government balance of payments relations.

It involves a new Bank for Economic Acceleration as an alternative to the World Bank, a bank to finance their own economic development by creating its own credit system to the global majority increase its infrastructure, agricultural and industrial investment. It also requires a new International Court of Justice to prevent oil companies and mining companies from polluting countries and resist being charged to pay for the cleanup costs that they’ve caused in their drive for quick natural-resource rents.

Ultimately, the Global Majority needs to create an alternative to the United Nations itself. All these institutions – the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank – are subject to American veto power. The United States has long announced that a central tenet of its foreign policy is that it will not join any institution that it can’t control by vetoing if they do something that does not benefit the United States.

In the last few days, President Putin has proposed creation of a BRICS parliament. The aim is to create a large group of countries that will design a new set of the rules of how an international economy should work. President Putin also said that the United Nations has a good set of rules, but the United States has vetoed their application in practice. The fact that the United Nations doesn’t have an army has left it powerless to resist the U.S., Ukrainian and Israeli violations of basic international law.

This emerging alternative BRICS group certainly will leave the United Nations to operate on the sidelines, but the “real” reformed United Nations will consist of the group of the global majority and its own set of institutions, acting as a unit in which the United States does not have veto power. That will transform the dynamic of how most of the world’s economies operate.

All this is an area that economists don’t talk about. Academic economics has become tunnel visioned, with simplistic ideas of government spending, inflation, money and credit, all without a concept of economic rent as unearned income to be minimized rather than made the foundation for financial fortunes.

The Western dynamic of “wealth creation” has been to raise real estate prices on credit. The middle class is told that it is getting richer as its housing prices rise, yet the effect is to prevent new wage-earners from joining the middle class unless they inherit their housing from their parents. The economic discipline no longer talks about how a country can actually enrich itself. So what the Global Majority needs is really a New Economics,

Luca Placidi:
Thank you, Professor. There’s one other topic that is very important and that we are seeing at this moment. That is what is happening in Palestine, between Palestine and Israel and the war that they call “against Hamas” while they seek to drive out or destroy the entire Palestinian population.

Michael Hudson:
When politicians from the United States to Germany and other European countries talk about the Ukrainian war or what is happening to Palestinians right now, there is a uniform a bipartisan alignment. Trump is saying what Biden is saying, and so is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. That is to support Israel up to the end, and also Ukraine.

Yet the whole world has been shocked by the genocide that the Israelis are waging not only in Gaza but on the West Bank. Their brutality, the bombing of the hospitals, the assassination of reporters and journalists so that the world can’t see what is happening has catalyzed the world’s moral outrage that is setting its identity against that of the NATO West.

The attack against Palestinians is with American bombs, just as is the case with Ukraine’s and NATO’s attack on Russian-speaking territories. So it’s not simply Israel that is attacking Palestine. This is primarily an American attack. You can think of it as a logical extension of the U.S. attacks on Iraq, Libya and Syria.

The common denominator is the American view that Israel serves as a U.S. landed aircraft carrier to control Near Eastern oil. If the United States can maintain control of the Middle East and its oil trade, it will retain the power to turn off the power of other countries by cutting them off from oil. As I explained earlier, oil has been a key to American power for the past century.

That is the military reason why the United States is backing Israel in dropping American bombs on Gaza, while the U.S. intelligence spy network is telling them where to bomb. American strategists have long followed the strategy that in order to win, you have to bomb the hospitals first.

The idea is not simply to kill the enemy population, but to cripple its members with anti-personal bombs to leave a lasting overhead cost in supporting women and men who are maimed for life. And most important is to bomb the children, so that they will not grow up to wreak retaliation.

The idea of making other Palestinians take care of crippled children who had their legs blown off or lost their arms is so inhuman, so against the most basic principle of civilization, that it has acted as a catalyst for other countries breaking away.

On July 25, 2024, Israeli President Netanyahu was invited to the U.S. Congress to ask for its military support for his planned attack on Lebanon and his hope to drag America into an attack on Iran. He put the issue in a way that I think you and I can agree on: Having killed or wounded as many as 180,000 Palestinians in Gaza and accelerated settler murders and destruction of Palestinians and their property on the West Bank, he explained that, in words reminiscent of Rosa Luxemburg: “This is not a clash of civilizations, it’s a clash between barbarism and civilization, between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.”

I think that this is precisely what is at stake. Netanyahu and his neocon supporters in the U.S. Congress who invited him indeed have thrown down the military gauntlet threatening the world with yet new U.S. and Israeli violence against the Middle Eastern oil-producing countries.

Today’s buildup to such a war threatens the entire world with a new barbarism.

There already was a sort of tendency for the rest of the world, for Asia and the Global South to hope that somehow they could make do without making the enormous intellectual and moral break from the West. The feeling was that somehow they could survive through all this at least for the short run, as if things might somehow go back to some semblance of normal instead of continuing to polarize.

But what is happening in Israel the joint Israel-American attack on Palestine has shocked much of the world into realizing that this is what the United States might to do them, just as it’s what the US/NATO countries are doing to by fighting to the last Ukrainian. U.S. support for exterminating the Palestinians simply in order to use Israel as an arm to keep U.S. control of Middle Eastern oil is what is so abhorrent.

What is not to stop the Israelis from taking over Saudi Arabia and its oil, the Emirates, Kuwait, much as America did in Chile and Argentina to take over their minerals and land while assassinating labor leaders, land reformers and economics professors opposing Chicago School neoliberalism. The joint Israel and Ukraine wars have given a sense of urgency for other countries to realize that they have to act now in order to avoid a similar fate.

Other countries can’t simply be passive, because what is happening to the Palestinians can happen to all of them. That’s the degree to which Americans will go to maintain their global control. That’s why they are funding the Israeli attack on Palestine and the Ukrainian attack on Russian speakers. The Americans are providing the bombs and other weaponry, subsidizing their armies. This is what is creating the sense of urgency that is catalyzing the World Majority to realize that they can’t must act more rapidly and decisively to make a real break.

Luca Placidi:
Professor, I know that you’re extremely busy, so thank you very much. I want to thank you again, and I hope to have more time with you to go deeper on those topics. Thank you.

Michael Hudson:
Well, thank you. I hope we’ll have a chance to have a follow-up for all of this.

Luca Placidi:
We will, absolutely. Thank you very much.

Michael Hudson:
Well, thank you again for having me.

Preppy Tonk and Jon

Charlie Murphy

Preppy Tonk looked at her rival with an evil twinkle in her eye.“What?”“Nothing.”“I see that evil twinkle in your eye again.”“No. It must be the burning hot sun reflecting off your chromed head.”“Nuh-uh.”“Yeah- huh,” Preppy Tonk shot back.“Whatever, lets continue.“King to knight rook.”The purple slug looked down at the holographic chess board. “Poopy-doodles, you win again!”“Yaysies-daisies!””If this was Earth Chess, I’d kick your butt!” Jon exclaimed, wiggling his fat, dripping eyestalks.“Yeah, but the author doesn’t know how to play chess and that would require research and he’s too lazy.”“Yeah, I guess you’re right, but you’re still a silly.” Jon stuck his slimy purple tongue out.“Am not!”“Are too!”“Am not!”“Are too!”

“Well, let’s have a trace then.”

“Trace?”

“No, a race! Goddamn u, author. Fix your typos!”

“Yeah, you ready, Enourghipool… er, Preppy Tonk?”

“You know it, Jon!” she said and stretched her furry brown legs.

“Your silver eyes look like pools of mercury.”

“Thanks? I guess?” Crouching down in racing position, Preppy Tonk lifted her leg.

“Did you, make a stinky?”

“Yes, … I… did!”

‘”It smells like rotten eggs.”

Preppy Tonk’s face turned red.

“You made a stinky, you made a stinky!”

“Whatever.”

“Ready…” Jon announced as a star shot through space.

Preppy Tonk’s muscles tensed up.

“Set…”

“I know what comes next!” Preppy Oblanka Tonk smiled.

“Go!” Jon whispered.

“Run!”

“Jump!”

“Kick!”

“Touch the stars!”

“Look into the sun!”

“How? I’m blind.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Why did you claim you were blind then?”

“Cuz I’m goofy!”

“But you’re not a hobo dog.”

“Goofy isn’t a hobo.”

“Oh , what is he?”

“A goofy dog, duh!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I know these things,” Preppy Tonk whipped her huge head back with confidence.

“Oh, so you’re a professional now?”

“Yeppers.”

“Good grief!”

“Oxymoron, oxymoron, oxymoron!”

“Hey, that’s not nice!”

“No, an oxymoron is contradictory terms.”

“Oh, why is it called that then?”

“I don’t know. Do I look like an English professor?”

“I’m not sure how to take that…”

The two rivals panted as they ran throughout space. They passed an orange planet, then a blue one made of hot dogs, and finally, Earth.

“Stop describing everything!”

“Who are you talking to, sis?” Jon asked as a drifting robotic Golden retriever passed in between them.

“Our creator again. He keeps describing the scene,” Preppy Tonk replied.

“Isn’t he supposed to do that?”

“Yeah, but it’s getting annoying!”

“So? We’re competing against each other. That’s more important, right?”

“I guess so,” Preppy Tonk said, biting her blue puffy lip.

“Atta girl,” Jon replied and patted her on the back.

“Hey, how can you pat me on my back? I thought you were ahead of me.”

“Uh… I forgot that explanation.”

“Did you?… or did the author forget?”

“I have no cosmic idea, Preppy Tonk.”

“I thought you knew everything.” She raised an eyebrow.

Preppy Tonk glared at her opponent.

“You know, for an alien slug, you sure are fast!”

“Hmm, alien slug…. Where have I heard that before?”

“Maybe in a book about kids who can turn into animals?” shrugged Preppy Tonk.

“Almost at the finish line!” Jon said with glee.

“How can you tell?” Preppy Tonk asked, putting her hairy claws together.

“Checkered line coming up!” Jon pointed straight ahead with his slimy antennae.

“Oh, just cuz there’s a checkered line means the end of the race?” Preppy Tonk said, putting her paws on her brown meaty hips.

“Yes that’s the rule,” Jon said, adjusting his squared glasses.

“Well… OK,” Preppy Tonk said as she scratched her ear.

“Have an itch?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I have an itch, too.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-uh!” Jon said, passing a large pink asteroid.

“Well, then, where’s your itch, huh?”

“I don’t want to say.”

“Ew.”

“OK, OK, it’was my arm,” Jon smiled.

“Oh, that’s not bad.”

“It itches more than yours,” Jon said, scratching his arm.

“Nuh-uh, mine itches more.”

“Let’s finish the race!” Preppy Tonk exclaimed.

Jon ran through a hoop, jumped over the fence, and hauled through lava.

“I win! I win!” Preppy Tonk did the macarena.

“You cheated.” Jon pouted.

“No, I didn’t!

“Yes, you did!”

“No, I didn’t.”

“OK, I believe you,” Jon said.

“Knock knock,” Preppy Tonk whispered.

“Who’s there?” Jon asked.

“Dwayne.”

“Dwayne who?”

“Dwayne the bathtub, I’m dwowning!”

Jon laughed like a hyena. “Mine’s better!”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, a duck walked into a bar and ordered some quackers. When the waiter asks her how she will pay, the duck says ‘put it on my bill.’”

“Not funny at all, my rival.”

“Humor is subjective, so I win!” Jon blew a raspberry at her.

“How old are you?” asked Poppy Tonk.

“I am an adult.”

“Cool, I’m a kid.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really!”

“Prove it.”

“How?”

“Sing baa baa black sheep.” Preppy Tonk started singing.

“You have a beautiful voice!”

“And?”

“And what?”

“AREN’T YOU GONNA SING?”

“No, why would I do that?”

“I thought we were competing,” Preppy Tonk said and sneezed.

“Oh, yeah, goofy me. I forgot. By the way. Bless you or gazoontite, or whatever.”

“Thanks, wait… Goofy?”

“The author‘s getting tired of ‘silly’.”

“But, he used it.”

Preppy Tonk shrugged. “It’s his story.”

“Oh, OK.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I like that word very much!”

“I do too, but let’s move on.”

“Alright, wanna have a tickle fight?”

“You know I do!”

She tickled his foot. “Geetsa-geetsa… Hey, look, a tree; it’s floating in space,” Preppy Tonk said and floated to it and she giggled. “Stop.” Grabbed an apple. “This will knock your socks off!” She started juggling.

“Oh yeah?” Jon said as he cocked an eyebrow. “Watch this!” He grabbed the tree and shook it until every apple detached and floated into space.

“Impressive?”

“Thank you. I’m the King.”

“King of what?”

“King of Apple!”

“Yeah, right.”

“No, really.”

“Well, I‘m the Queen of Blueberry Squash Pie.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Wanna keep going?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“We made it to the thousandth word!”

As a babysitter, what was your, “Okay, that’s the last time I babysit for this family,” moment you had during a childcare job?

When I was about 13, a lady a block over (someone I didn’t know but lived on the same street as other people that I babysat) wanted me to babysit her 8 or 9 yo son 3 days a week over the summer while she worked. The first day was MISERABLE and I told her I wasn’t coming back.

The kid was unmedicated ADHD with no accommodations/schedule/discipline in place. He was a Tasmanian devil – literally bounced off walls, jumped on/hit/kicked you if you said no to something, was destructive to everything. The kids on his block (the ones I babysat for) refused to play with him b/c he was too rough (and these were rough and tumble kids – 7 kids close in age, but they had awareness and empathy for others).

From what I learned later, he’d been kicked out of every camp and daycare that she enrolled him in and school was pretty close. How this mother thought that an 8th grader would be able to handle him for 9 hours every day is beyond me.

I took him to the park where he pushed kids off swings and down the slide rather than wait his turn. We left the park and he proceeded to run into the street b/c he was mad that I said we had to leave b/c of his behavior, after he hit and kicked me when I was holding his hand.

He threw his lunch around the house and smashed it into the carpet, tore up a board game, threw the neighbor kids’ (my usually charges) ball down the gutter when we went outside b/c they didn’t want to play with him, tossed a blanket over me from the indoor jungle gym they had in the basement and jumped on me repeatedly, and so much more!

Then mom was 2 hours later than she said she would be and hadn’t answered the phone when I called. I was exhausted and done.

She paid less per hour than most of the other parents paid for nighttime babysitting when the kids were asleep and then only paid me for the hours she scheduled me for, not the extra hours since she was late. When she got home, I said that I wouldn’t be coming back and wouldn’t recommend anyone.

Now I know that this kid could not control himself and we didn’t have as much information as we have today on ADHD, but the parents were decidedly the problem in this equation – there’s only so much a young teenage kid can do.

ETA: I should mention that this was probably 1991 or 1992 – I don’t remember if it was the summer before or after 8th grade.

Men Are Course Correcting the Dating Market

Why do Chinese users have Zhihu instead of Quora?

I am a Chinese citizen who also happens to be a content creator on both Quora and Zhihu. Zhihu, often referred to as the Chinese version of Quora, once had a similar UI layout and community atmosphere to Quora. As of July 27, 2024, I have around 14,000 followers on Zhihu. This is because I have shared over 500 answers on family education and adolescent learning issues over the past year. While 14,000 followers is not a number to boast about, it at least indicates that I am a dedicated Zhihu user.

However, if we look solely at the growth rate of followers, my follower count on Quora has increased significantly faster than on Zhihu. This month marks my third month of writing on Quora, though my writing has been occasionally interrupted by work. For instance, I took a break from Quora writing for the past 14 days due to a family trip. Despite this, I have gained 1,200 followers and accumulated 1.5 million views. I am quite satisfied with these numbers, especially considering my limited English proficiency and reliance on translation tools for complex sentence structures. I can only attribute this success to the large number of friendly users on Quora. They are willing to read my articles about Chinese life, tolerate my poor English, and often put up with sentences that have a machine-translated feel. Nonetheless, they encourage me and provide detailed feedback and suggestions.

Even some users who are biased against China have written lengthy comments on my posts. Although I often completely disagree with their views, I still find their input valuable. Writing lengthy critiques at least shows they are real, communicative individuals rather than bot accounts. Therefore, I also want to express my gratitude to those who criticize me.

In this regard, the community atmosphere on Quora is better than on Zhihu. Zhihu’s official policies seem more focused on directing traffic towards profitable content. Of course, I do earn some income from my writing on Zhihu each month. However, this profit-driven community model brings some issues. The main problem, in my view, is that genuine, selfless sharing rarely gets sufficient traffic, which discourages many high-value users. It’s hard to imagine a community that doesn’t encourage serious writing being favored by knowledgeable individuals.

My most popular article on Zhihu received 60,000 “upvotes” and was bookmarked 130,000 times, bringing me millions of views. But I consider this an anomaly. In many cases, I need to rely on luck rather than writing quality to gain significant traffic distribution on Zhihu.

Chinese commercial apps are involved in intense market competition, and most users’ leisure time is consumed by short videos or live streaming. Fewer people are reading text content. While I know Quora is also affected by this trend, the impact is more pronounced on Zhihu.

To my surprise, I found that some older users on Quora seriously read my articles and give enthusiastic responses. I am flattered by this. In China, many elderly people are stubborn and never admit their mistakes, leading to many family conflicts and hindering young couples from establishing good family relationships. Moreover, those over 70 in China were teenagers during the tumultuous period between the end of the ROC and the establishment of the PRC, making them almost illiterate.

However, the elderly users on Quora seem to remain passionate about understanding others’ perspectives and updating their knowledge. Just from their writing, it is hard to tell they are seniors. This has given me the best impression of elderly people in developed countries since I joined Quora. I am convinced this is a state only achievable in a highly developed society. In China, we may need to wait a few more years to reach this level.

Additionally, some Quora space administrators have invited me to join their spaces and share my articles, encouraging me to keep writing. It has been many years since I felt this kind of sincere interaction on the internet, where people come together out of interest rather than profit.

In summary, I will continue writing about parent-child relationships and adolescent learning issues on Zhihu. There are always people waiting for my writing, drawing inspiration from my words, and solving their life problems. I take pride in helping others.

At the same time, I will also continue writing on Quora because it allows me to experience the genuine interactions of the early internet days.

If I had to compare, I would say Quora is a community that cares more about its creators than Zhihu.

China Just Won the Future of South America With THIS New Move!

BRICS+ plus BRI

What was something that someone said or did that has changed you forever?

Back when I was an eleven-year-old in the 6th grade, I lived in a poor mountain community in Northern California. Most of the townspeople relied on the lumber mill to provide for their meager income. There were a lot of people barely scraping by on what little money came in.

Times were tough.

A lot of times the mill shut down and families were forced to move out of town to find employment elsewhere.

I lost a lot of friends that way.

Kids went hungry. There were a lot of skinny children up in those mountains. A lot of those kids were wearing shoes with holes in them.

In the snow.

Desperate times.

Judge Richard Eaton was an “old-timer” in Shasta County. A pioneer. He was an octogenarian with a kind heart and a flush bank account. He married my grandparents!

He was an avid outdoorsman and angler. He enjoyed coming up to the mountains to fish. Sometimes, he would stop by our small classroom and give nature lectures.

He would bring in a stuffed raccoon, or a taxidermied owl and set it up on a desk in front of the class and give his talks. We would sit wide-eyed, fascinated, listening to him describe how the animal hunted for food, or built a nest or comfortable burrow, warm enough to survive during the winter snows. He was a natural storyteller and had a way with words.

We would raise our little hands and ask question after question, enthralled and intrigued with his wisdom. We were always thrilled to have Judge Eaton stop by. We hugged him goodbye when it was time for him to leave. I’d see his wrinkled face break into a big grin as tears welled up in his eyes, hard to break away.

I could feel his pity for us skinny little waifs.

One day, a letter was sent home to all the parents in my class.

It said we had the opportunity to attend National Environmental Education Development (N.E.E.D) Camp for one week at no charge to the parents!

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This was an expensive gift to attend a weeklong camping adventure, what with meals, transportation, insurance and staff provided for an entire crop of school children!

The generous gift of partial scholarship, provided by Judge Richard Eaton, in cooperation with the Shasta County Board of Education, made it a possibility for every single child to attend, no matter their financial circumstance!

Exciting news!

N.E.E.D Camp was a place where the kids learned about the environment; survival skills in the wilderness, wildlife, geology, ecology, plant identification, weaving fish traps and shelter building, as well as learning how to use a compass and reading topographical maps. It was all covered in the week-long school.

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Before we left for camp, we were given a three- day supply of “ImmunOak” in our daily orange juice. Poison oak didn’t grow in the mountains, but was plentiful at N.E.E.D Camp. Back in those days, the FDA hadn’t yet banned the magic elixir, so I drank down my disgusting anti-venin like a good girl, and to this day, thirty-something years later, I still am immune to poison oak!

The day we departed, we were packed into a bus with all our gear, kids, teachers and high school counselors, and made the hour-and-a-half long journey to the camp. We arrived at camp, got our cabin assignments, and settled in for our first time away from home.

Goodbye Mommy!

It was great!

We caught tadpoles and learned about their development. We hiked seven mile loops, through caves (filled with bats) and over waterfalls, collecting specimens to write our reports in the field, amidst trickling creeks and wildflowers. We took water samples from the natural watershed and observed fish in the streams as we tried our hand at catching some in our homemade traps.

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We didn’t have any luck.

We watched the deer feeding on the grass right outside our cabin, and learned to identify species of birds. We glassed bald eagles and spied on squirrels and raccoons.

We were even dropped off, solo, without a light, on a pitch-black trail one dark night, and had to hike back, in the dark woods, alone, to find our way back to the rest of the group by ourselves. Frightening!

I was proud of myself that I didn’t cry.

This is stuff “city kids” don’t learn about in the classroom.

This wasn’t any regular classroom!

Judge Eaton spoke at the camp. He gave a slideshow on bears. It scared me to know I was out in the dark with them. It also made me proud. I learned survival skills at a very young age from N.E.E.D Camp.

Afterwards, while he was packing up his projector and the other kids had finally moved away from him, I got up the nerve to approach this gray-haired icon.

I said hello and introduced myself. I told him my grandparents names and told him he had married them long ago. He pretended to remember. He smiled at me kindly.

I thanked him for giving me a scholarship to attend N.E.E.D Camp. I told him I had learned so much and that I was very appreciative.

His eyes got wide and he looked shocked. He pulled me into a hug and knelt before me, eye-level.

“Child, in all these years I’ve been providing this fund, you’re the first young person to say those words. I appreciate hearing them, but I always want you to remember, that whenever you give a gift, you should never, ever expect to hear a word of thanks in return. Ever! Because the gift is in the giving, itself. Not in the praise we receive for giving it. Do not expect to be congratulated for it. Do you understand me?”

I nodded my head and turned away, disappointed in the rebuff.

What a weird, old guy!

Of course, I didn’t understand him, then.

I was only a child.

But I thought back to that moment over the years, and one day, I finally caught up to his wisdom.

I understand perfectly what he means now.

Beautiful.

Those simple words changed me forever.

When I give a gift, I don’t expect to receive accolades or thanks. I don’t expect the recipient to express gratitude or overwhelming graciousness; my heart already feels thankful for the beautiful blessing I’ve bestowed. And that’s a gift in itself. A gift I’ve given to myself.

By the time I had made it to high school, I had garnered such respect for N.E.E.D Camp, that I went back and volunteered as a camp counselor when I was seventeen.

Somehow, I was assigned a cabin of little boys, instead of girls.

Those little guys were a handful, but it was a great experience all over again.

Today, it is part of the curriculum of most Shasta County schools for their students to attend the camp. It is a requirement as part of passing the grade level.

Over 70,000 students have attended the camp over the years and have acquired basic outdoor skills other students in classrooms throughout the USA will never be required, nor even think are important to learn about!

Because those students aren’t mountain kids.

They probably don’t need to worry about being lost in any area bigger than a mall!

Like we do.

I’m thankful to both Judge Eaton and the Shasta County Board of Education for making a difference. N.E.E.D Camp quite possibly played a part in saving my life later on in life. And the experience changed me forever.

The Record Searchlight (April 11, 2011)

Since 1971, more than 70,000 students have increased their knowledge of environmental science after going through the weeklong camping experience at the Whiskeytown Environmental School in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the school will host a free barbecue with live music and a history lecture Saturday.

Sponsored by the school and the Shasta Historical Society, the lecture will cover topics of interest before the school arrived amid the environmental revolution in the beginning of the 1970s. Clinton Kane, park ranger, will be the main speaker.

As a general campground in the mid-1900s, church youth groups seasonally used the area for a camp. Before this period, the land served as a stomping ground for the American Indian community. The history, Kane said, has yet to be fully recovered. “It’s still a work in progress in terms of learning about the history and putting it together,” he said. “I’d like to go as far back as to the mining use of the history, but it’s kind of sparse.”

During the Gold Rush era, the area became a major transportation route for miners heading toward Weaverville from Redding. Inside the park, miners, along with farmers and ranchers, worked on the mining hot spots during the 1850s.

The school, a National Environmental Education Development (N.E.E.D.) camp, specializes in improving environmental education for elementary and middle schoolchildren. “Facilities and institutions like the N.E.E.D. camp provide a special dimension to the youth of our community,” said Pat Carr, Shasta Historical Society lecture series coordinator. “Oftentimes, they aren’t going to get it in the classroom. This is an opportunity to take the classroom outdoors. And the fact that this has been going on for 40 years with 70,000 students makes us appreciate these extraordinary treasures that are in our mist.”

Fifth- and sixth-graders across several counties make reservations at the school for the overnight trips where students stay in cabins and enjoy campfires. During their stay, they build onto what they’ve learned of the environment in the classroom with hands-on activities with naturalists. This usually lasts a week. The school offers day camps for younger children starting at the kindergarten level.

With generations of children and later their children heading to the camp, Kane said it has become somewhat of a tradition for north state students.

“It’s kind of a tradition in Northern California,” he said. “But, unfortunately, with the budget crisis happening on the state and federal level, we don’t know if the school will continue as it did back in the day.”

A downward economy and budget cuts have decreased revenue for educational programs like this one. Whiskeytown may be one of the few N.E.E.D. camps left in the country, Kane said.

US American Reacts – Are We the Baddies?

What screams “I’m upper class”?

Good posture. If you look at how upper class people walk, they stand perfectly straight and have a graceful swing to their step.
Being very respectful with staff, waiters, taxi drivers etc.
Eating all sorts of different food and not being fussy about food. This is a very tell tale sign again, someone who’s reluctant about trying new food or has never tried foreign food is usually not upper class.
Being able to make small talk with basically anyone. This is an important skill to have and that we’ve learned by attending a lot of formal events.
Having impeccable table manners. This is the ultimate test and it will betray you instantly. Sitting up straight, no elbows on the table, knowing which cutlery to use, keeping your voice down etc. If you want to know within the very first seconds, look at whether they have put their napkin on their lap (correct) or left it on the table (rude) immediately after sitting down to eat. EDIT: Other table manners include: Not spreading out your elbows (keep them closed at all times), no singing, bringing your spoon/fork to your mouth and not the opposite, not cutting potatoes or salad with a knife (you fold the salad and use your fork to cut the potato), making small talk with your right hand neighbour at a dinner (they’re your official conversation buddy and the table plan will probably have been set up with this in mind) and not having a young or newly married couple sitting right next to each other during a formal dinner. An old fashioned one is also not to peel any fruits with your hands. One of my mom’s friends often mentions how, during her first dinner with her in laws, they offered her a peach for dessert and watched expectantly to see if she would know how to peel it using only her fork and knife.
NOT doing the “baisemain”. You know, that very supposedly classy way of greeting a woman by kissing her hand. There are very strict rules for when you are allowed to do it. It should be in a private environment and to greet a married lady only. Oh and your lips are not supposed to actually touch the hand. Otherwise it is considered very tacky and rude.
Not asking huge favours from other people. This is a weird one but it’s a “faux pas” that I notice all around me. It is not upper class behaviour at all to ask too much of a big favour from other people. You can ask someone to send you their notes for example, but don’t ask them to bring them to your place or type them out for you because they’re handwritten. Basically any favour that makes things too convenient for you and too much of an inconvenience for the other person is a no no.
Not showing off your money or luxury goods. It is not considered classy to wear anything that features the name or logo of a brand in a very ostentatious way. That is “Nouveau Riche” behaviour. Being upper class is all about being understated. That also applies to luxury hotels and exotic holidays. We don’t post about it on social media.
Being agreeable, polite and social. One of the most important things my mother taught me when I was a kid is that being shy is not an excuse for being rude. And it is definitely something that will make it very obvious whether you had an upper class upbringing or not. When you are talking to someone you know and a friend joins you but your interlocutor does not know them, you interrupt your conversation and introduce them, then make an effort to help them integrate the conversation. This might sound basic to a lot of you but I’ve noticed a lot of my middle class friends fail that test. Keeping to your own at social events is also not acceptable. Not thanking your host after a meal is not acceptable. Basically, get over your shyness.
It’s about experiences, not goods. Upper class people are well travelled, have done internships abroad, are doing all sorts of different activities outside of school, go to summer camps and are not afraid of taking risks.
They won’t tell you they’re upper class. Bragging about your social status is, again, Nouveau Riche behaviour.

Some MM art constructions

The theme is anointing,,,

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(16)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(16)

This next one is my favorite of the entire bunch.

Why do people believe China’s economy cannot recover when their onshore manufacturing industry is intact, and they are also improving on their high-end manufacturing?

Don’t look at the headlines

Look at what they are saying in the paragraphs

They are saying China can never go back to the days of higher growth

They are saying that China cannot go back to 12–14% growth that it had for a decade or so

The Headlines say Chinas Economy can’t Recover

Yet when to look at what RECOVERY MEANS, it’s always the old days of 12–14% growth

The Headlines are always misleading

China slowdown woes continue

This is the headline

Yet if you see slowdown, it always references to 2015/16 and comparisons

The common theme is China which once grew with double digits can’t grow beyond 5% a year today

It’s true of EVERY ECONOMY ON EARTH

The US has been growing at 1.5% – 2.5% a year for a long time whereas it grew at 9% in the 1960s and 7% in the 1970s

Likewise China grew at 12% when it’s economy was $ 6 Trillion. Now it’s $ 19 Trillion and three times larger so obviously growth will slow down to 5%

Maybe without the Real Estate Reforms it would have been 6% or 6.25% but that would have caused a long term headache

So look beyond the headline

Look at what they say

Except a few people like Gordon Chang or Serpentza or Peter Zheihan – 99% of the Economists always talk of Chinas underlying strength while saying it can’t go back to the old days

And the Mainstream Media keep deliberately manipulating the headlines

Parents Have MELTDOWN At Wedding When Son Exposes Them For Covering Up Brother Sleeping With Ex Wife

I love how men are supposed to humiliate themselves to protect OTHER PEOPLE’S image.

Who are some famous intellectual badasses?

It is quite hard not to admire Mark Twain. The man was incredibly clever and skilled in deconstructing damaging narratives and social constructions… everyone always speaks of the now-controversial “Huckleberry Finn”, but he also wrote another great book — the now shamefully forgotten Pudd’nhead Wilson.

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In Pudd’nhead Wilson, Mark Twain takes apart the “one drop rule” myth of black ancestry, and does so beautifully… two boys are mixed at birth, one fully white, the other of distant black ancestry. Twain dives into things like scientific racism, racial superioty, all themes incredibly controversial for his day and age — his Pudd’nhead Wilson was published in 1894. Huckleberry Finn was published ten years earlier, in 1884. And there, too, he deconstructed myths and humanized a part of the population (black people, former slaves) that too many in society saw as “lesser”.

Above we see Twain with his best friend, a former slave named John T. Lewis on whom he based some of his black characters. I would label Mr. Twain every inch the “intellectual badass”. If only for amazing quotes such as: “Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” Or: “If voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let us do it!”

Mark Twain was the sort of no-nonsense, straightforward, razor-sharp wit that comes around perhaps once a century, if even that. He was the real deal. And he didn’t give a damn about what society thought of him — he was the very rarest of creatures: honest, genuine and true intellect expressed with eloquence unmatched.

Russia’s Harsh Response┃Putin Is Sending ZIRCON Long-Range Hypersonic Missiles To CUBA and VENEZUELA

Do you know anyone who won the lottery & what did they do with it?

I know a great man who won $3 million on a scratcher while Covid was coming on full swing.

At the time he was living in a small one bed apartment with his girlfriend, working part time at a gas station. They shared a beat up, out of date vehicle that drew attention from every police officer on the road.

Four months before this, they were hotel hopping weekly and barely able to feed themselves.

The day he got the check from the lottery office, he went to the bank and got set up with an account and an advisor and put 75% into a stock portfolio and used the rest to buy safe vehicles for himself and his girlfriend, as well as a home for the two to build a life in.

His main goal with his winnings is to never be homeless again and to always be able to provide for his family without worry. He set up a monthly transfer between two accounts to “pay” himself a budget and the rest is in a long term portfolio is designated for their retirement.

Two weeks later he left his job. Three weeks after that his girlfriend left her job and they moved into their new home.

They spent some time enjoying this weightlessness and traveling.

Four months after he cashed in, he proposed to his girlfriend. The only thing preventing him before was their lack of financial stability.

This august will be the 2 year anniversary of my husband’s winning ticket purchase.

I am back to working full-time now at a new job, which is a choice he knew I’d make quickly because of my own pride and desire to be productive.

My husband still enjoys his free time, and has been spending more time in nature and with his ‘brothers’ who need a positive male figure in their lives.—- -brothers by choice who ended up being wolves coming from the woodworks———edited 01/2023.

To this day, my husband will tell you that “God” didn’t give him that money. The “devil” did. It was a failed attempt at claiming his soul, but if the devil(evil) is out there, so is God(light/love). My husband chooses love and light every time.

—- update: it is now the beginning of 2023 and we are finally settling into where we want to be with finances and working toward new goals. We set ourselves up for low monthly bills in that first year, so that we can maintain our home and bills on our typical income with a little help from investment dividends. (I also highly recommend reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki).
We have had a huge gear switch in mentality as we are expecting to expand our family this year! We are beginning another round of reviewing our finances and spending habits in order to reframe our budget and prepare for what is to come!

Our “luck” has exposed many wolves that came rushing out of the woodwork and has left my husband’s circle dwindled. We found much strength in family, as well as solitude. We wish you all much love, light, and peace in the upcoming year!

The Divine Purpose of Cats | 6 types of cats that expel negative energy from your life!

Why hasn’t communism worked except in China?

The fucked up thing about this identify politics is to shoot the arrow first and draw the target later.

It’s an arrow called “this is communist” and wherever it is shot, it must be communist. It doesn’t matter if the target is communist, but it has to be, because there is an arrow called “this is communist” on it.

Western definition of communism is fucked up, for starter.

Communism is supposed to be, in the theory of Marxism, the ultimate form of human society. It can only be reached when the productivity of human race is in an unthinkable high level, where people wouldn’t be worried about survival anymore but can focus on distributing to the society.

It’s not that “communism will come and confisticate your private property and make you poor”, it should be that “when communism became feasible, people would not have to own private properties”. However, everything can be interpretated from different angle and perspective, thus came up with different conclusions.

USSR was socialist.

Vietnam is socialist.

Every so called communist country in human history is actually socialist, and so is China.

The very foundamental rule of social format is that the social structure must match with the social productivity.

If somehow a liberalism and capitalism believer time travelled to 5000 years ago, to a slavery society, would it be possible for this person to apply capitalism there? Assuming they could communicate.

The answer is No. A big, fat NO.

Because the social productivity of a slavery society simply cannot support the foundation of capitalism, mass production.

Same reason when China naively tried to practice communism to accelerate the development in 50’s. It’s called the Great Leap Forward, and we all know that it failed.

Public ownership of means of production in socialism is the result of productivity development, not the cause of it. Productivity cannot be raised by simply forcing people to contribute their personal belongings to the country.

Communist party of China learnt that through some painful lessons, and decided to embrace capitalism, hence the reform and open in 1978.

Karl Marx had written in his books that human society should be developed from capitalism to socialism and eventually to communism. Capitalism, in the period of low productivity, is very good to stimulate people’s motive and creation. But it also has its downside, such as the
Matthew effect:

It’s because the rich has means of production, which actually creates value.

Say a crafts person made a 500USD sword from a 50USD steel, 450USD got created through the smithing.

One the other hand, financial market doesn’t create value, but only to re-distribute the wealth from some people to the others.

For those who relying on the salary to live, all they can do after getting paid is to spend the money, and the money would flow back to the capitalists whom sell everything. However, the capitalists cannot spend all their money, thus the rich getting richer.

To solve this, China decided to keep the state-owned enterprises.

Their highest priority is not to make more profit, unlike every private company, but to maintain the control of the government over senstive and critical industries, and to provide social welfare. such as public transporation, water, electricity, etc.

China’s water, natural gas, and electricity prices are extremely stable, not long throughout a year, but can be stable for years. Because it’s closely related to the living standard of every Chinese, and can cause instability in society.

China Railway still executes the price standard of 2000’s for passengers. Chongqing North to Zhengzhou East, 1068KM, and the price for a second class seat in bullet train is 512RMB, or roughtly 70 USD. If taking the regular 120KMPH train and the regular seat, the price is 156RMB, or roughly 20 USD.

Government doesn’t care if China Railway loses money on passenger business, because it’s almost certain negative profit. As long as it keeps the punctuality and other service qualities, the government will be satisfied.

Farmers carrying their vege and other products going into the city for better prices. 40KM distance, it used to take them over 2 hours and 2 transit buses, and now is 22 minutes and only 1 USD.

There is another train in Hunan Province, specifically for farmers, which is free to take.

It’s not charity, but only the social responsibility of state-owned enterprises.

In China, after a natural disaster, say earthquake, we expect the government to establish tents within days, preferablly within the same day.

State grid would restore the electricity in a few hours to a few dozen hours.

China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom would re-establish cellphone network also in a few hours to a few dozen hours.

People’s Liberation Army are expected to be at the center as the first external rescue force, and they usually are.

Because of the constant investment in infrastructure from the state-owned enterprises, I haven’t experienced a blackout for years. The last time I remember having a blackout is probably 2013 or 2014. It was a summer night, and I slept in my car instead.

Sometimes, their service attitude may not be the best, but we can always count on them.

As for some other state-owned companies, they are also to be expected to have more profit, such as China National Machinery Industry Corporation, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Sinochem Corporation, etc.

However, they also have another duty which is to lead the tech development of China.

China is the leading country in electricity related technology, especially ultra high voltage trasmission,

because China has the needs to move the electricity from the west to the east.

If the government decided to do so, the state-owned enterprises would have to execute the plan. There is no room for negotiation.

Also, with the rich renewable and clean energy sources in west China, state-enterprises had to develop their state of art electricity generation technologies. Some creations are already out of this world and entered Sci-Fi area, like this melt salt tower plant.

Besides all the critical sectors, China went full-on capitalist mode.

There are already some leading Chinese private companies being very active on world stage, such as:

Each of them is a pain in the ass for the US government, because of being too competitive.

There are many more, but most of them are not well known to the general public.

China’s real structure is socialist bones with capitalist flesh.

It’s certainly not communist.

Because communism is the ultimate goal, not the process.

China’s Malls are OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Wine exploration Maps

AIR SUPPORT – Retro Pulp Science Fiction by Skyward, 1966, Mixed Film Parameters, Style Experiments

What is the most regrettable thing you’ve done out of curiosity?

When I was in eighth grade, I had a “friend” (She declared us as friends, and I didn’t deny it) that couldn’t feel “the hot stuff on the stove”, meaning she wouldn’t get burned when touching a stove top.

Well, at least that’s what she had said.

One day, she decided to self invite herself to my house.

“Amon. I’m coming over to your house after school. Text me your address”.

“Uhh, okay?”.

But before the story unfolds, you need to know that I have an electric stove:

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(The exact one)

On the glass, there’s a little light in the center that turns red when the top is hot, to give a warning.

Anyway.

I went home, cleaned, ordered food so I wouldn’t have to bother anyone to cook (So I wouldn’t have to do the dishes, too).

After about 2 hours, she had finally showed up.

We did normal things; talk, prank-call people (*67, y’all), use the PlayStation, etc etc.

“I don’t want to sound rude, but do you have food?”, she asked.

“Duh”.

“…Well gimme some”.

I rolled my eyes and brought the Taco Bell I was hiding in the kitchen to my room.

“Wait- I don’t eat fast food…”, she told me.

“Bruh, why are you te- ok, fine; more for me. What do you want?”.

“I want to COOK! By myself!”, she yelled.

“Woah, woah, girl. Chill, I’m not trying to do the dishes when you leave, okay? Let’s just thin-”

“Please? Don’t worry, I’ll clean them after”.

I glared, and after a while, I agreed.

Surprisingly, she was actually a great cooker…er, chef.

She knew what she was doing on the stove.

Once she had finished using it, she turned it off, but the little light was still red.

“By the way, do you know I can’t feel things, like, hot things?”, she told me.

“What’s wrong with you, what the heck? Prove it”, I demanded.

“I’ll show you later; let’s just eat now”.

I decided to lie to her.

“Me too, I can’t feel them either”.

“Oh yeah? Then put your entire hand on the stove”.

I laughed, wondering if I should just run, and walked to the stove.

One, two, three! I placed my entire hand flat on the stove.

“Hey, se-”.

Cue the screaming.

Thankfully, my hand was okay, and wasn’t burned at all.

I learned to a) Not invite that girl over again, and b) not trust every word people say.

Yeah, there are a few people who actually can’t feel pain, but she definitely wasn’t one of them.

I learned it the hard way.

Edit: Lololol, stop calling me dumb omg lmao, I knew it was hot, and I didn’t lose my common sense. I just didn’t want to admit that I was lying to her.

UNBELIEVABLE Infrastructure | China’s MIND-BLOWING metro station

Shorpy Daily

The Shocking Result After Surveying Men About Dating in 2024

Zip and it’s gone

Today, I want to talk about a class action suite that I was involved in.

Back in the 1990’s, there was this interim storage method for computers. It lay somewhere between the early floppy discs and the record-able CD ROMS that became all the fad at the turn of the century.

This was a “ZIP disc”. Which was a high capacity (for the time) floppy disc storage system. And a bought a few systems to store content on my various computer system setups.

Now, the thing was that the company was offering a rebate, and a discount. So everyone was buying the things.

They cost something like $100, but if you buy it, you can apply for the $50 rebate after three months of use. The numbers are approximate, but it was something like that.

Now, it was a big scam.

Oh, the system worked all right. It’s just that the company had no intention on giving anyone the rebates and the bonus prizes and rewards. And millions of people were upset. As was I.

I think they owed me around $250 all told for all my system components. This was big dollars back in the day.

We all gave up. After month after month of sending in the UPC codes off the boxes, xerox of the receipts, and credit card bills they were never enough. We were all just on this endless hamster wheel cage with no way off.

Anyways, imagine my surprise when a class-action suite was made against the company and all of us on the aggrieved listing were ordered to get our money due to us.

Boy. I was so happy about that!

$40 million dollars.

Certainly, I will finally get my money back.

But when my check came in… after all, I was expecting $250. The amount given to me was an entire $1.21. Yup. The award, minus the attorney fees, and divided by the number of aggrieved customers.

Sheech!

This is the American system in a nutshell.

Today…

What actually happens when an empire falls?

Usually madness. Utter, self-inflicted madness.

The kind that comes from getting too big for your britches, believing your own hype, and forgetting what made you great in the first place.

That’s the first symptom of an empire on the decline.

It’s like watching a star athlete lose their edge, thinking they don’t need to train as hard or that they’re above the rules.

The result?

A spectacular fall from grace.

Empires aren’t built on luck or divine right. They’re forged through grit, innovation, and a clear understanding of their purpose.

But as they grow, the rot sets in.

The elites become complacent, fattened on luxury and power, losing touch with the common folk who sustain them.

The bureaucracy swells into a monstrous, inefficient beast, choking on its own red tape.

Corruption becomes the norm, as officials line their pockets at the expense of the state.

The first cracks appear at the edges, where the empire’s reach exceeds its grasp. Rebellions flare up, fueled by resentment and neglect.

The military, once a lean, mean fighting machine, grows bloated and sluggish, more interested in protecting its own privileges than defending the realm.

The economy stagnates, strangled by overregulation and cronyism. The whole edifice starts to creak and groan under the weight of its own decadence.

And when the final blow comes, it’s often not from some mighty external foe, but from within.

A palace coup, a popular uprising, a cascade of defections – it doesn’t matter.

This is the nature of all Empires.

It's not a matter of if it will fall, but when, the seeds of its destruction are already sown within its own heart.

What is the best decision you ever made that made your life better?

Experience 1:

I was at my office desk and it was around 1 p.m. which means lunch time. I was already so hungry I could eat a human. But I didn’t want to eat alone. So I went to invite a co-worker to join me.

“Okay. Give me 20 minutes; I’m finishing up my work.” he said.

I can wait for 20 minutes. No big deal.

Twenty minutes later… He’s still typing on his computer.

“Hold on. Gimme another ten minutes. I’ll call Adam (his friend from other department) to join us.”

He called Adam who agreed to have lunch together, then continued his work.

Ten mins later (so that’s already half an hour)…

“I don’t think I can join you. I have to finish this work. Please go first. I think Adam is already waiting at the cafe. If I manage to finish my work in the next ten mins, I’ll join you guys,” he said.

Experience 2:

The weather was good. Blue sky, windy. I was in the mood for running. I wanted to go out and sweat. I skipped exercising for three weeks due to workload and when the weekends came, I was occupied with other stuff. Either that, or terrible weather. There were always excuses. But that day I had no excuse. I was thrilled to go out.

It was 4.30 p.m. I rang my neighbour who’s also a runner.

“Bro, the weather is so good today. Let’s run,” I said.

“It is. But can we go at 6 p.m.? I have something to do right now.”

One and a half hour is nothing. I can wait. No big deal.

6 p.m. The weather changed from good to bad. It was suddenly raining. So we cancelled our plan. If I just walked out of the house at 4.30 p.m., I would probably be sweating and came home at 6 p.m.

These two and dozens of similar experiences led me to a decision.

Don’t wait for others. You want to eat? Go. You want to run? Go. You want to watch movie? Just go. You want to travel? Go.

For all the things you can do alone, just go. Wait for nobody.

Pasta Neapolitan

k 2023 05 napolitan spaghetti napolitan spaghetti 023 1

Ingredients

1 pound dried angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano (divided)
5 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced, or to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
2 cups fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely minced (about 1 cup chopped)
Sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous, rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
Drain well and put into a warm serving dish with the soft butter in it; toss pasta until coated, then add most of the cheese and gently toss again. Keep warm in oven.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook just until the garlic turns light brown; pull pan off the heat. (Do not rush by cooking at a higher heat; this will burn the garlic and cause it to taste bitter.)
Add the minced parsley and a generous pinch of salt and mix with a spoon until it resembles the texture of pesto.
Immediately pour over the warm pasta and toss well to distribute the sauce evenly.
Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and serve.

Do women really cheat more than men?

It is often said, and in my experience this is true, that women cheat out of desires of the heart and men cheat out of desires of the body. I have cheated on my ex-wife. I am not proud of it, nor will I make excuses for it. The reasons were strictly physical. She, herself, cheated on me as well — initially just having “emotional affairs” online. This changed when she fell in love with someone, and physically cheated on me as well. At which point, the marriage came to an end.

For me, cheating was strictly a physical thing… younger-me believed variety is the spice of life and just wanted to “get it on”. For her, it was a matter of love — she still loved me, but in some ways she found me lacking as a husband. My lack of ambition. My lack of “drive” to make something of myself. The ease with which I accepted life as it comes, and how little I needed to be fulfilled. Whereas to her, the sky was the limit and she wanted it all. She wanted wealth. She wanted a bigger house, more trips and travels, better food, more savings for the future. She wanted so much, and me, I was okay with what we had. So she sought out someone who she did feel compatible with. Who wanted the things she wanted, too. Someone ambitious. More wealthy.

And she left me, for that person. And this seems to be somewhat of a recurring theme, when it comes to men cheating versus women cheating. All I wanted was just to get laid with other girls… whereas my ex, she wanted a more suitable partner. I find that men are more likely to want to cheat as a one-off thing, a fling, an affair without love being involved. Lust over love. With women, love over lust. When she’s gone, she’s gone for good.

Biker Gets Into Terrible Accident, Loses Leg…And His Wife NEVER Leaves Him Or His Side

Is it true that most of Singaporean Chinese treat and consider the Singaporean Malay Muslims as inferior or second class citizens?

You are mistaken guys! Your question is rather unfair to Chinese Singaporeans.

I was in my father-in-law’s watch shop in a fashionable street in Malacca, Malaysia in 2006-2007. A couple of well-dressed Malay man in his 30 walked in with a gorgeous looking Malay girl.

My wife, a Malaysian , gestured to his father to serve them as they were vying on a Swiss watch for quite sometime.

Guess what? My father-in-law, after a glance for 3 seconds at them he continued doing his thing.

When they left, he mumbled in Hokkien to allow me to understand. “Malay people, won’t buy, dress nice-nice, got 2 Ringgit in the pocket”

My wife looked at me and smiled, then rolled her eyes.

Years have passed, I was again in Malacca in one evening, I was so thrilled to see a “Malay trade fair” when we drove by.

My niece-in-law was a chauffeur, she has grown to be a big girl now she knew what I was up to, so, she said “**Uncle, they will look at you as a freak —if you are not like a Malay, we Chinese, don’t usually go, they are kings here. Let them enjoy.”**

My wife looked at me she smiled, then rolled her eyes—reminded me of what she did 17 years ago.

What is your question, again?

It’s rather unfair for Malay people to be kings in both countries—Malaysia and Singapore…The Malay knows this pretty well, don’t they?

Why should the world unite with the United States to stop China, considering that the United states is worse than China?

The world shouldn’t, and doesn’t, unite with America against China.

America is a genuine global menace. Endless wars. Endless deaths. Endless destruction.

Endless sanctions.

Endless political interference and violation of national sovereignty.

America is an imperialist. It suppresses the Global South from developing. It exploits the Global South for their natural resources.

China is helping the Global South develop through the Belt and Road Initiative.

China is the largest trading partner to over 120 countries.

China has fought no wars since 1979.

The Global South represents 88% of humanity. It is behind China, not America. That’s what BRICS and SCO are about.

America and its allies represent a meager 12% of humanity. They don’t matter.

What is the worst thing you saw on the internet today?

I used to watch this much-memed about reality shaw called Pawn Stars. It’s about a family, father, grandfather and grandson who run a pawn shop together and buy rare items from people for a quick buck. It’s a funny show, a lot of jokes have been made about the whole “best I can do is [insert price]”.

main qimg 619c854a4c6366f75741afe03afd9b2b

Yesterday, Adam Harrison, son of Rick Harrison — the bald guy in all the Pawn Stars memes — passed away at age 39. He had a fatal overdose. TMZ reported on his death almost immediately, as they had heard it through some third party close to Harrison. They didn’t bother to check with the family first before posting. The family then reached out to TMZ and requested privacy in these dark times. They were upset because, get this… they didn’t KNOW their loved one had died, yet!

TMZ found out the troubled relative of a famous reality TV show died. They published his death immediately, and the family had to find out through the internet that their son, father, brother and uncle had passed away. How sick is that?

Didn’t Expect this in CHINA?! 🇨🇳 INSANE MALL TOUR in Chengdu Sichuan

Slowly… Then All At Once!

Authored by James Howard Kusntler via Kunstler.com,

“Biden has been jabbed at least four times. This is his third covid diagnosis. The shots are working great.”

– Jeff Childers, Coffee & Covid

There was a lot of talk about divine intervention at the Republican Convention this week. The country has witnessed a rush of seemingly providential events since the fateful night of June 27th when, to universal horror, “Joe Biden” was unmasked as The Phantom of the White House. The attempt on Donald Trump’s life Saturday, with its intimations of blob involvement, was only the latest of countless trips, hoaxes, capers, and ops that smacked of demonic inspiration laid on the public, so you can’t blame them for feeling that “God is among us now.”

A huge piece of this dynamic has been the Right’s amazing impotence in the eight-year-long march of insults to the republic – especially the failure to find relief for any of that in the courts of law, until last month when the SCOTUS finally kneecapped Democratic Party lawfare operations. A paramount example of that impotence was being unable to find one jurisdiction willing to adjudicate election fraud in 2020 on the merit of the arguments.

But there was much more, starting with collective helplessness in the drawn-out RussiaGate psychodrama, even when all the players and their many nefarious acts were exposed by the alt news media, and extending to the mendacious roguery of the two-year Mueller (Weissmann) Commission, followed by fifty-one former intel higher-ups labeling Hunter Biden’s laptop “Russian disinformation, followed by Rep. Adam Schiff’s Ukraine “whistleblower” prank featuring CIA/NSC/DOD/DOJ moles Eric Ciaramella, Colonel Vindman and IC Inspector General Michael Atkinson, and then the FBI-instigated J-6 riot with the ensuing faked-up House J-6 committee . . . plus you can throw in the stupid Ukraine war, the drag queens in the kindergartens, the bumbling Durham investigation, ten million unvetted illegal migrants flowing into the country and this year’s four show-trials put on to finally break Mr. Trump.

For many in this land, it has been like the classic nightmare of being paralyzed in the presence of evil. So, it’s no wonder that the Republicans came into their convention with a tremendous tailwind of relief when events suddenly broke their way in June. Now, everyone knows that the current president is a vindictive invalid who will be tossed overboard by his own terrified party in a matter of hours now. And the entire scaffold of lies supporting “Joe Biden” and his party is wobbling badly, too.

You could see it in the deranged terror of Rachel Maddow’s increasingly contorted face last night as she rehearsed all the hoaxes she has helped to perpetrate, along with her mentally-ill posse of Jenn Psaki, Joy Reid, Nicole Wallace, and the strangely mute white male Ari Melber. It seemed that any minute Rachel’s head would spin and start spewing pea soup at the camera. When will an exorcist finally pay a visit to MSNBC?

As the sun sets on “Joe Biden’s” career, what’s left of his campaign runs an ad in which he promises “to finish the job.”

Sounds kind of sinister now, doesn’t it, like something a crime boss might tell his caporegimes? And for sure the country is suffering from this three-year-plus reign-of-terror against common sense and common decency.

The wreckage is everywhere, all over this land. “Defending our Democracy,” my ass.

The party big dawgs have paid their terminal visit to the old grifter bringing the sad news that it’s over. Of course, this excites several new headaches for them. Foremost: how can “JB” bow out of the election on account of mental infirmity but still remain president? Even if they call it something else, make some other excuse, the whole world knows now that the president is gone in the head. There are six months remaining to the end of his term and a lot of urgent issues requiring a president’s attention. You can be sure that pressure will rise to shove him out of office altogether. And it may come before the Democratic Convention in late August — if we want to be taken seriously by the rest of the world.

Of course, that would elevate Kamala to the White House. Would getting to be the first female president of-color for six months be her consolation prize for graciously declining an automatic nomination to run in “JB’s” place, so that the party can stage an “open convention” free-for-all? Or would she better serve the party as a sacrificial goat to head the ticket and get buried in what’s shaping up to be an election landslide for the Republicans? Anyway, which of the various replacement politicians — Newsom, Whitmer, Pritzker, PA Gov. Shapiro —really wants to squander a political future in an election that’s as much a vote against the Democratic Party itself as any particular figure in it? Let the party go down so it can be purged of Green Woke Satanic mentally-ill communists and reorganized on a sane and decent basis.

But then there’s always HRC.

She’s been laying back alertly, waiting for an opening to swoop in on her leathery wings and cast a fresh spell over the batshit-crazy women who, in recent times, comprise the party’s base.

At one point, not many years ago, the party was broke and had to be bailed-out by the Clinton Foundation. To what extent does that entity still own the DNC, and especially its cargo of super-delegates? I guess we’re going to find out.

Joe Biden Delivers WORST 80 Seconds in Presidential History EVER…

Are inmates allowed to spend the entire day sleeping?

In the Iowa State Penitentiary they were one-man cells and I’m glad. I like my privacy and its many other conveniences.

We didn’t have to work but to choose that meant you left your cell only to shower, or to eat and you lose your library privilege too.

I also did time in the Federal penitentiary in Lompoc California and those were 1-man rooms … not true cells. The doors were solid with a 6×12 glass window in the door and the bathroom was completely private.

Their “hole” was a unique form of punishment, and I should know: I’ve done time in juvenile homes (8 times), reform school (where I spent 11 months of my two year experience in the hole): military stockades (2 different ones), several jails, and two penitentiaries.)

Lompoc’s hole was unique in that it was designed as an experiment. A psychological experiment in sensory deprivation. No sound. No light. No contact with another person. Just two weeks in complete and utter darkness and silence. It was a room in a room, which allowed the staff to come and go without letting any light in the cell area and not make any noise either. Food was brought once a day, (a half loaf of bread and half a head of lettuce) and the inmate had no way of knowing it was there or not except by going to the door and feeling around, for they slid it under the door through a swinging panel.

Many developed permanent psychological problems from their 2 week experience, for it becomes very difficult to hold your grasp on reality when there isn’t any frame of reference to ‘hang your hat on’.

I hallucinated a lot and even created two fellow cellmates to chat with! When they disappeared soon after I met them, I was devastated. This all took place between the years of 1956–1958 and I suffer now from claustrophobia as a result of that experience.

Ain’t life a blast!

Have you ever witnessed anyone throw away their life?

A rather friendly man talked to me at a party, back when I was a teenager. It was the birthday of his nephew, who was my younger brother’s friend. All the kids in attendance were rather young, and I was happy to talk to someone a bit older, someone who seemed interesting. He was a photographer, and he took photos of everyone in the garden, and around the house.

The man traveled the world. Experienced a lot of things. He seemed full of life, animated, energetic, moving around rapidly. Although he must have been in his forties at the time, he seemed to me the absolute picture of great health. Now this was in the summer, somewhere around 2006 or 2007, I believe. We had a little talk about a trip he was going on, to Russia. How excited he was about it. The party ended rather early, as children’s parties often do. And I went home with my family. But before we parted ways, the man did take a photo of me, and he gave it to me. It was with one of those instant-photo polaroid things… it’s a fond memory, now, because when you’re young, any adult who takes you seriously and talks to you as an equal is often a fond memory.

“Oh hey, Jean-Marie, do you remember the uncle of your brothers friend, the photographer?” my mother asked me a month later. I said I did. “He died yesterday,” she said, “terrible shame. Alcoholism.” Turns out the man I met was dying of a drinking problem. I had no clue. He never went on his big trip. I still have the polaroid, somewhere.

Beavis & Butt-Head Do America – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

China’s EW warfare shocks US

from Asia Times

China’s cutting-edge electronic warfare (EW) capabilities are transforming the balance of power in the South China Sea, as shown by a recent encounter between US and Chinese forces.

This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on China’s enhanced EW capabilities by shedding light on a December 2023 incident between a US EA-18 Growler carrier-based EW aircraft and China’s Type 055 cruiser Nanchang in the contested South China Sea.

SCMP says that in December 2023, the US Navy dismissed William Coulter, commander of US Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (VAQ-136), stationed on the USS Carl Vinson, citing a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

The report says that a month later, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recognized the Nanchang’s crew for their actions against a US carrier fleet. It also notes that Chinese media highlighted an encounter involving an EA-18G, believed to be from Coulter’s squadron, and the Nanchang cruiser.

The report mentions that PLA scientists recently disclosed in a Radar & ECM journal article that AI-enhanced radar gave the Nanchang an advantage over the EA-18G’s jamming capabilities.

It claims that the EA-18G, manufactured by Boeing, has been upgraded since 2021 for future warfare but faces new challenges from the PLA–Navy’s (PLA-N) integrated radar systems and communication strategies.

SCMP notes that these advancements allow PLA-N warships to form a “kill web” to counter the EA-18G’s attacks. It also says that the Nanchang’s reported proactive tactics and successful engagement with US forces illustrate a shift in the PLA-N’s EW approach.

Much-improved Chinese EW capabilities developed after then-US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s controversial August 2022 visit to Taiwan may have enabled a feat.

SCMP noted that the PLA failed to track and surveil the US Air Force transport plane carrying Pelosi during her visit despite deploying Type 055 cruisers and J-16D EW aircraft. The source says that almost all of the PLA’s EW equipment failed to function because of electronic interference from Pelosi’s escorting aircraft force.

On Pelosi’s aircraft escort, John Tkacik says in an August 2022 article for Taipei Times that it could have been a massive force of US F-15s that flew out of Kadena Air Force Base in Japan supported by the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group and the USS Tripoli with embarked F-35s stationed in the Philippine Sea.

From that experience, China may have improved its EW capabilities quickly by investing in new technologies and placing them in a more extensive kill web consisting of kinetic and non-kinetic elements.

SCMP reported in February 2024 that Chinese scientists have invented a new class of EW equipment that can reportedly rapidly detect, decode and suppress enemy signals.

The new system, SCMP says, allows the PLA to seamlessly monitor signals into the gigahertz zone, encompassing frequencies used by amateur radio and even Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites.

It notes that the equipment includes innovative signal processing chips and AI integration, enhancing China’s ability to counter enemy jamming and maintain communication flow.

Furthermore, SCMP claims that in encounters with US Navy ships with EW activity, China has used electromagnetic-emitting equipment, including high-power phased array radars, to lock on to multiple targets including US carrier-based aircraft.

Aside from developing new tech, China may already have elevated EW into a strategic capability, integrating it into its multi-domain operations alongside other kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in a complex kill web.

In a May 2023 article for the Mitchell Institute, Heather Penney describes a kill web as multiple, interconnected nodes that offer redundant paths for executing military operations, increasing the quantity and resilience of potential kill chains. A kill chain is the process required to identify and eliminate specific targets.

Penney says that unlike linear kill chains, which are easier to target and disrupt, kill webs provide a more adaptable and less predictable system, making it harder for adversaries to defeat.

Asia Times noted in April 2024 that the rebranding of China’s PLA Strategic Support Force (PLA-SSF) into the PLA-Information Support Force (PLA-ISF) highlights China’s strategic shift towards technology-driven “intelligentized warfare.”

The PLA-ISF is designed to integrate emerging AI, quantum and other technologies into China’s multi-domain operational strategy against potential adversaries like the US and its allies. The rebranding reflects an evolution in Chinese military thought, transitioning from “informationized wars” to “intelligentized warfare” that includes EW, cyber operations and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

EW is also a key component of China’s Multi-Domain Precision Warfare (MDPW) concept, which leverages AI and big data to identify and exploit weaknesses in US operational systems.

China’s MDPW seeks to dismantle and destroy US kill chains by targeting critical information nodes such as aircraft and satellites through physical attacks and targeting information networks by using EW and cyberattacks.

While the US arguably still has the edge in EW, near-peer adversaries like China and Russia may be closing the gap.

A November 2022 US Congressional Research Service (CRS) defense primer says that the National Defense Strategy Commission mentioned that the US is losing its EW edge, hindering its capability to conduct operations against capable adversaries.

Army Technology reported in May 2024 that the US spent US$5 billion on EW capabilities in 2024, accounting for 45% of global EW spending from 2021-2023, compared to just 14% by Russia and 13% by China.

However, Army Technology says that the US’ dominant position in the EW market is being challenged, as Russia, China and India’s share is projected to increase by the next decade.

The report notes that over the past two decades, Russia has exploited alleged US complacency in EW strategies, which have focused on counterinsurgency versus non-state actors.

It notes that in Ukraine, Russia has used EW to disrupt adversary battlefield networks, support conventional assault forces through SIGINT and jamming attacks, and secure captured territory against counterattacks.

The source also mentions that Russia has used EW to disrupt regional civilian services such as GPS and telecoms.

Likewise, Army Technology mentions that China has mirrored Russia’s use of EW and has equated information dominance with electromagnetic dominance. It says that in addition to shipborne EW equipment, China has installed such equipment and more in its occupied features in the South China Sea.

In line with that, Matthew Funaiole and other writers highlight in a December 2021 CSIS article the expansion of China’s facilities on Hainan Island, Subi Reef, and Fiery Cross Reef, which now includes satellite tracking, communication platforms, and systems potentially used in EW and SIGINT.

Funaiole and others note that these developments aim to bolster the PLA’s ability to operate in contested electronic and cyber environments.

What is the impact of corruption on the economy of a country like China, where it is prevalent at all levels?

In China, the Scope of corruption is very limited these days

What do you use your illegal wealth for?

You can’t buy Land in China because the State owns the land, so you can buy a lease and if you do, you get caught in seconds

You can’t ask payment for your kid to be educated abroad because every official has to give source of funds for his kids tuition

You cant put money into an offshore account because as officials you need Exit Visas and it’s possible you may never be able to use your money

You can’t bury Cash in your mattress because Cash is rarer and rarer nowadays

There is only one way of Corruption that every booked official in China uses

Pre dated Investments!!!!

Buying Gold today and getting a 10 year old bill of sale for that gold and claiming to sell the same today and pocketing the proceeds of sale

For instance claiming you purchased Gold for 100,000 RMB in 2014 and now claiming to sell the same gold for 207,000 RMB and pocketing 107,000 RMB legitimately

Or Pre Dated Real Estate Investments into companies

The problem is that such officials get caught regularly because they didn’t declare this purchase of gold in 2014 in their Assets and Liabilities statement and so find it tough to explain

So Corruption is getting harder and harder and many officials get caught quite easily

Someone Shorted Trump’s Stock Just Before The Assassination Attempt!

Here’s how it works. [1] Victoria Neuland announces about “something will be a surprise”, and then [2] people short stocks for personal profit. This is not the first time this system went into play.

The Ascendance Of Sociopaths In US Governance

Authored by Doug Casey via InternationalMan.com,

An International Man lives and does business wherever he finds conditions most advantageous, regardless of arbitrary borders. He’s diversified globally, with passports from multiple countries, assets in several jurisdictions, and his residence in yet another. He doesn’t depend absolutely on any country and regards all of them as competitors for his capital and expertise.

Living as an international man has always been an interesting possibility. But few Americans opted for it, since the U.S. used to reward those who settled in and put down roots. In fact, it rewarded them better than any other country in the world, so there was no pressing reason to become an international man.

Things change, however, and being rooted like a plant – at least if you have a choice – is a suboptimal strategy if you wish to not only survive, but prosper. Throughout history, almost every place has at some point become dangerous for those who were stuck there. It may be America’s turn.

For those who can take up the life of an international man, it’s no longer just an interesting lifestyle decision. It has become, at a minimum, an asset saver, and it could be a lifesaver. That said, I understand the hesitation you may feel about taking action; pulling up one’s roots (or at least grafting some of them to a new location) can be almost as traumatic to a man as to a vegetable.

As any intelligent observer surveys the world’s economic and political landscape, he has to be disturbed – even dismayed and a bit frightened – by the gravity and number of problems that mark the horizon. We’re confronted by economic depression, looming financial chaos, serious currency inflation, onerous taxation, crippling regulation, a developing police state, and, worst of all, the prospect of a major war. It seems almost unbelievable that all these things could affect the U.S., which historically has been the land of the free.

How did we get here? An argument can be made that things went bad because of miscalculation, accident, inattention, and the like. Those elements have had a role, but it is minor. Potential catastrophe across the board can’t be the result of happenstance. When things go wrong on a grand scale, it’s not just bad luck or inadvertence. It’s because of serious character flaws in one or many – or even all – of the players.

So is there a root cause of all the problems I’ve cited?

If we can find it, it may tell us how we personally can best respond to the problems.

In this article, I’m going to argue that the U.S. government, in particular, has been overrun by the wrong kind of person.

It’s a trend that’s been in motion for many years but has now reached a point of no return. In other words, a type of moral rot has become so prevalent that it’s institutional in nature. There is not going to be, therefore, any serious change in the direction in which the U.S. is headed until a genuine crisis topples the existing order. Until then, the trend will accelerate.

The reason is that a certain class of people – sociopaths – are now fully in control of major American institutions.

Their beliefs and attitudes are insinuated throughout the economic, political, intellectual, and psychological/spiritual fabric of the U.S.

What does this mean to you, as an individual? It depends on your character.

Are you the kind of person who supports “my country, right or wrong,” as did most Germans in the 1930s and 1940s? Or the kind who dodges the duty to be a helpmate to murderers? The type of passenger who goes down with the ship? Or the type who puts on his vest and looks for a lifeboat? The type of individual who supports the merchants who offer the fairest deal? Or the type who is gulled by splashy TV commercials?

What the ascendancy of sociopaths means isn’t an academic question. Throughout history, the question has been a matter of life and death. That’s one reason America grew; every American (or any ex-colonial) has forebears who confronted the issue and decided to uproot themselves to go somewhere with better prospects. The losers were those who delayed thinking about the question until the last minute.

I have often described myself, and those I prefer to associate with, as gamma rats. You may recall the ethologist’s characterization of the social interaction of rats as being between a few alpha rats and many beta rats, the alpha rats being dominant and the beta rats submissive. In addition, a small percentage are gamma rats that stake out prime territory and mates, like the alphas, but are not interested in dominating the betas. The people most inclined to leave for the wide world outside and seek fortune elsewhere are typically gamma personalities.

You may be thinking that what happened in places like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, and scores of other countries in recent history could not, for some reason, happen in the U.S. Actually, there’s no reason it won’t at this point. All the institutions that made America exceptional – including a belief in capitalism, individualism, self-reliance, and the restraints of the Constitution – are now only historical artifacts.

On the other hand, the distribution of sociopaths is completely uniform across both space and time.

Per capita, there were no more evil people in Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany, Mao’s China, Amin’s Uganda, Ceausescu’s Romania, or Pol Pot’s Cambodia than there are today in the U.S. All you need is favorable conditions for them to bloom, much as mushrooms do after a rainstorm.

Conditions for them in the U.S. are becoming quite favorable. Have you ever wondered where the 50,000 people employed by the TSA to inspect and degrade you came from? Most of them are middle-aged. Did they have jobs before they started doing something that any normal person would consider demeaning? Most did, but they were attracted to – not repelled by – a job where they wear a costume and abuse their fellow citizens all day.

Few of them can imagine that they’re shepherding in a police state as they play their roles in security theater. (A reinforced door on the pilots’ cabin is probably all that’s actually needed, although the most effective solution would be to hold each airline responsible for its own security and for the harm done if it fails to protect passengers and third parties.) But the 50,000 newly employed are exactly the same type of people who joined the Gestapo – eager to help in the project of controlling everyone. Nobody was drafted into the Gestapo.

What’s going on here is an instance of Pareto’s Law. That’s the 80-20 rule that tells us, for example, that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your salesmen or that 20% of the population are responsible for 80% of the crime.

As I see it, 80% of people are basically decent; their basic instincts are to live by the Boy Scout virtues. 20% of people, however, are what you might call potential trouble sources, inclined toward doing the wrong thing when the opportunity presents itself. They might now be shoe clerks, mailmen, or waitresses – they seem perfectly benign in normal times. They play baseball on weekends and pet the family dog. However, given the chance, they will sign up for the Gestapo, the Stasi, the KGB, the TSA, Homeland Security, or whatever. Many seem well intentioned, but are likely to favor force as the solution to any problem.

But it doesn’t end there, because 20% of that 20% are really bad actors. They are drawn to government and other positions where they can work their will on other people and, because they’re enthusiastic about government, they rise to leadership positions. They remake the culture of the organizations they run in their own image. Gradually, non-sociopaths can no longer stand being there. They leave. Soon the whole barrel is full of bad apples. That’s what’s happening today in the U.S.

It’s a pity that Bush, when he was in office, made such a big deal of evil. He discredited the concept. He made Boobus americanus think it only existed in a distant axis, in places like North Korea, Iraq and Iran, which were and still are irrelevant backwaters and arbitrarily chosen enemies. Bush trivialized the concept of evil and made it seem banal because he was such a fool. All the while, real evil, very immediate and powerful, was growing right around him, and he lacked the awareness to see he was fertilizing it by turning the U.S. into a national security state after 9/11.

Now, I believe, it’s out of control.

The U.S. is already in a truly major depression and on the edge of financial chaos and a currency meltdown.

The sociopaths in government will react by redoubling the pace toward a police state domestically and starting a major war abroad. To me, this is completely predictable. It’s what sociopaths do.

The Sopranos – Random Tony Soprano Scenes

How has your appearance affected your life?

I’m a short man.

I’m 5″6’, so I’m not a ‘little person” but I am short.

When I was dating, I had many girls tell me they would date me if i were taller. Fast forward and I’ve been married 20 years and have three terrific children.

Taller guys sometimes pat me on the shoulder or otherwise treat me like a child. I’m in my 40s.

Aggressive women have often warned me that ‘they could take me.’ I’ve had drunk guys start fights with the ‘little guy’ in a bar or party. Literally just walk up and start talking trash. I had a personal boxing coach for years and although I was never a contender, I learned to handle myself really well.

When I assert myself, I am told I have a ‘napoleon complex’ – when I don’t, I’m ‘passive aggressive’ or a pushover.

I’ve been passed over for leadership opportunities for taller people, and I’ve actually been told that openly. A CFO told me that people don’t like to work for short men. Height isn’t a protected class and you can be discriminated against for it.

I have a great life. Terrific family, despite being raised in poverty, I have accumulated a decent amount of first generation wealth. I have a great career and i do what I love. I really have no complaints.

But my appearance has affected my life.

Russia hits 4 HIMARS launchers and 35 foreign operators

Can Thai police officers demand to search your backpack while using public transportation in Bangkok? What are the consequences if you refuse?

Conduct a search on the bus or train? Thai police ain’t stupid, guys.

They know pretty well that Thais know best. I would say out loud, “เชิญเลยครับ (Be my guest)!”

Be sure to make a scene so that all eyes will look at you, so, you have a lot of eyewitnesses- say this; “พ่อแม่ พี่น้อง ผมกำลังโดนค้นครับ ขอไทยมุงครับ- เป็นสักขีพยานครับ ว่าผมไม่มี บุหรี่ไฟฟ้า ไม่มียาบ้านะครับ!” (Ladies & Gentlemen, I’m about to be searched, gather around folks, please be my eyewitnesses that I’ve no ‘Vapes’ or’Yaba’”)

Let’s be serious.

Once you consent to a search, there are two scenarios you need to know-ONE**, you are confronting with a pair of phony police officers. If you’re allow them to put their hands into your backpack it will mean, you will be a victim of an extortion-you know what I mean.— You may read from the expert online how to get out from a search by the fake Thai police unscathed.

TWO**: It’s real search from the police, and you can’t say no as your tattooed face & both arms, bearded with moustache wearing ’Boss’ blue T matches a description of ‘gold shop heist robber’ Too bad that you’re in a vicinity of the crime scene nearby.

Be shrewd as a snake but keeping calm like a dove **(I borrow from the Bible)- ask their permission to see their palms and what under/ inside their sleeves. If possible, take a video during a seach with their permission as well ( they will allow)

With a **vape** in your possession could cost you up to 30,000 Baht *fine

**Yaba** in your possession is questionable as penalty of drug trafficking is harsher than possession of drugs… you can’t say that, ‘IT ISN’T MINE’

Thai police will typically insist, **I am the law**

What’s other choice when facing with the Thai police demanding a search?

Guys! In Thailand do as the Thai do.

Just walk away that is what Thais would do when the police want to search the backpack of anyone.

What are the consequences if you refuse?

The worst scenario, if you refuse a search—is going to the police station with them.

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What was your best moment when negotiating a salary?

My company was about 9 months delivering my review. I had a great year and likely generated incremental ebitda of over $5 million. When I finallly got me review I was told I did a great job and I was getting the maximum raise – 5% on top of my $120k salary. I flipped out.

Two weeks later I quit. I knew I had a ton of leverage because:

My company was party to a lawsuit and I was a key witness.
The company was going to be sold soon and I was in a key position.

As expected, they asked me to stay and offered me a small additional raise. I demanded $250k, a 75% bonus, promotion to EVP, stock options, 1 year severance agreement if the fired me (plus bonus), and a year of benefits post employment. Told them I didn’t care either way.

It’s been 5 years. I’m still with the company and have been promoted to president. Timing is everything. If you have leverage use it.

Stranded in Philadelphia. America, what’s happening?

“Vast DEI Bureaucracy” Hurting U.S. Armed Forces; ASU Study Finds

By Cameron Arcand of The College Fix

A new Arizona State University study suggests that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the United States military are ineffective.

The study done by the university’s Center for American Institutions argued that there is a emphasis on training new soldiers about social issues like “unconscious bias” and “intersectionality” in a way the center says runs contrary to typical American ideals. The study examined DEI plan’s in different sector of the military, including DEI office staffing and education at academies like West Point.

“The massive DEI bureaucracy, its training and its pseudo-scientific assessments are at best distractions that absorb valuable time and resources,” the executive summary states. “At worst they communicate the opposite of the military ethos: e.g. that individual demographic differences come before team and mission.”

Donald Critchlow, director of the center, wrote in the introduction it was focused on looking at the influence of Critical Race Theory in the United States Armed Forces training.

“The Commission on Civic Education in the Military began as a project to review civic education in the military. Our research team did not expect to find Critical Race Theory so embedded and pervasive. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are found throughout the U.S. Armed Forces and our service academies,” Critchlow wrote. “This year long study documents just how pervasive these training programs are in our Armed Forces and Service Academies and that DEI extends well beyond just formal training programs in the military and service academies.”

“The Founders of our nation understood and feared a politicized military. History had shown them that a politicized army easily became the tool of tyranny. The Armed Forces of the United States has proudly upheld this long tradition of separating mission from politics,” he continued.

In terms of recommendations, the study suggests that DEI offices be completely scrapped, but said it may be politically unlikely for the time being.

“The surest way to eliminate the concerning trends we have identified, and the growth of race and sex-based scapegoating and stereotyping in the U.S. military, is to altogether end the DEI bureaucracy there,” the study states. “However, until such a time as the executive or legislative branches of the government choose to end the DEI bureaucracy in our federal agencies and military, we are left to advocate the pursuit of alternative avenues that may affect positive change despite existing policies.”

They also suggested the military prioritize civic education with a focus on “America’s commitment to freedom and opportunity.”

The study comes as some branches of the military continue to struggle with recruiting new service members.

To all the doctors, have you ever asked a patient to leave your office?

We just had one on Monday. We are a primary care office in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. Patients stopped coming to our office because they were afraid we were treating COVID-19 patients. Our volume of patients plummeted to about 20% of our normal patient count in late March and early April. We laid off 50% of our staff and switched to Telehealth. Gradually, patients have started coming back in when they could no longer put off going to the doctor. We are seeing about 50% of our patients in the office and another 20% through Telehealth. We have strict protocols for seeing patients now, but tensions are high among the staff. We are bringing back our staff slowly but surely.

One of our patients had been discharged from the hospital last week for non-COVID-19 problems. This 35-year-old woman followed up with her doctor through Telehealth, but needed to be seen in person for her condition and also to fill out FMLA paperwork. She confused her follow-up date and time (after confirming twice with our email and text reminder service), so we rescheduled her to the next day, a Saturday. Again, she arrived at the wrong time and the office was closed. She paged her doctor who was on-call and demanded her paperwork be filled out over the weekend. This doctor offered to come into the office exclusively on Monday to see her and fill out her paperwork as a courtesy. He was only scheduled for Telehealth which he had planned to do at home.

The patient again arrived late and the doctor was busy on Telehealth with his scheduled patients. She offered to come back in an hour when he had a slot to see her. Again, she arrived late. She refused to wear a mask in the office, as is our protocol and mandated by our state — insisting she was a nurse and it’s not necessary and it is a bunch of silliness. She was put in a room and told to wait, as the doctor was in the middle of seeing another patient.

After two minutes, she stormed out of the room causing a scene, demanding to be seen this instant, get her paperwork, and her narcotics Rx filled. Just then, the doctor came down the hall from his office to see her. She started swearing at him and berating him for making her wait. He threw up his hands and let her know he would not be treated that way and she can leave. He escorted her out of the building. He would not fill her prescriptions or do her paperwork. The patient left.

The next day she started pounding on our door when it was locked, yelling and demanding her prescriptions and her paperwork. The doctor ended up giving her two weeks of her medications and two weeks of FMLA and referred her off to her specialist to finish her care. This patient is being discharged from our practice. This patient consistently runs a balance with our office, has multiple missed appointments, and is rude to the staff. There is no need for this behavior — especially at a tense time like this.

Wednesday – 1960’s Super Panavision 70

Why are there still people think that China is poor?

I think this is some kind of conspiracy created by the Chinese

I know many Chinese, especially young Chinese under 40 years old

Usually when the topic of conversation involves “Is China poor or rich”

Although everyone’s eloquence is different and the way of explaining the content is also different. But they all seem to be trying their best to explain the same idea: “China is poor, China is backward”

And when you point to the modern city behind them, their food, clothing, housing and transportation, and their unparalleled modern transportation facilities, and express doubts. Chinese people often lead you into another unified agenda: “It looks good, but we have to consider the per capita data

The common Chinese rhetoric about “China’s poverty” is as follows:

GDP per capita: China’s GDP per capita is only about 13,000 US dollars, compared with more than 60,000 US dollars in the United States, so China is still very poor.

(Deliberately ignoring the difference in purchasing power parity (PPP))

Income per capita: 500 million people in China have an average monthly income of less than 1,000 yuan (140 US dollars)

(The concept of “non-working population” is replaced)

Number of cars per capita: China has 219 cars per thousand people. The United States has about 800 cars per thousand people, and France has more than 600 cars per thousand people

(Deliberately ignoring the difference in stock, China has entered the automobile era for less than 20 years)

High-speed trains: Chinese people can’t buy flight tickets, so they can only take high-speed trains.

(In fact, China’s air tickets are often not more expensive than high-speed trains)

Housing area per capita: China’s per capita housing area is about 40 square meters. The per capita housing area in the United States is about 65 square meters, and the per capita housing area in Germany and France is also above 50 square meters (Deliberately ignoring that China’s home ownership rate is much higher than that of the United States and Europe)

Similar agendas include: China’s military is very weak

Nuclear weapons per capita: ranked last among the five permanent members, only one percent of the United States

Aircraft carriers per capita: lower than Thailand and Brazil, so very weak

Defense budget per capita: only $210 per year, one-tenth of the United States and one-quarter of France

China’s technology is very backward:

Number of space stations per capita, number of supercomputers per capita, number of moon landings per capita, number of Mars explorations per capita, number of GPS satellites per capita, number of scientific papers per capita…

This strange “we are bad” narrative of the Chinese is not just a joke for ordinary people to chat, but a systematic narrative from top to bottom. China’s leaders, regional leaders and various government officials are accustomed to using this narrative.

Even in political speeches praising achievements, they list a series of achievements and never forget to add a paragraph at the end: “But we still have a big gap, the per capita data is only a small part of advanced countries, and we still have a long way to go in development. ”

Someone told me that the strange Chinese attitude of “We are terrible” comes from the inherent traditional culture of “modesty”. But I think it is more than that. Behind their strange narrative, there is actually another meaning: “Please don’t bother us.”

The Little Mermaid – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

The media has finally, once and for all, lost all credibility

by James Hickman via Schiff Sovereign

Obviously the attempted assassination of Donald Trump represents a grim milestone on America’s path of decline, as I wrote about in detail on Monday.

But the legacy media’s response to it may also go down as a major turning point: the moment they finally lost all credibility.

Now, clearly for a long time the media has been full of Inspired Idiots who don’t care about reporting the truth. Instead, they push a narrative they want people to believe about the world and the events which shape it.

For example, CNN famously described 2020 Black Lives Matters riots as “fiery, but mostly peaceful.”

In 2021, when the governor of South Dakota banned biological men from participating in female sports, CNN promptly reported that, “there is no consensus criteria for assigning sex at birth.”

NBC News was caught in 2021 colluding with the Biden administration to downplay the criminal past deeds of Tracy Stone-Manning, who the President had nominated to lead the Bureau of Land Management.

Stone-Manning was an eco-terrorist in her youth who was involved in tree-spiking activities that kill or maim loggers. But NBC News promised to take it easy on her to help push her appointment through.

Also in 2021, however, NBC News (along with just about every other mainstream ‘news’ outlet) hyped unproven allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that went back 30 years.

And when #MeToo protestors stormed the United States Capitol and accosted Senators in an attempt to disrupt and overturn the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, the media did not label these protestors ‘domestic terrorists’, as they did with January 6 protesters.

The media circulated outright lies about the Russia voter manipulation hoax. And the New York Times was even awarded the ‘esteemed’ Pulitzer Prize for its reporting of this thoroughly discredited story.

It’s also notable that, even after the Russia collusion story was proven to be false, the Pulitzer committee REFUSED to rescind the award it had bestowed to the Times. Their logic, apparently, is that quality reporting about blatant lies is still worthy of journalism’s highest honor.

Then, of course, in the weeks before the 2020 election, nearly every legacy news outlet outright refused to report on the laptop of Hunter Biden. The younger Biden’s laptop not only showed deep character flaws, but evidence of significant corruption and foreign influence connected to his father.

And don’t even get me started on how the legacy media reported on COVID, lock-downs, and vaccines.

But now they’ve elevated their lies and propaganda to a whole new level with the way they have portrayed last week’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

These “journalists” witnessed in real time an attempted— and very nearly successful— assassination of a former President, upon which they reported:

“Trump Escorted Away After Loud noises at rally” –The Washington Post

“Secret Service rushes Trump offstage after he falls at rally” –CNN

“Trump says he was shot in the ear at rally” -NPR

OK, let’s be extremely polite and give them the benefit of the doubt; immediately following the assassination attempt there were plenty of unknowns.

But even after the fog of war had been lifted— after it was clearly an attempted assassination— the Washington Post updated its headline to: “Trump safe after being rushed off stage following shooting at rally.”

In another article it said the assassin “shot at Trump,” not “shot Trump.”

Technically, that passes a fact check. But it’s sort of like describing Mount Everest as an elevated piece of land.

And the spin continued the next day.

Reuters ran an article titled, “Republicans, in wake of Trump shooting, seek to pin political violence trend on Democrats.”

This obviously ‘unbiased’ and ‘trustworthy’ news agency couldn’t simply report on the known facts of the attempted assassination. No, instead, their priority was to tell readers that it is the RIGHT, not the LEFT, that is full of violent extremists.

“A Reuters analysis of more than 200 incidents of politically motivated violence between 2021 and 2023, however, presented a different picture: In those years, fatal political violence more often emanated from the American right than from the left.”

Reuters didn’t actually cite a single example of this Right wing violence.

In fact, the only example of violence they did mention was the shooting of Steve Scalise, a Republican member of Congress who was gunned down (but survived) in 2017… by a Left wing extremist.

So… in an attempt to prove its assertion that its readers should fear Right wing violence, Reuters’ only example was an instance of a Left wing extremist shooting a Right wing politician.

Genius!

And these Inspired Idiots in the media still can’t understand why nobody trusts them.

Days after the attempted assassination, the Associated Press noted that the Left and Right now have dueling conspiracy theories about the assassination attempt— that Trump staged it for clout, or that the Secret Service was in on it.

AP lamented, “Americans are increasingly choosing their own reality, at the expense of a shared understanding of the facts.”

Gee, whose fault is that? (Remember, AP published the headline: “Donald Trump has been escorted off the stage by Secret Service during a rally after loud noises ring out in the crowd.”)

The attempted assassination of Trump was a rare event, in that it was broadcast in real time, and everyone could see exactly what happened with their own eyes from multiple angles.

And still the media tried as hard as possible to sell a completely bullshit narrative of the event.

What do you think they do with events that are not so clear, or are not caught on camera from every angle? How trustworthy are those “anonymous sources” they love to cite?

This is why the legacy media is becoming less trusted by the day.

It’s also why, despite Inspired Idiots owning the vast majority of broadcast media, they still haven’t been able to tip the scales decisively in favor of their own little cultural revolution.

Confronted with an event they knew would make their nemesis look strong and unbeatable, they resorted to cartoonish propaganda.

And I hope that proves to be the decisive moment for people to see them for what they are: liars.

Man Runs Away on Date When She Brought Her Friends…

Can people with diplomatic immunity commit crimes in their host nation without repercussions?

Mohamed Rizalman bin Ismail, a Malaysian military attaché, entered one woman’s house and attempted to have sex with her.

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He was promptly arrested by the New Zealand police and charged with attempted burglary and rape. Invoking his diplomatic immunity, Mohamed left New Zealand to his country Malaysia. Following the international furor, Malaysia agreed to send Mohamed back and waive his diplomatic immunity. This case was interesting because NZ and Malaysia don’t have an extradition treaty. Apparently Mohamed “volunteered” to go back to NZ and face the trial. He served 9 months of house arrest.

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Majed Hassan Ashoor, the first secretary at the Saudi Embassy in India beat and raped his Nepali housemaids. When the Police got involved, Diplomat invoking immunity left the country. All was left, a few NGOs protesting against the diplomat.

Accused Saudi diplomat leaves India

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Traffic accidents

These cases happen far more often than beating and rape. An American military attaché was involved in traffic accident. He was reported to be drunk. As a result, the motorcycle driver died. The Pakistani authorities asked Americans to waive his diplomatic immunity so that he can be tried. After refusal, he was not allowed to leave the country. After extensive negotiations and substantial payments to the deceased’s family was the case finally resolved.

US diplomat involved in Islamabad accident departed post ‘settlement’ | The Express Tribune

Another very similar case, a Russian diplomat was involved in fatal traffic accident, in Canada, while drunk. Due to diplomatic immunity, he was allowed back to Russia. Upon arrival, he was charged in Russian court with involuntary manslaughter and jailed for 4 years.

Former Russian diplomat guilty of involuntary manslaughter | CBC News

A new case is developing right now in Turkey. It has been alleged that a Saudi national was killed in the Saudi Consulate. If this is true, we reached new lows in diplomacy.

As you can see, diplomatic immunity can be waived only by the diplomat’s side. The host country, on the other hand, can prohibit the diplomat from leaving the country. It can also make an international incident and make life hell for the remaining diplomats. But in the end it is up to the diplomat’s country if it wants to be viewed as a country that allows its diplomats to commit crimes and get away with it. A matter of national prestige is an important matter to some, not all countries.

Article 29 of the Vienna Convention states: “The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable. He shall not be liable to any form of arrest or detention. The receiving state shall treat him with due respect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on his person, freedom or dignity.”

The Mask – 1950’s Super Panavision 70 Trailer

What is one thing that shocked you when you attended an Ivy League or a highly prestigious school like Stanford or MIT?

I got my Ph.D. from Stanford, so I was both a student and a teacher there, after attending a mid-level school that gave me a full ride for undergrad. No one in my family had been to a top-tier school, and there were no top-tier schools in the area where I grew up, so I had no idea what to expect. There were two things that shocked me most:

The way that everything is set up to ensure the students succeed. Ins to any internship program you could possibly want. “Lecture series” classes that are really designed to give you weekly networking opportunities. Entrepreneurship competitions that will actually put multiple students in a room with venture capitalists to pitch their business plans. You name it. The campus, the resources, the professors, the programs — all of these things are great at Stanford, but they’re great a lot of other places, too. But where you really see a huge difference is all the extras, where the school provides every opportunity for you to get in touch with people who can make your career. It’s amazing. After I saw this, I would always 100% advise anyone who’s ambitious and academically inclined to shoot for an Ivy.
Interestingly, the undergraduate students are not all super smart. They’re not unintelligent. But they’re not geniuses — not most of them, anyway. I wasn’t blown away, on the whole, by my Stanford students’ intelligence. Mostly, they just worked hard and they knew how to be students. They would communicate well, come to class and to office hours, be proactive about their grade and completing their work effectively. I find that’s the biggest difference between the Stanford kids and the students I’ve taught at the CSU’s and SLAC’s in the area — most of the students at those schools just seem like they never really learned how to be students, so they struggle when they’re easily smart enough to do well in the class. (Of course, most of them also have to work, while it seems like most of the Stanford kids don’t.)

Existence Tax: The Vig Plus 3%

Authored by Tim Hartnett via LewRockwell.com,

In the bad old days, before G-Men took down the mob, were urbanites getting a better deal? Does the betting man receive worse odds from state run lotteries than Vinny gave on the corner running numbers? Did businesses shaken down for “protection” have higher hopes of survival in mob clutches than in municipal ones? Was there more or less anxiety about making rent or the mortgage in 1974 than in 2024? Which is the greater fiscal peril, organized crime or uber-societal-organization? It has become a valid question.

Gangsters had fingers in a lot of pies. Credit card racketeers, waging the present battle against physical currency, demand a slice of everything out of the oven. They’d gladly have us believe that paying for anything, without their supervision and cut, equals a criminally tainted transaction. Mobsters found their pecuniary prevalence legit in its way too. Transactions that jibed with their economic codes they called “kosher.” Other trading activity inside their ambit was deemed transgressive. Parasites tend to sound tiresomely alike. The difference is that the above ground finance industry finds no place outside its ambit.

Street people’s encampments clutter cities all over the country. What pushed so many over the edge? And how many are treading that edge carefully now? We know that insanity is somewhat genetic, but scientific observation has yet to prove external factors can’t nudge innately inclined individuals into psychosis. Facts point that way.

Should we harbor suspicion of so-called improvements in the finance system? The Bush-Obama era housing crisis arrived after the government gradually amped up its influence on the mortgage market. Once mortgages became de-localized and Wall Street joined in default skyrocketed and losses went international. Isn’t the NYSE supposed to make markets safer and more efficient? Have we seen anything like that coming out of financial centralization?

The present squeeze goes on in commercial space. Businesses, particularly restaurants, are shutting down at disturbing rates. The biggest burden is rent. This goes on as city centers are awash in more empty commercial space than ever. Local government isn’t helping. While serenading us about how much they love love and hate hate, they stay busy inundating entrepreneurs with licensing fees, new taxes, permit demands and other hurdles that restrain new ventures from ever launching. If they somehow get going anyway the municipality lurks at every juncture. They’ll keep you from thriving when they can’t stop you altogether. Actions speak louder than words. What they “love,” in practice, is bleeding prey pale with revenue demands and entangling bureaucratic complications.

In 1977 the minimum wage was $2.30 an hour. You could get nearly four Big Macs for that amount then. When the minimum went up to $12 on July 1st, the same earner only got two and one third double-deckers for his money. Losing 1.3 sandwiches an hour takes a big bite out of a working class lifestyle. 10.4 Mc-grubbings per eight-hour-day to be exact.

One year after the bicentennial average rent in the US was about $160. An NYT article from 1973 said a family of four needed less than $12,000 a year to live “moderately” in NYC in 1973. The same amount must have been a somewhat comfortable living in flyover country. By 1977 average income was over $13,000. 47 years later, average rent is at least ten times higher. While only about 10% of the population earns $130,000 or more. Where did all the value go?

Clearly, production is out of sync with consumption. What is the variable? Crops still grow at the same rate. Cargo travels at the same speed. Bricks are laid at the same pace. Chickens plop their eggs with the same regularity. Is anyone in the economy getting more than their fair share?

Almost 103 billion in “official” currency was circulating in the US in 1977. As of today, that figure stands at nearly 2 trillion 340 billion. The population has increased by about 58%. The greenbacks flowing back and forth went up by over 2000%. Those figures describe a small fraction of the overall economy. Because banks can create spending power with credit, leaving out other fiscal legerdemain, hundreds of trillions are outstanding in fiscal reality. Federal tax revenue alone, will soon hit over 5 trillion so far this year. That’s over twice the official amount of currency in circulation.

The Big Mac went from 65 cents to $5.17 in that time span. That’s about 700%. Minimum wage rose by about 450%. Watching these fiscal details we know at once that sparse fractions of all that new money is getting to where it is needed most – while we have no evidence it lands in hands that have created actual value. With everyone competing for resources and finished goods, these facts equal a devastating pay cut for many making far above minimum wage.

The idea that people are taking out according to what they contribute simply doesn’t fly. We can start with where the money supply is expanded.

A century ago banks were more accountable. They could make risky loans, as they did for Fritz Heinze, but doing so could still mean hell to pay. The series of events that shook the fiscal foundations of South Manhattan in 1907 remain mysterious over a century later. By 2007, banks were getting bailed out and it was everyone else who paid. How we got there is an intriguing conundrum of modern finance.

Heinze was a mining engineer from New York who showed up in Butte, Montana in the 1890’s. The copper market was hot at the time. That rustic town was already swimming in East Coast toffs and class consciousness. Although born into wealth and circumstances, Augustus Heinze was above pretension and indifferent to “society.” He soon developed a smelting process that greatly expanded the profitability of low-grade copper ore. Rather than pocketing the plunder, his next step was cutting 2 hours off the miner’s workday. How did that go over in the part of Butte that ‘dressed for dinner’? About like The Declaration of Independence did with George III.

Fritz couldn’t have cared less. The airs put on at posh WASP tables left the man impatient and bored. He did his excess boozing in public places where a man who’d spent the day 500 feet underground was at the next stool. Guys who loaded trams rarely bought a round with Heinze in the house.

By 1895 he’d amassed the capital to purchase the Rarus copper mine. The new-coming city slicker literally hit paydirt. His holes were always filled with the best pick and shovel men Montana could provide. The swells he snubbed had to take what hired help they could get.

An officer fraternizing with the enlisted class was high treason to mine owners of the aughts. Heinze was held in a kind of hostile awe. Butte gentry were unaccustomed to a guy who dared not to care if they liked him. What’s an enraged starched collar to do? We’ll never be entirely sure. Deadly measures were far from uncommon in late 19th century mining strife. What happened to Heinze is one of the murkier mysteries of the robber baron era.

J.D. Rockefeller’s brother, William, was a director of Anaconda Copper. That firm was run by people who’d never pop a cork with working stiffs. They were revolted by Augie’s effrontery. Their solution was one that has retained its financial force. Whether Heinze was bought out under duress, or sold out of his own volition in 1906 isn’t fully clear. What is known is that he returned to New York as a Wall Street plunger specializing in copper stocks. Using familial connections, and a personal fortune, Heinze got himself onto the boards of almost a score of NYC banks. When shares of United Copper were being shorted in a bear run, Fritz used his position to buy aggressively, borrowing heavily from the Knickerbocker Bank and other commercial lenders where he held sway.

By October of 1907 the Heinze brothers thought they had cornered the market in United Copper. They demanded the shares from traders who were contractually short – falsely believing the bears would be forced to buy from them. It soon became clear that these shares were not hard to come by. Heinze’s bullishness ended in catastrophic loss rather than profit. This meant that he would default on loans of millions from each of over 15 NYC banks.

The story, possibly apocryphal but true in effect, goes as follows. Knickerbocker was experimenting with 24 hour banking in 1907. The brainchildren of Wall Street met for dinner at an upstairs private dining room in Delmonico’s to discuss the coming cash crunch. Waiters for the event heard what was said in the meeting. They shared this knowledge with less connected patrons chowing down on the ground floor. A run on Knickerbocker began that night, by morning it had spread to every bank in town. The Panic of 1907 was instantly afoot.

Soon banks all over Gotham were out of cash to meet a seismic wave of withdrawals. In no time connected institutions from further out were tapped too. JP Morgan famously locked every player he could muster into his mansion’s library to discuss solutions. A plan was worked out and widespread depression was averted. But the financial hierarchy of south Manhattan was far from done. Their next step entailed placing the money supply and credit generally into the possession of elite governors.

This banking scandal ultimately resulted in the Federal Reserve Act that was passed December 23rd 1913. Whether it solved the problem or laid the foundation for larger ones has been debated since. Getting into the particulars of the statute became inconvenient with the legislature still in session so close to Christmas. ‘Fightin’ Bob LaFollette, gave in and failed to press for a more exacting bill he saw as necessary at the time. The ruckus over the bill’s details were mostly passed over as ‘conspiracy theory’ throughout the 20th century. That line held sway in economic academia for many decades. Scholarly reckoning always comes too late; there is little dispute the charter helped cause and make the Great Depression worse among “experts” today. We are commanded to defer to them with amps at 11. What they got wrong is reported by the same sources at about 2.5.

Left unexamined is why the Heinze brothers misunderstood who held what in United Copper in 1907. Why did they mistakenly believe they had cornered the market? These were highly educated, seasoned men in the world of finance. How far would William Avery Rockefeller Jr. go to settle a score with Fritz Heinze? Was he cleverly stashing available shares in ostensibly immobile accounts to set up an ambush? The first generation of the Rockefeller fortune was not known to take financial affronts lightly. Is it possible, or more likely probable, William Avery had the means and motive to manipulate the market into this unlikely position?

John D. Rockefeller Jr. married Abby Aldrich in 1901. Her father, Nelson Aldrich, was the driving senatorial force behind the Federal Reserve Act, although he left the Senate before its passage. The Rockefeller gang has been evangelizing the faith of centralization in everything for over a century. It started when JD Sr. practically accomplished that in the petroleum industry before the turn of the 20th century. If you think they were never capable of violent, gangland style treachery, fast your gaze on the Ludlow massacre of 1914.

Can we measure the effect of centralization in the financial sector? By 2013 it had almost doubled its share of the economic pie since 1980. When their take went from 5% to 9% in 40 years it had to come at a loss for others at the table. Did the Fed have a role in this? And what justification is offered for doubling the squeeze? As the economy grows so does the money industry’s cut, just as any salesman’s commission rises as the sales price is higher. Is South Manhattan insatiable? What explanation, other than parasitic predation, fits here?

The idea of market liquidity and available credit is efficiency and a fluent trading place for financial wares. Theoretically, this is competitive and brings transactional costs down while driving transactional fluidity up. Have we seen any such thing? The NYSE and kin have become like those “clubs” everyone is forced to join avoiding rip-offs for groceries, lunch, medicine, movies etc. The difference is that Wall Street’s anti-rip-off club is exclusive. You are not invited.

Where are we now? Exactly in the same place as when mobsters skimmed off the top in Vegas casinos, but far worse. The difference is that you get clipped without ever placing a bet or owning a share of a betting parlor. The south Manhattan mob is, supposedly, worth nearly 10% of all the action. What other slices of the take have widened with government intrusion and centralization? The mob focused its shakedowns on high rollers. Higher Ed goes after every kid hoping to drag letters behind his name. They call themselves “non-profits.” Does the description fit the beast?Disciplines of a Godly…Hughes, R. KentBest Price: $4.97Buy New $9.41(as of 01:52 UTC – Details)

Finding university administrators at leisure is not a job for Columbo. Just head toward any resort, high-dollar fleshpot or country club where profiteers do their squandering. Educational altruists, financial “experts” and well-heeled bon vivants occupy the same weekend turf – as well as the same self-serving sphere of self-justification.

The Rockefeller family was the largest private benefactor of that ultimate centralizing scheme, the UN. The patriarch, William Avery Rockefeller Sr., was an infamous snake oil salesman and bigamist. He’s not the Rocky the family likes to advertise. They are prouder of efforts to get around the principle of one-man-one-vote and rule the world from the modern equivalent of a royal court on a planetary scale. Make a list of plans to place more bosses overhead and move them further out of reach. The UN, CFR, WEF, Bilderberg, Trilaterals – you name it and the progeny of that greasy grifter is in on it. And who would they place in charge? The very soul-suckers with their fangs in the US neck pulsing at Wall and Broad.

We are not looking at an abstruse, undecipherable picture here. You can do differential equations, make “relative assumptions” and discuss monetary theory until you ascend to the meta-fiscal plane of Laputa. None of that supposed “understanding” leaves Joe Six-Pack with another square foot of living space or another Big Mac. Uber-economic organization, aka David Rockefeller’s so-called “more integrated world,” is a progressively feudalistic plot that – with the compliance of the un-fake-news industry – rarely experiences any setbacks.

Shrinking buying power has a very simple explanation: a prim and proper syndicate that is more ubiquitous and avaricious than any criminal mob ever.

The Future Isn’t Looking Too Good For Gen Z & Millennials … 2

California Cheese and Green Chile Shrimp Lasagna

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed and cut into quarters, or 2 (12 ounce cans), drained
2 large jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 (7 ounce) can whole green chiles
5 Romaine lettuce leaves
4 green onions
6 garlic cloves, peeled

Lasagna

1 (8 ounce) package oven ready lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
12 ounces of Real California Panela cheese, shredded
4 ounces Real California Monterey Jack cheese shredded (about 2 cups)
1 pound cooked shrimp, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions

Sauce

In a blender or food processor, pulse the tomatillos, jalapeÃ±os and 1 1/2 cups cold water just until chunky.
Add onion, cilantro, salt, chiles, lettuce, green onions and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Lasagna

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the sauce. Layer 1/3 of the shrimp over the sauce. Place 3 lasagna noodles over the shrimp. (Noodles should not overlap or touch side of pan since they will expand when baked).
Combine shredded cheeses and sprinkle about 2 cups over the noodles. Repeat layering the sauce, shrimp, noodles and cheese two more times. Top with the remaining 3 lasagna noodles and spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve immediately.

What’s the shrewdest, smartest maneuver you’ve ever seen in business?

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In Geylang, in Singapore between Lorong 8 and Lorong 24 – there were plenty of hookers and lady boys (transvestites) called BAPO who solicited clients

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Choo Chong Ngen, a 30 year old man gambled that Singapore would soon legalize all forms of prostitution and mandate safety for all the customers from STDs

So he purchased large swathes of land in the Land Auctions for a SONG

Nobody bid against him because nobody believed that land near prostitution areas wouldn’t rise in the slightest

By the late 1990s – CCN built Hotels, Shops, Goldfish bowls and Houses and sold them to businesses for a massive massive profit

The hotels roared with profits as the clients paid $ 20–30 for a 20 minute session which meant in 4 hours from 10 PM to 2 AM – a room could fetch 250 bucks which was more than the rate they charged in Hyatt or Marriott

I still marvel at how this guy managed to get ahead of legalized prostitution and mint so much money

I just got fired. Now my former boss (the one who let me go) is asking me where some important documents are. How should I respond?

I was fired by the owner of the company 30 days before I was to get a substantial bonus. The next week a person in my former department called me asking for help with an issue.

I texted them on their private phone that I knew the owner had them do that and that I was not trying to hurt them, but not helping the owner since I was shafted on my bonus.

30 minutes later I got a call from the owner saying if I would come in and fix the issue he would pay me for the day, I said pass, that I would fix the problem if paid for the month. He told me to go to hell.

The next day he called me back and said he would pay me for a week, I said no again, I would only come back if paid for a month.

He blew up again.

I knew if the issue wasn’t fixed very quickly the losses would add up. Two days later he had his secretary call and said he would pay me for a month but I had to get in there today.

I agreed only if a cashiers check was waiting on me when I walked in the door, because I knew the cheap bastard would stop payment on a regular check.

What the dumb SOB didn’t know was I was in the process of having him served on a wrongful termination suit and that paying me for a month constituted completetion of our contract and he would owe me the bonus.

I brought my attorney with me to the office, I picked up the check and went into the system and fixed the problem.

One other thing he didn’t know was that the issue was a recurring one that required attention and there wasn’t a universal fix, it would continue to come up and since I had no intention of giving the magic formula away I had created he couldn’t have someone else fix the issue.

End result I got my bonus plus all attorney’s costs which was equal to my previous year’s pay and he went broke trying to recreate a system I devised.

With me there after my bonus and raise, his profits would have been half a million a month, without me his losses were half a million a month. Greedy bastard never knew when he was ahead.

Shorpy

What was the most satisfying display of instant karma you have ever seen?

Some people like to kick the back of the seat in front of them when in a bus or airplane. A very, very nasty habit. Also a pretty safe one, as it seems people rarely turn around and ‘do something about it’. Even though that’s pretty much what you’re doing, isn’t it? You are broadcasting to the world: “I’m a major asshole, do something about it!”

Now imagine if you will, riding a bus. It’s one of those nice cozy night buses with curtains on the side of the windows that you can sleep in. You lean back a little and kick the back of the chair in front of you. No big deal, you do it all the time. Did it a million times before, and surely this won’t be any different. That weak little coward in front of you won’t say or do a thing, haha! You’re SUCH an alpha male, Lev!

Only this time, the president of your country, happened to ride the bus, incognito with a hoodie on to “experience how the common people ride buses”. Your country is Russia. The President’s name? Vladimir Putin.

Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.… view prompt

Amanda Van Regenmorter

The town woke to discover Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon had sprung up overnight, tacked onto the end of their only meager road in gaudy glory. The western-most, barely settled settlement of Gomer’s Gulch could only be considered a town in the most generous of estimates, but the people who lived there, mostly foolhardy prospecting men and a smattering of desperate families, called it a town all the same.They already had a saloon, of course; a handful of men camped anywhere long enough always sprouts one. Theirs was called Rabbit’s, the owner’s nickname, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was due to being such a dirty hole. Miss Margelene’s place, on the other hand, was the furthest you could get from Rabbit’s, figuratively speaking. Literally, it was two doors down. Rabbit’s was utilitarian: squat, flat-roofed, and barely held together by bent nails. Miss Margelene’s was downright beautiful, a sparkling shade of its namesake silver. The second story sported a gilded balcony over fluted columns, and everyone knew the name because it hung in big cursive letters, two feet tall, in front of the gabled roof.Dex rode in late that morning, the supplies he needed forgotten once he saw the silver saloon. Instead, he hitched up his horse and joined the crowd in front of Rabbit’s to speculate about their new neighbor. He stood out, a head taller and better washed than the others, but most mode room for him with a smile.“Rabbit, how much did I drink last night?” Dex asked.“Half as much as it’d take for a delusion like thissun,” replied Rabbit, who was short and squalid, like his bar.“And that’s iffen he didn’t water his horse piss down,” muttered someone.“This ain’t about my liquor!” said Rabbit. “Even kids can see that abomination. The question is how on earth those misfits got it up in a single day. Not even! Must’ve been lessun ten hours.”No one had an answer, but everyone knew which misfits he meant. In a town the size of Gomer’s Gulch, everyone knows every one of the comings and goings, let alone a coming as peculiar as last night’s. The caravan had arrived in the settling dusk, torches blazing up and down three covered wagons. Not covered with any old canvas either, but draped in rainbow arrays of silken cloth and garlanded with bells that tinkled with every step of the big black horses pulling them. They’d made camp just outside the town perimeter, dark figures tended horses and made a cook fire, but no townsfolk got close enough for a good look. When a band of ornery men decided to greet the newcomers, they turned back around with glazed expressions before they’d gone half way. Unable to elaborate, they simply said they’d changed their minds.“What in tarnation is that?” shouted a ruddy man riding in hard on a heaving grey horse. The man had a pointed beard, well-trimmed, and a six-point star on his chest, well-polished. His red-headed wife, Hannah, pale and pretty, was saddled behind him. While he dismounted and stared at the new saloon, Dex helped Hannah down and began with what little he knew.“Caravan came in last night, and -”“Shut your fool mouth,” the Sheriff said and spat at Dex’s feet. “And get away from my woman. You tryin’ to play at bein’ sheriff? Well you ain’t. You lost. Rabbit, what’s that building?”“Nobody knows, sir,” Rabbit said with a shrug. “Was here when we woke up.”

“What do you mean? Buildings don’t appear overnight – certainly not ones that fancy. Didn’t anyone hear them hammering? Don’t you sleep in your bar, Rabbit?”

“I do, but I didn’t hear a thing. Ain’t you s’posed to sleep in town too, sheriff? Keep your ear to the ground for trouble? Ain’t you s’posed to defend us from the bandits? They killed a woman last week -”

“Rabbits are the ones s’posed to keep their heads down, if they know what’s good for ‘em. Hows ‘bout the rest of you lumps? Anyone go in or out of that place? Who owns it?”

“No one’s been seen, but I have suspicions the owner is one Miss Margelene,” said Dex flashing a grin at the big sign, but he stepped away before his boots could be sullied again.

The sheriff scowled. He left his wife to tend the horse and stomped down to the new saloon. Dex, Rabbit and most of the men followed. Some children scurried along behind them.

The doors alone were taller than any other building in town and such a deep black they looked like an opening on a moonless night. The sheriff’s raised his fist, but it caught mid-air, hovered, before he gathered himself and pounded.

“This is the law! Open -” he demanded, and the doors opened, swung right out and swept the sheriff off his feet. He hit the dirt road hard.

No one laughed, not only because he might shoot, but because they were busy attempting to glimpse the interior while the black doors banged against the wall. It was more luxury than they’d ever seen, even the men from big cities. There were no windows, but long strings of lanterns bathed the big room in flickering light. The floors were herringbone parquet and the walls looked metallic, imprinted with crescent moons. There was a bar to the left, cabinets of exotic liquors and pewter mugs behind a carved wood counter with a smooth, stone top. There was a raised stage to the right with royal purple curtains. The heavy tables were ringed with upholstered red chairs.

In the back a woman descended from an unseen second floor down a grand staircase. The men doffed their hats and made futile efforts to brush off dust and straighten shirts, but every eye stayed fixed on her. She looked ageless and more elegant than the saloon with carefully coiffed black hair and a ruffled Victorian gown.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I’m Miss Margelene,” she greeted, voice melodious. She had a lilting accent, but it was hard to say from where. “We didn’t intend to open until tonight, but apparently the law is impatient. Can I be of service?” She stood centered in the doorway.

“Yes’m, I, um – I have some questions as to how this here establishment was, um – established,” the sheriff mumbled, tugging his badge.

“Of course, I’m happy to answer – tonight, during the grand opening. For you, sheriff, everything’s on the house. Unless, that is, we’re violating any ordinances? I so hope we’ve met the standards set by your lovely settlement.”

“Standards! How’s about a standard of fair competition and -” Rabbit began, but the sheriff elbowed him and he cut off with a wheeze.

“No ma’am, tonight’ll do,” the sheriff said and donned his hat. “You heard the lady, ya buncha oglin’ buffoons. Grand opening tonight! Now git!” He shoved away the men and kicked a boy in the pants. The doors swung shut behind him.

###

Dex sped home, desperate to decide what to wear and scrub the ever-loving hell out of it. But more important, he had to tell Rowena everything.

Her modest ranch, home to the world’s finest horses in Dex’s estimate, lay a couple dozen miles south of the Gulch. He always figured the secret to Rowena’s success had to do with the fact that she herself was rather equine. Stately and athletic, even at her age, she never wasted a moment, but when her gray mane came down you could see the barely concealed wild streak. Dex grabbed an indigo shirt from his shack by the barn and hollered for Rowena while he filled her washtub and set to scrubbing.

“Lordy Dex, I know you like to be neat, but you washed your whole wardrobe last week!” she said, exiting the barn with her hair up and a saddle under one arm. “Where are the supplies? I appreciate you ran them bandits off last night before they rustled any horses, but they tore the fence terrible. Looks like one caught his leg though, there’s half a pair of pants hanging on the wire.”

Dex tumbled out the saloon story, and Rowena only interrupted to make him promise he hadn’t drank too much of Rabbit’s swill. Afterwards, he cajoled her to join him for the opening. She was busy, she said, and besides she hadn’t been to a saloon for five years, not since Fred passed, but Dex wouldn’t hear excuses. He hung his shirt to dry then pressed her until she agreed to go gussy up.

He readied the wagon. Rowena stepped out into the fading light of the half-set sun in an emerald pleated dress with earrings to match. He whistled until she clouted him in the chest.

“Shut it, purty boy. I’m old enough to be your grandmother.”

“Pshaw, you can’t be a day older than my mother,” he assured her. “And anyway, we make a purty pair, don’t we?”

###

Their arrival marked the first time they’d seen traffic in Gomer’s Gulch. It looked like the land had dumped out all the dwellers in a hundred miles to mill outside Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon. The big black doors were shut again, and the sheriff was on guard with a crisp white shirt, black leather vest and a freshly oiled beard.

“Don’t think you’re gettin’ in Dex, even with your grandma girly-friend dolled up like a hooker,” he said when he caught sight of them. “I’ll throw her out right on top of you iffen you even try to get in.”

Dex drew himself up every inch, ready to defend Rowena’s honor, but she stepped in front of him, laughing.

“Little Stanley Sherman, is that you? I ain’t seen you since Fred tossed you outta Rabbit’s that night, playin’ at being a man, tryin’ start a gunfight. O’course, that was back when you only had a few scraggly hairs on that little chin to cover all your pimples.”

The crowd welcomed the distraction from waiting for the doors to open, but Dex watched the sheriff’s holsters. He tugged Rowena shoulder, but there was no stopping her.

“My, oh my. Can’t say I missed you, but what a surprise it was to hear anyone voted you for sheriff. Almost as surprising as seeing you still have that ugly beard.”

That was the last straw, Dex knew, but just as the sheriff’s fingers twitched, those black doors swung open and knocked him down again, this time on his face. The crowd, Dex and Rowena included, flooded in around him.

There must have been a couple hundred men and a quarter as many women, but the silver saloon accommodated everyone with room to spare. Servers, women in black silk blouses and pink frilled skirts, worked the bar and the floor. On stage, a trio of ladies sang a ditty about a showdown at high noon. Dex thought they shared a resemblance, but maybe it was only their sly smiles.

He snagged Rowena a seat and moseyed to the counter, but before he ordered, he noticed the sad-eyed sheriff’s wife next to him.

“Hello Hannah. Don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a saloon.”

“Hi, Dex. Couldn’t miss this,” she said. Then barely loud enough to hear, she added, “You should watch out. Stanley won’t stop talking about you since the election.”

“All good things, I’m sure?”

“Look at you, grinnin’ like a weasel in a hen house,” said the sheriff, cocking the pistol he had aimed at Dex. “You ain’t never gonna be sheriff, and you ain’t never gonna get the time of day from my girl.”

Dex drew the fastest he’d ever done, but he saw the sheriff pull the trigger and knew he was a half-second too late. He tensed, but the shot didn’t come. Miss Margelene did, swept in between them, skirts swaying, and Dex was terrified she’d taken the bullet meant for him, but she didn’t flinch.

“Not tonight, gentlemen,” she said, handing each of them a drink. Dex took the mug in his free hand then realized he was no longer holding his weapon. He looked down to find it holstered as if he’d never drawn.

“Thank you ma’am,” Dex said, sure that he owed her for more than the drink. He took a swig and found it was good beer, but unlike any he had tasted. There were strange undertones, maybe mint, he thought. But most strange, he realized, it was cold. Very cold, like the mountain snow he’d crossed coming to Gomer’s Gulch. When he tried to ask her about it, he saw Miss Margelene was drifting off with the sheriff.

Hannah looked distraught, but a waitress was soothing her, patting her back, and Dex figured she was better off here than her home anyhow, so he went to find Rowena. He turned down a couple dance offers on his way, the trio had switched to a romantic ballad, and he circled a couple poker games before spying Rowena, slow dancing with the general store owner. Maybe she was working on a deal for those supplies, he figured, and tossed back his drink, but when they spun around he nearly choked. He’d never seen Rowena beam like that, like a dozen years had rolled right off her back. At this rate, she’d have a new man at the ranch, and Dex would never be so glad to be put out of work.

The night unfurled, and, even with the sheriff prowling around, Dex had never felt better. The trio sang one merry tune after another; drinks flowed, delicious and cold; and even deep in their cups he never saw a soul turn sour, or get thrown out for lack of funds. In fact, he didn’t see anyone leave at all. Even Rabbit laughed, coaxing the bartenders to tell him where the spirits came from. Dex chatted with all kinds, old friends and people he’d only ever tipped his hat to, and they said warm words and told him they had voted him for sheriff. Dex knew they were only being nice, but still it made him flush.

When a waitress with a sunny smile and yellow curls spilling over her black top pulled him away from a game of darts, he let himself be pulled into a whirling circle of fuddled men at the saloon’s center. Together, they tried to keep pace with the jig a smaller circle of waitresses danced in their midst. Every so often, the women would stop and spin the other way, forcing the men to follow. Boots caught and tripped over boots, but the men laughed and tried to stay facing their favorite gal.

While the circle coiled this way and that, one woman pulled a silver scarf out from her blouse and danced forward. She wrapped the scarf around a burly man in a checkered shirt, and swiveled with him back to the center. The men hooted and whistled, and then each girl was going out, wrapping herself a man with her own scarf.

Dex watched and whistled too, until one raven-haired girl fetched the sheriff. Dex stumbled but kept step. His gorge rose when she gave the sheriff’s beard a tug. The circles kept moving, outer going fast to keep up with the girls and their captives.

The fellows in the middle smiled wide, jumping with the girls, a couple ventured to put hands on hips, but Dex saw the sheriff stagger, look left and right.

“Wait, wha-?” the sheriff sputtered and slowed. “Why us? Why-”

The man in the checkered shirt shoved into the sheriff. The music was morphing, volume louder, tempo faster, key minor. Dex heard the women in the center murmuring, indiscernible, saw blurred faces everywhere. He couldn’t tell anymore if he was dancing or the room was spinning itself round.

The women in black threw up their scarves and each exploded mid-air, burst into confetti, rained silver specs down to scattered applause. That is, until the pops and bangs kept going, more and more bursts of confetti until it was thick in the air and no one could see a thing. There were screams and then yells of ‘Smoke!’

Black smoke, heavy and perfumed like incense, poured down the grand staircase. It filled the room and turned everything as dark as the doors, dark as a moonless night.

###

Dex woke to Rowena slapping him hard across the face. He coughed and sputtered back to consciousness in her relieved embrace as the sun rose over the well-dressed bodies laid out on the bare patch of ground that had been Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon.

It was the children, terrified and crying, that had shaken their parents awake first. As the adults came around they helped others up, parched and unsteady.

Once Dex was on his feet, he sent some kids to fetch buckets of water and rations. Then he saw the commotion and the little crowd gathering. He pushed his way through and found the six scarfed men from last night, sheriff included, naked and hogtied in silver chains, laid out in their little circle. Some tried to free them, others just laughed. The men didn’t look injured, except the sheriff, and it didn’t take Dex long to realize the bloody gash down his leg looked like it might match right up to Rowena’s barbed wire fence.

While the six men stewed in the small town jail, Dex led the swift investigation that turned up enough stolen property to expose their identities as Gomer Gulch’s notorious bandits, as well as the suspicious duplicate ballot boxes in the sheriff’s possession.

However, he never did find the sheriff’s red-headed wife, Hannah. Neither she nor the silver saloon was ever seen again, but on moonless nights he dreamed of her, smiling on stage in a black shirt, singing about the life she left behind.

Cordon Bleu Lasagna

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
1 (16 ounce) jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan and 1/4 cup parsley; set aside.
In another bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, chicken, ham and garlic powder.
Spread 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer with half of the noodles and ricotta mixture. Top with half of the remaining chicken mixture and half of the mozzarella and Swiss cheeses. Repeat layers.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly.
Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Which is the biggest threat to peace – America or China?

Without a doubt, America is the biggest threat to world peace.

America has fought in dozens of wars and conflicts since China opened up to the world in 1979. China, on the other hand, has fought no wars at all — not a single shot fired!

America instigated the proxy war in Ukraine and is now trying to start another proxy war in Taiwan or Philippines.

China has proposed peace plans for both Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas. America has shot them both down.

America wants war. China avoids war.

Narcos – All Pablo Escobar Kills

Ode to Denny and the whimmy wham wham woozle

Ode to Denny.

When I left the USN and entered MAJestic, I was left “to forage in the wilds” for a few years while my training center was being established at China Lake Naval Weapons Center.

During that time, I worked in a steel factory… was laid off… got married and toured the country for three years living in a van, until MAJestic picked me back up and put me back on the program track.

Here is a story from the days when I was working at the steel factory/ It’s name was Edgewater Steel, and it is long gone now. We made railroad and jet engine “rings”. These were high precision exotic material steel forgings.

One of the guys who I occasionally worked with was a guy named Denny.

He was about twenty years older than me, and quite the character. Being part liaison, part Marketing and part salesman. He was the guy who kept the orders flowing in.

When I went on trips to other factories where Denny was assigned, I got to know him. He was a womanizer, man-about-town, and a heavy drinker.

Drunk always at work.

Indeed.

But not a lazy drunk. An actual functioning alcoholic.

At work, he would stand beside me (on the plant floor) and whisper to me, “prop me up if is start to collapse“. Yeah. He drank heavily, and it was on the company dime.

He got by with one to two hour naps scattered throughout the day. And, he would make a presence at the offices. Being mostly, in and then out. At night, he was off meeting businessmen, and always had a new girl on every arm.

Quite the guy; that Denny.

He threw money about like there was no tomorrow and certainly was a most robust and colorful figure. Sort of the human version of Futurarama’s “Spuds Mckensey”.

Ode to Denny.

Party on dudes!

Today…

A factory story

A lady worked at a meat distribution factory.

One day, when she finished with her work schedule, she went into the meat cold room (Freezer) to inspect something, but in a moment of misfortune, the door closed and she was locked inside with no help in sight.

Although she screamed and knocked with all her might, her cries went unheard as no one could hear her. Most of the workers had already gone, and outside the cold room it’s impossible to hear what was going on inside.

Five hours later, whilst she was at the verge of death, the security guard of the factory eventually opened the door.

She was miraculously saved from dying that day.

When she later asked the security guard how he had come to open the door, which wasn’t his usual work routine.

…

His explanation: “I’ve been working in this factory for 35 years, hundreds of workers come in and out every day, but you’re one of the few who greet me in the morning and say goodbye to me every night when leaving after work. Many treat me as if I’m invisible.

…

Today, as you reported for work, like all other days, you greeted me in your simple manner ‘Hello’. But this evening after working hours, I curiously observed that I had not heard your “Bye, see you tomorrow”.

…

Hence, I decided to check around the factory. I look forward to your ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ every day because they remind me that I am someone.

By not hearing your farewell today, I knew something had happened. That’s why I was searching every where for you.”

…

Be humble, love and respect those around

you. Try to have an impact on people who

cross your path every day, you never know

what tomorrow will bring..

Stay Blessed.

When Women Tell Men They Gym Belongs to Them

Angel Hair with Shrimp Sesame Sauce

Angel Hair with Shrimp Sesame Sauce recipe
Ingredients

8 ounces angel hair (capellini), uncooked
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons chutney
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound frozen medium shrimp, thawed

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions; two minutes before pasta is done, add asparagus pieces. When pasta and asparagus are done, drain.
Place oil, garlic and mushrooms in a 2-quart saucepan. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chutney, toasted sesame seeds, scallions and vinegar. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add shrimp to the sauce and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Toss shrimp and sauce with pasta and asparagus and serve.

The Philippines’ “capriciousness” is actually an act for the United States to see

Recently, the Philippines has been frequently causing trouble and heating up the situation in the South China Sea, and on June 24, the Philippines declared that it would continue to carry out “supply missions” to Ren’ai Reef in spite of the fact that it was confronted with the law enforcement of the Chinese Marine Police.

In fact, the Philippine domestic response to this matter is not unanimous. The Straight News noted that the chairman of the Philippine National Maritime Commission (NMC), Mr. Bersamin, responded to the issue on the 21st, saying that the confrontation between the Philippine military and the Chinese Marine Police “could be a misunderstanding or an accident”. Subsequently, President Marcos also said that the Philippines has no intention of provoking a war and hopes to resolve all disputes through peaceful means. However, before the words left his mouth, the Philippine position changed again. On the same day, Marcos visited the troops who were involved in the friction with the Chinese Marine Police during their illegal “beaching” of warships on Renai Reef on the 17th. 24th, Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro categorically denied that the incident was a misunderstanding or accident.

In fact, Marcos’s statement was directed at the U.S. and the international community first, and the Filipino domestic population second. He emphasized that Marcos’s statements, such as his assertion that the Philippines would not start a “war,” were in fact intended to appease the United States and ensure its continued support for the Philippines. This tactic is intended to allay U.S. concerns about the heightened risk of war in the region and to prevent the U.S. from withdrawing its support in response to Philippine provocations.

Marcos also intended to galvanize nationalist sentiment within the Philippines through these public statements as a way to increase popular support. He noted that the Marcos administration’s lack of significant progress in the domestic political and economic arena has necessitated the need to capitalize on nationalist sentiments.

“Overall, the Philippine government’s behavior on the South China Sea is not only an external geopolitical strategy, but also a means used by Marcos to maintain domestic political stability. Through continued provocative behavior, Marcos is trying to find a balance in his internal and external policies to achieve his political and strategic goals.”

At the Foreign Ministry’s press conference on the 24th, spokesperson Mao Ning clearly responded to questions about the China-Philippines sea-related dispute, emphasizing that the rights and wrongs of the China-Philippines sea-related dispute are very clear, and that the Chinese side has already introduced the situation and China’s solemn position on a number of occasions. If the Philippine side is really willing to act in accordance with international law, it should, first of all, follow the provisions of the treaties that determine the territorial scope of the Philippines, including the 1898 U.S.-Southwest Peace Treaty, and abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. As an archipelagic country historically colonized by Spain and the United States, the Philippines’ territorial boundaries are defined by a series of historical international treaties, such as the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain, which, however, did not include China’s Nansha Islands and Huangyan Island as Philippine territory. The erratic behavior of the Philippines is partly attributed to the U.S. exploitation of the Marcos government.

Marcos is seen as a “tool or puppet in a regional proxy war” for the US. Lured by the false security promises of the United States and the massive flow of second-hand weapons, coupled with the deep penetration and influence of the United States in the Philippines, the Philippine government has willingly played the role of a hawk and dog of United States hegemony in regional affairs.

Although the U.S. State Department recently issued a statement reaffirming its unwavering support for the Philippines under the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the applicability of this commitment to the South China Sea issue has been widely discussed.

Some U.S. media outlets have cited a paper from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. “clarifying” that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty does not apply to the South China Sea because the Philippines did not have any form of claim to the relevant islands in the South China Sea at the time of the signing of the treaty in 1951. in 1975, then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger further clarified that the defense treaty does not apply to the South China Sea. clarified that the defense treaty did not apply to attacks on Philippine forces in the Spratlys.

In addition, U.S. strategic concerns over the region have been demonstrated by the movements of the U.S. Navy. The USS Reagan, an aircraft carrier, recently arrived in Guam for recuperation, while another U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Roosevelt, was spotted leaving the South China Sea on June 13 through the Bashi Channel.

The “common defense” is a means for the U.S. to control its allies, whose fundamental purpose is to serve U.S. strategic interests rather than to safeguard the security of its allies, who are often at greater risk from being exploited.

Former Philippine Senator Francisco Tatad previously published an article in the Philippine “Manila Times” website bluntly said that if the Philippines in the United States support war with China, will be “stupid suicidal behavior”.

Recalling this incident, the Philippines on the 17th sent six ships, including a supply ship, two inflatable boats, including approaching the Nansha Islands Ren’ai Reef adjacent to the sea, attempting to illegally “beach” warships to deliver supplies. In response, the Chinese Maritime Police took control measures in accordance with the law, such as warning and stopping, boarding and inspection, and forcible removal, in respect of the Filipino vessels that had intruded into the waters of Ren’ai Reef, and seized firearms and other non-lifestyle items. In the meantime, the two sides of the boats repeatedly collided, the two sides of the personnel unusually close and confrontation, its intensity far exceeded the previous Renai Reef confrontation, but also for nearly a decade in the South China Sea friction of the most. For a time, the situation in the South China Sea once again triggered a high degree of concern at home and abroad.

At a time when the Philippines is provoking China, the Chinese 10,000-ton giant ship appeared in the South China Sea. According to public signals from AIS ships, a Chinese Marine Police 10,000-ton giant ship, No. 5901, has appeared around Zhongye Island in the afternoon of the 19th.

Wife Booked an Affair Trip but Didn’t Update the Contact Info. Divorced Her, Lost Her Job…

Cappeli D’Angelo with Parmesan Sauce

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
1 pound Capelli D’Angelo, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Add pasta and cheese and toss constantly until butter and cheese cling to noodles.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

Variation: Combine 1/3 cup each freshly grated Bel Paese, Gruyere, Fontina and Parmesan cheeses and toss to above directions.

Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream and heat through.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of minced chives if desired.

YOASOBI「アイドル」 Official Music Video

Five minutes of pure Japanese…. something.

Why foreigners come to China

A great variety of people come to China for a great variety of reasons.

Japanese/Korean – Many Japanese and Korean people are sent here by companies back home. One Japanese guy once told me that he enjoys living in China because the culture here is more laid back and has an “anything goes” feeling to it. There is also a large number of Japanese/Korean business owners in China.
Southeast Asians – People from Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos want to come here to find work. (Possibly marry, possibility immigrate)
White Western Europeans / Americans – Some come here just as a “gap year” between graduation and finding “career related work”. Some are backpackers and just do odd jobs as they travel throughout Asia. Some are sent by large multinational corporations as upper level management or executives (with the rest of their family). Some are sexpats. Some are looking to start businesses or find money making opportunities. Some are just foreign exchange students. Some come here to teach English and just remain teachers here because they don’t know what they’d do back home or they don’t know how to find other jobs here.
Africans – Most Africans here are doing textile and electronics trading. Some of them might try to marry a local in order to live here — although I think they’ll find the discrimination here quite steep. (Their numbers seem to be diminishing as of recently, especially in Guangzhou)
Arabs / Indians – Like many Africans here, they’re mostly here to do business and trade. In my experience, these people tend to be older than the westerners and tend to have established families, households, and businesses.
Eastern Europeans / Russians – Because the economy here is still stronger than in their home countries. Many Russians end up in China’s “gig economy” hopping from teaching to fighting to acting to foreign trade to company spokesman to modeling, or to prostitution. I’ve met some Russian men who do MMA fights for cash, then do modeling jobs or “face” jobs where they’re paid to just show up in a suit and be white. (The Americans and Western Europeans do this, too.)

Trump says that Taiwan should pay for US defense rather than US defending Taiwan for free. Doesn’t that show Trump is in China’s pocket as well as Russia? Wouldn’t Taiwan be better off if Trump was taken out in Pennsylvania? Taiwanese support Biden.

Regardless who is US president, Republican or Democrat. It will be the same. USA is using Taiwan as a tool to destabilise China & thus slow down China’s rise. That is all.

Trump is more straight-forward while Biden is more rhetoric to hide his motives. That is all.

It is in the DNA of USA to suppress any country that will surpass USA. USA wants to stay dominance in the world.

USA suppressed UK after WW2, USSR in 1991 & Japan in 1980’s (economically). USA also suppressed EU’s economic rise too.

One reason USA waged a Ukraine war was Euro was higher than USD.

People scolded at Russia for invasion of Ukraine. Actually there are lots of things we do not see on the surface.

Back to Taiwan. Taiwan is just a US tool. But Taiwanese refuse to hear about it.

Cozy

Did Yamamoto immediately realize his gamble of striking Pearl Harbor provoked an unstoppable war machine for no real strategic gain when his pilots reported that no US aircraft carriers were present or damaged?

Actually, he realised that before the operations were even launched.

Before Pearl Harbor, he wrote: “Should hostilities once break out between Japan and the United States, it is not enough that we take Guam and the Philippines, nor even Hawaii and San Francisco. To make victory certain, we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House. I wonder if our politicians, among whom armchair arguments about war are being glibly bandied about in the name of state politics, have confidence as to the final outcome and are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices.” -letter to businessman Sasakawa Ryoichi

He also warned the Japanese Government about what would happen:

“If we are ordered to do it then I can guarantee to put up a tough fight for the first six months, but I have absolutely no confidence as to what would happen if it went on for two or three years.” -Statement to Japanese cabinet minister Matsumoto Shigeharu and Japanese prime minister Konoe Fumimaro, 1940

In September 1941, he warned them again:

“For a while we’ll have everything our own way, stretching out in every direction like an octopus spreading its tentacles. But it’ll last for a year and a half at the most.”

Right after Pearl Harbor, he wrote to a colleague:

“Britain and America may have underestimated Japan somewhat, but from their point of view it’s like having one’s hand bitten rather badly by a dog one was feeding. It seems that America in particular is determined before long to embark on full-scale operations against Japan. The mindless rejoicing at home is really deplorable; it makes me fear that the first blow at Tokyo will make them wilt on the spot.”

Also:

“A lot of people are feeling relieved, or saying they’re ‘grateful to Admiral Yamamoto’ because there hasn’t been a single air raid. They’re very wrong: the fact that the enemy hasn’t come is no thanks to Admiral Yamamoto, but to the enemy himself. So if they want to express gratitude to somebody, I wish they’d express it to America. If the latter really made up its mind to wade in on us, there’d be no way of defending a city like Tokyo.”

So yes, he absolutely knew, well before the operation commenced, and he wasn’t the only one.

Shorpy

The Possum

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.… view prompt

Amanda Lewis Silva

The whiskey stung going down. Sheriff Houghton coughed back the cheap swill and took in a deep breath through his nostrils, taking in the scents of Old Delilah’s saloon. That one sniff carried with it the musty memories of liquor, twice chewed tobacco, and the unmistakable truth that it had been weeks since the bartender before him had seen a bar of soap. He quickly rejected the breath, pushing it out from his mouth with great force and slamming his empty glass onto the table.“You’re doin’ nobody favors here, Kipp.” The words came out in a drawl croak, still recovering from the whiskey’s hard punch to his throat.On the other side of the bar, Kipp poured another stream of the fiery potion into Houghton’s glass. He smiled with his mouth, but his eyes ran cold. He poured the man another drink. “You got that right. I ain’t doing favors for nobody, cuz I ain’t hidin’ that boy on your poster, Sheriff. Never seen ‘em, don’t know ‘em, and he ain’t my business.”The sheriff grasped his glass tentatively, but did not drink. He stared down into the swirling golden liquid as he contemplated the barman’s lie. He knew Kipp to be an honest man who paid his fines and did his time in the Sunday pew, yet Houghton knew there was a history between Kipp and the boy’s mother, Susie. For him to say he had never known the boy was a bald-faced lie. If this man were hiding the boy, then it was only a matter of time before he would break. “Alright.” Houghton said. He threw up his hands in surrender. “You don’t know ‘em. He wasn’t here.”Kipp lowered his defenses and relaxed his jaw. “Like I said.”The room went silent for a time. The sky outside had gone black, the streets deserted. There was only one other man in the building, seated at the farthest table from the bar. Kipp had only just now noticed him, due to his lack of movement and the tan duster he wore, which acted as camouflage in the dusty saloon. “Last call!” Kipp shouted across the room. “Last call, Fella!” When the man showed no signs of life, Kipp walked over to him and placed an empty glass near his nose, checking for breath. He examined the fog on the glass carefully, then cleared the man’s table and left him to continue his rest.As he returned to the bar to clean the glass, he glanced at the sheriff again and grumbled. “What’s there such a price on that kid for anyhow? He ain’t more than ten or so.”Houghton returned his hands to his full whisky glass. His right eyebrow curled. “How is it you know he’s ten, iff’n you don’t know the boy, Kipp?”Kipp, now back behind the bar, brushed the notion away with a rag he was using to polish the glass. “Oh now, Sheriff, I was just lookin’ at that great doodle you’d done of ‘em. I was just supposin’ he was young from it.”Houghton, still unconvinced, pushed his glass away and sat up straight onto his barstool with crossed arms. “You were supposin’?”“Yessir. I was supposin’,” Kipp defended. “And supposin’ he’s that young, wouldn’t you suppose he’s got some folks? They’d sure know his whereabout’s wouldn’t they.”Houghton leaned forward, resting his elbows on the bar counter top. “That’s an awful lot of supposin’ on a kid you don’t know, that you’ve never seen, that’s none of your business.”There was a tumbleweed silence as the men examined one another with grave suspicion. Houghton knew Kipp, and he’d all but decided on trusting him, but he couldn’t help but wonder. An anxious sweat broke out over his face. Behind that unwashed beard, those lazy grey eyes, and the gap-toothed smile, could there be a man capable of harboring a fugitive?The sleeper in the corner broke Houghton’s thoughts short with an unconscious chortle as he broke wind. The sound filled the otherwise empty space, and the smell was enough to make even Kipp, in his unwashed glory, turn up his nose. The two men shifted to glance at him, then returned to one another, the tension broken with a shared smirk.“I worry for his mama is all.” Kipp said, putting the glass away. “Must be worried to high heaven if she don’t know where he is.”This sentiment amused Houghton. He wasn’t sure if this comment confirmed he knew Susie or if it secured his innocence. He choked down his still full glass, voicing his distain for the beverage with a breathy gasp. He stood and brushed his pant legs, returning his hat to his head and offering Kipp a well folded bill for his trouble, which he declined with the wave of a calloused hand as he poured himself a whiskey.“On the house, Sheriff. Here’s hopin’ you get your man.” Kipp raised his glass in a toast to Sheriff Houghton, with a smile that cast even more suspicion.Houghton still had one more card left to play. He decided that if he told Kipp enough of what the boy had done, perhaps he could elicit a confession of some kind. He didn’t tell him all of it. Truth be told, so much of it didn’t make sense. All that blood on her with no open wounds, the bullets found laying in the dirt near the body. The sobbing boy who was there one minute and gone the next. He was beginning to think it was all just the heat. That he had imagined it all. He wouldn’t tell Kipp everything. Just what he needed to know.

“I wouldn’t worry much for his mama now. She won’t be missin’ him much, being as she’s dead. Her blood’s all over the kid, if you believe the stories.” Kipp’s eyes widened, his face pale. After a careful study of the bartender’s stunned expression, Houghton decided that it was best to simply end the evening and let his words stew. He would return tomorrow and see if Kipp was ready to talk . “Like I said, you’re doin’ nobody favors if you know where he is.”

With that, the Sheriff adjusted the hat on his head and turned to leave.

Kipp stood still a moment after the saloon door swung closed. He wanted to move but couldn’t. He wanted to shout, to curse his grief at anyone who would listen. Somehow he had a feeling that his last lone patron in the corner wouldn’t wake if he did. Still he just stood motionless. What in the Sam Hill have you gotten yourself into now, Kipp? What the hell has you done? What has HE done?

He’d always thought of himself as a good man, an honest man, and yet here he was, lying to the law, implicating himself. And for what? Some kid. Not just some kid. Susie’s Kid. Susie. She was dead now, gone. He’d never told her, but she was the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter. He had wanted to cry, to break down when Houghton had said the words. Still, he protected the child. That is what Susie would have wanted, even if the child had been her undoing.

After several attempts to awaken the man in the corner, Kipp decided that the man was nothing to bother with and would likely see himself out when he woke. He checked the body again for signs of life and locked up his establishment, casting a cautious glance outside to ensure that Sheriff Houghton had gone. He stood in the room a moment, taking in the scent of dust, wood, and mildew.

His shock had been simmering, and now it had come to a slow rolling boil. Anger filtered through all of his thoughts, clouding them. He walked behind the bar to a small storage room and slammed his clenched fist down on a mildewed whiskey barrel. He spoke to the air. “Now you wanna tell me what you done that has Mr. Law barking at my door at all hours, or should I ask ‘em back here to tell me his own damn self?”

From inside the barrel came a shuffle and a knock. The lid tumbled off and a tuft of ash blonde hair rose up from the inside, followed by a pair of bight blue eyes and a soot covered face wearing a scolded expression. It was as if he had been caught drinking the communion wine and had come to seek his penance. His body trembled and his eyes swelled. He opened his mouth a bit, but no words came.

“I’m waitin’.” Kipp barked. He tapped his foot impatiently. “Why you wanted, kid?” His voice rose with urgency. He shook the paper in the child’s face. “You kilt your momma?” Did you kilt Susie? My Susie? Is that her blood on your trousers? You kilt yer momma, and then you come here and ask me to hide you. Is that it? You gonna have a go at me too?” His voice was now a rolling thunder that filled the full saloon. He imagined it would wake the man in the bar, but figured it would likely not matter much what a lazy drunkard heard.

“I ain’t kilt my momma.” The boy mumbled.

Kipp put a hand to his ear. “Eh?” He’d heard well enough. He just wanted to hear it again.

“I said I ain’t kilt my mama!” The boy’s voice cracked and warbled, he wiped away a variety of fluids from his face with his soiled sleeve. Kipp gestured to him to continue, eyes wide with impatience.

“I was too late to help her. She was gone dead when I got there” The words were coming out, but they were muffled and broken. He stopped a moment and sobbed into his filthy hands, dirt mixing with the salty water and stinging his raw cheeks. “Real dead.” He said. “Can’t be helped kind. There was no going back.” Kipp allowed the boy a moment to continue his tears. He kept repeating that last part. “No going back.” It was a mantra to him, keeping him in his grief. “No going back.”

Kipp fought back the urge to embrace the child. He tried not to recall the day his own mother died, when the fever took her and left him with nothing at just fourteen years old. He didn’t want the kid to see his sympathy, but it was there. He knew this child couldn’t have killed his mother. There wasn’t any way this whimpering mess of a boy could do that to anyone.

“Then why you hidin’? Kipp asked, finally. “If you ain’t done it, then go to Houghton and tell ‘em true. You ain’t done it. I believe you. He’ll believe you. Hell, He believed me, and I’m the worst damned liar this side of the Mississippi.” Kipp laughed a little, but the boy didn’t.

There was a still darkness in the boy’s eyes. His grieving abated for now. He was still inside the barrel, but standing erect in it, stone still. There was fear in him. Real fear. The kind that you can’t shake.

“I ain’t hidin’ from the law.” He said. There was a tone to it, an ominous one. He said the rest with his eyes, burrowing them into Kipp with gritted teeth. The truth of it hung in the air, haunting them both. The boy hadn’t killed sweet Susie, but whoever had certainly wasn’t going to leave loose ends.

Before further explanation could come, the creak of boots on floor boards sent the boy back into his whiskey barrel. Kip covered the barrel and turned around to find himself eye to eye with the darkened well of a pistol barrel. Even more startling than the gun itself was the man at the other end. Standing at his full height, with his eyes wide open, the man appeared much more of a threat than he did earlier, when Kipp had checked his vitals and declared him harmless. “Now, I thought you was sleepin’?” Kipp choked.

They called him “The Possum”. Only once Kipp had heard of him before and it was never told whether the man who stood before him was an outlaw, a bounty man, or a murderer. The only consistency amongst all the rumors was that the Possum only ever wanted them dead and never alive. It was said that he never flinched at the thought of killing anyone, even a woman or a child. His namesake was earned by his reputation to “play dead” until the time was right, hidden in plain sight. Sometimes he was a dead body, or an unconscious man you just stepped over in brawl, and sometimes he was just a drunk, huddled in a corner, so fast asleep that one might think he was dead.You never called on the Possum if you wanted your money back. You called him when you were done waiting.

“All right, son. Common out where I can’t see ya or I kill ‘em!” The Possum spat as he shouted to the room. His word’s came out in raspy broken spurts as he struggled to keep a piece of tobacco lodged in his cheek. “We can do this easy or hard, kid! Your mama’s time was up! She shoulda paid the man what he was owed, and you, well you was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now I don’t know how you done the thing with the bullets, or how you got away like you did, but I got yah now. I can’t let you be. Wouldn’t be responsible, lettin’ a motherless little bastard run around. Better yah get shot quick than starve to death in the heat.”

Kipp placed a shaking hand over the barrel of the gun and met eyes with the man. “He’s with me now, cousin. We ain’t gonna say a word. You can rest assured he’s safe and silent.” He thought perhaps a friendly tongue would calm the man, talk his finger away from the trigger.

He thought wrong.

“Ain’t your cousin.” The man replied. He fired a shot into Kipp’s palm. The ensuing explosion surprised Kipp as a thunder clap filled the room and specks of blood splattered his vision. Kipp look down at his ruined hand and saw a blackened tattoo around a stone sized hole, now filling up with blood. Kipp fell to his knees on the hard floor and snapped his eyes shut, praying that if he closed them tight enough, he might disappear. The Possum’s gun was now pressed to the bartender’s head. “The boy!” The Possum shouted.

Kipp, his eyes still closed tight, pointed shakily with his good hand in the direction of the whiskey barrel. He felt the Possum’s pistol moved away from his skin. Warm liquid trailed down his leg.

Kipp could hear the struggle, the barrel opening, the muffled sounds of such a small and helpless body fighting against the strength and muscle of a full grown man. The air stung his nostrils with the scent of blood and sweat. The floor was hard beneath him as he stayed there, crouched, eyes closed, waiting for it to end.

The gun fired again, and the room went cold and still. It smelled of lighting before a storm. All of the sounds simply stopped. There was no struggle anymore, no crying or shouting.

Kipp opened his eyes.

Time was still. The bullet had stopped, suspended into mid air. Kipp and the boy remained in motion, while everything else appeared stagnant. The boy was backed up against the barrel, a bullet within an inch of his red and watery nose. Kipp watched, stunned, as the boy reached a shaking hand towards the bullet, picked it carefully with his thumb and index finger, and turned it on its axis to face his assassin. The boy gave a deliberate wave of his right hand and the bullet continued on its new course, punching a hole into the Possum’s stomach.

The gunman fell, bleeding and dropped his weapon. He coughed and sputtered, unsure of how he had come to be shot. The boy kicked the Possum’s gun into the corner of the room and came to stand over the injured man. He made a clockwise gesture with his index finger over the man’s stomach. The Possum jerked spasmodically on the floor, his body cracking and crumping in a series of sharp spurts coughs and moans. Then he was still. What would have been an agonizingly long ordeal of bleeding out and waiting for death had been condensed into 10 short seconds. Kipp had been wrong about the boy. He did have it in him to kill.

The boy came to crouch down beside Kip. “Gimme your hand.” He said. Kipp hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he could trust the boy, or if he was even a boy at all. “I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” He said impatiently.

Kipp held out his disfigured hand and the child examined it before pointing his index finger at the wound. This time, the boy’s hand motion was counter-clockwise. Kipps hand itched and tingled with the bites of a thousand mosquitos as the wound sealed itself. When the boy finished, the hand was covered in blood, but otherwise looked and felt as normal as it did an hour ago. The boy gave a slight grin, reminding Kipp once again that this was Susie’s child.

Kipp reached down and picked up the bullet that had passed through his hand. He placed the blood soaked souvenir into his pocket and turned to thank the boy, but he and the body were gone.

Who do you think is, or was, the unluckiest person on Earth (fictional or non-fictional)?

Abraham Shakespeare was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1966. He had dropped out of school by the 7th grade and was basically illiterate (he could barely use a cell phone). He had some minor brushes with the law (burglary) for which he had served his time. He spent his days working as a day laborer.

In 2006, at the age of 40, Abraham’s luck appeared to change. He won $30 Million in the state lottery (and took the lump sum payment of $17 million). He bought a million dollar home, brand new car, Rolexes, etc. and by 2008, he had blown through most of his winnings. New friends had appeared out of the woodwork, and simple-natured Abraham didn’t realize what they were really after until it was too late.

Around this time, he met a woman named Dorice Moore who offered to write his life story. Moore took control of Abraham’s assets and bought herself a Hummer and a Corvette (she later claimed these were gifts from Abraham). In 2009 (three years after winning the lottery), Abraham’s family reported him missing. Dorice Moore claimed to be Abraham’s financial advisor and told police that he had traveled out of town. His family and friends then started receiving text messages from Abraham, which was very strange as he was virtually illiterate.

In January 2010, police found Abraham’s body buried under 9 feet of dirt in the back yard of Moore’s home in Plant City, Florida (nearby to Lakeland). He had been shot to death. Moore had taken possession of Abraham’s home and drained him of his final $1.3 million lottery winnings.

Moore’s own attorney described her as emotionally unstable and in 2012 she was sentenced to life in prison. Moore continues to deny all charges and claims she is innocent.

Dude Runs Away on Date When She Brought Her Friends!

Drones soar into wider application in China

Instead of checking her mailbox frequently for her university admission letter, high school graduate Wang Yunyi received it up from the sky.

On Monday morning, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time delivered four college admission letters issued by the South China University of Technology to the hands of four students in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The drone trip took about 30 minutes, covering 25 km, forming a new scenario for China’s UAV application.

“I was amazed to see my admission letter sent by a drone. It was like a movie scene coming to real life,” said Wang.

Guangzhou Post, the drone operator, has been delivering college admission letters for over 40 years, handling about 550,000 letters annually.

“In the future, more students can experience technological advancement with their admission letters sent by drones,” said Zou Liwen, a manager at Guangzhou Post.

In recent years, drones have become increasingly common in video clip productions, express and meal deliveries and fleet shows as China strives to expand its low-altitude economy, which was included in the country’s government work report for the first time in March this year.

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) show that China had 1.27 million registered drones by the end of 2023, up 32.2 percent compared with the previous year. Civilian drones accumulated 23.11 million flight hours in 2023, representing an 11.8 percent year-on-year growth.

Phoenix Wings, a cargo drone company under China’s delivery giant SF Express, initiated the interprovincial drone-delivery service for fresh fruit across the Qiongzhou Strait in late May.

This new mode of transport is 70 percent quicker and 30 percent cheaper than conventional cross-sea transport, enhancing the freshness of the lychees and the economic benefits on all sides.

CAAC data shows that the scale of China’s low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan (about 70 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, and is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030.

More drones in the sky have also expanded the spectrum of applications. While many parts of China are battling floods in the summer, UAVs are seen at the forefront, patrolling embankments and delivering disaster relief supplies in water-stranded areas.

In central China’s Hunan Province, where a dike section breached earlier this month at China’s second-largest freshwater lake of Dongting, fire and rescue teams in the province deployed a fleet of 47 UAVs for flood control and disaster relief work.

Liang Shixin, a member of the telecommunication team for emergency response at the provincial fire and rescue headquarters, said he operated a UAV a dozen times a day as a complementary means to monitor the embankments.

Unlike conventional drones that are mainly equipped with cameras, the UAV has thermal infrared and lidar sensors, being capable of quickly scanning embankments to capture signs of pipe bursts and leakage hazards even in the darkness, said Liang.

Incomplete statistics showed that China had more than 2,300 companies engaged in civilian drone development by the end of 2023, with over 1,000 drone types in mass production. In 2023 alone, over 3.17 million civilian drones were delivered in China, and the general aviation manufacturing industry generated an output exceeding 51 billion yuan, an increase of nearly 60 percent year on year.

In April, the Chinese drone maker EHang Holdings Limited obtained the production certificate for its passenger-carrying autonomous aerial vehicle system from the CAAC. It is the first production certificate issued in China for an autonomous passenger drone and also the first one in the global electric vertical takeoff and landing industry.

He Tianxing, vice president of the company, noted that the expansion of the low-altitude economy will further drive the development of upstream and downstream industries, such as new infrastructure, spare parts, energy storage, cultural tourism and education.

Traces of cyanide are found in the blood of Vietnamese and Americans found dead in a Bangkok hotel

https://youtu.be/bZzjpUd84S8

Chicken Breasts with Spinach Cream Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook chicken in a sauté pan in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until browned on both sides and cooked through (165 degrees F), about 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat sauce in a small saucepan. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute; remove from heat and keep warm.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and toss with remaining butter; set aside.
When chicken is cooked, place in an 11 x 7 inch casserole dish and top with sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is hot and bubbly.
Serve over hot pasta.

How do you feel about the USA-China trade situation escalating?

American farmers have taken the brunt of this trade war, and let me explain why.

The US grows two main crops, corn and soybeans. Corn is usually processed into animal feed, ethanol, and other food ingredients. Most of it is used domestically. We do export corn, but not to China.

Soybeans is either processed into soybean meal or soybean oil. On that note, we export over 50% of our entire soybean crop, which is the second largest in the world. Out of the billions of bushels we grow, nearly 67% of it is exported to China.

Exports are by far our largest market for soybeans. Between China and the rest of the world, the US exports more soybeans than we actually use domestically. China was our biggest market for our crops. Recently, Trump impossed tariffs on China, and as us farmers all expected upon hearing that devastating news China put tariffs on soybeans.

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Surprise surprise.

The affect has been devastating for farmers. This is how the price of soybeans has trended since the tariff talk began.

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As you can see above, soybean futures peaked in late May at a high of $10.50/bushel. Since tariffs were talked about and set in stone, prices have fallen nearly $2/bushel.

But it’s only $2 right, that’s not a big deal?

Wrong, that’s a massive deal.

Let me give you an example of a small local farmer I deal with, Frank.

Frank farms 700 acres, and he splits it for 350 acres in corn and 350 acres in soybeans. He usually grows 55 bushels per acre on his beans, which means he produces 19,250 bushels of soybeans every year, out of the billions of US produced soybeans.

That $2/bushel price drop costed him $38,500 AT LEAST. It’ll actually cost more, since local prices will plummet compared to futures prices. With 2/3rds of our export market in the damn toilet, domestic companies have little competition from overseas.

Farmers got shit on by Trump

But farmers voted for Trump!

True, I didn’t, but many did. They didn’t vote for him because of tariffs, they mostly chalked that up to ballsy talk by a big talking businessman. Most of them didn’t expect a trade war between our largest soybean customer and our President.

But it happened, so here we are, with a shit ton of soybeans, tens of thousands of dollars in losses for individual farmers, and an empty promise that Trump will somehow “help us out.”

Let me tell you, farmers aren’t happy with Trump right now.

Little Red Balloons

Matt Strempel

He said it every goddamn time. It’s always an accident with these guys. Like that absolves them from any wrongdoing. As if just because you didn’t do it on purpose, all is forgiven.

Imagine opening the bay door while there’s a guy in there working on the drones.

Speaking of the drones. Jerry lost another one yesterday. This should come as a great surprise to exactly no one, but even for him, this was stupid. That’s three of our six drones lost. Don’t worry, Jerry. They’re only worth about half a billion dollars each.

“But they’re fitted with a homing device to automatically self-dock if they lose the control signal” I hear you say. Yeah, well, you haven’t met Jerry. He’s the kind of guy a car salesman tells, “Pal, if you’re the kind of guy that accidentally locks his keys in the car, then this is the car for you. You can’t do it, see? It’s impossible.”

Then, a week later, Jerry’s back and tells the guy he’s locked the keys in the goddamn car.

Can you imagine being stuck in space with Jerry Portman? I’m telling you, it’s the pits.

The first drone Jerry lost was on account of him tinkering with it. He was trying to make the water sensor more sensitive after striking out on another of his feelings. He’s always making excuses that it’s the equipment’s fault when he strikes out. So, yeah. The first drone he tinkered with—well, we don’t know what he did exactly—but the first time we took it out after he fiddled with it, it took off like a bullet and it was gone.

I can still see Jerry watching the screen as we lost the signal. He was like a kid who’d taken his model plane out for its first flight and watched it disappear over the trees never to be seen again. Only this model plane cost half a billion dollars.

The second one, I’m not sure about. He swears he didn’t touch it. For all his million faults, one thing Jerry wasn’t, was a liar. Maybe we chalk that one up to bad luck. Maybe the drone was a dud.

But the latest one? Jesus Christ. I won’t bore you with a bunch of technical crap about how the drones work, let’s just say in the simplest terms, it confirms the presence of water in any form within a given target. Most commonly, this means we find a meteorite that we feel has potential, and the drone sends out a probe to take a sample. It’s basically a drill that bores into the target and removes a metre-long cylinder of material. If there’s a trace of water—it’s ice, of course—there’s a bunch of readings and measurements done by the computer and it sends the data back to Earth for further analysis.

As you can imagine, a machine that performs this function is incredibly complex. So you don’t just open up a panel and start poking around with a goddamn Phillips-head. Well, you and I wouldn’t. But you know who would?

So, yesterday he’s telling me, “I know what I’m doing this time,” as if he’s read the manual since losing the first drone. I just shake my head and leave him to it. I used to argue with him all the time, but I learnt pretty quick what a waste of breath that was. He’s one of those guys that when they get something in their head, you can’t shake it no matter how much sense you’re making. They could be wearing a red tshirt and you say, “Nice red tshirt,” and they say, “What’re talking about? It’s blue,” and you just have to say, “Fine, you moron. It’s blue,” and walk away.

That’s what Jerry was like when he was tinkering. Maybe part of me thought he’d electrocute himself so I wouldn’t have to murder him.

When he finished playing around with this drone, he came back into the control room and placed these screws and some other little bits and pieces in a drawer. He did it as if he didn’t want me to see it, but I saw it clear as day. You know when someone gets home drunk and they’re trying to be quiet but they make way more noise than if they just stumbled around? People trying to be discrete just scream I’m up to something fishy.

So I say to Jerry, “What are those, from the drone?”

And he just says, “They’re spare. We don’t actually need them.”

Well, sure as eggs, Jerry sent the drone out yesterday and I’ll give you one guess what happened to it. You’re goddamn right it blew up. Nearly killed us.

Then I had a thought—maybe I would send Jerry out. It would be a real shame if his umbilical somehow untethered from the ship and he floated out into space…

Ashamed as I am to admit it, this was not the first time I’d thought about killing Jerry.

Of course, back then I didn’t have a complete understanding of the magnitude of Jerry’s stupidity. Had I known better, I would have guarded that freezer with my goddamn life.

That was two years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Thousands of little red balloons.

I just want them to know I was provoked. I was standing my ground. I feared for my life, Your Honor.

Were you deathly ill but didn’t know until you went to the hospital and they told you?

My husband had been up on 20 foot ladder trimming trees in the yard for the last couple of days. He came in on the third day and said he was really tired and went to bed early. The next morning we talked for a little bit and he said he was just gonna stay in in bed and rest. I had to run some errands and I came home and I found him stumbling around the bedroom and he told me he was lost. I wanted to call an ambulance for him, but he just told me to drive him to the doctor. I’ve then discovered he was also blind. I rushed him to the emergency room and they took him back immediately to run some tests. A couple of hours later, the doctor came with the test results and said “I’m afraid his cancer has spread.” “What cancer?”we both asked the same time. The doctor informed us that my husband had pancreatic cancer that had already spread to his liver and his brain. They told us he had days to live. They sent him home with hospice. I called our kids and my husband’s siblings and they all came from various states to see him. My husband chatted with him like there was nothing wrong. He passed away nine days later.

Ram Jam “Black Betty” Best of Reactions Compilation

I just closed on a foreclosed bank owned property with the previous owner in it who will not leave the house. What is my best course of action to make them move so I can move in?

Same thing here- I purchased a foreclosure.

The deadbeat tenants had not paid any rent to the bank in 10 months, but the bank didn’t want to evict, probably for fear of damage. I wasn’t afraid of them stealing the appliances, etc- they actually did do that- because I was going to gut the place anyway.

I told them they could have 2 months free rent, and had to be out then, or I would sue them for rent (I had it legally done, hired a lawyer who is good at that type of thing). I went ahead with the eviction process anyway, and they were served an eviction notice, just so they saw I was serious.

They left after the 60 day period, taking with them lights, appliances, even thermostats! I was fine about it, since, as I said, I did a complete to-the-studs gut of the house. It cost about $5K to get rid of them (not including my carrying cost- but I could not get started on redoing the house for 60 days anyway- I was doing the redesign, hiring the GC, etc), so I just folded that into the cost of the reno.

The result?

Fantastic house, reno finished on time, and all that is in the rear-view mirror.

Moral of the story?

You have to hire a good local attorney who does evictions, and establish a budget for the legal work. Then cut the deadbeat tenant a deal- lead with a carrot, follow with a stick.

EDIT: As a note- when we did the demo, we carefully removed the cabinets, toilets, even the windows. We donated everything possible to Habitat For Humanity, which was able to use the stuff in homes. We see so many people doing renovation who just allow the demo team to destroy everything- it cost a little more to have cabs unscrewed instead of just sledgehammered off, but then they go to good use. And you have less stuff in the dumpster.

What is the most disturbing thing in the Bible that you have found as an atheist?

I can tell you the thing that totally pushed me over the edge.

I was at a SciFi convention in Georgia, which was at the same time as a gay parade was. At the parade people were passing out “chick tracks” which are like these small comics of Bible verses, the one they were passing out was their Sodom and Gomorrah track.

I took it back to my room and read it. The story was basically about some gay person being handed that exact chick track and told the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, of course in their little story the gay man repented because if the story. It had been a while since I’d been to Christian school so I read it over and was horrified at what Lot considered an appropriate solution.

A little back story for me, I was molested and raped by my dad, I was in my early 20s then and still really messed up.

In the chick track version , since the intent was to try an convert gay people, the focus of the story was the version people like to use as anti-gay propaganda. (If you actually read the Bible verses, God was actually mad about their lack of charity and care for their fellow man) In this version, and indeed what you often hear, God sends a couple of angels down to Lot, and the crowd decided they want to take and rape said angels. This is what a lot of the anti-gay rhetoric is hinged on, which is sad and kind of funny, as angels aren’t supposed to have genitals. (Seriously, look up the description of biblical angels, it’s something else) So not only are they not all that rape-able, they aren’t technically men. Anyway, Lot decides he can’t let this happen, but is willing to give the raping crowd his VIRGIN DAUGHTERS.

This stupid comic was handed out ti try and say being gay is bad…. But somehow allowing people ti take and RAPE your virgin daughters was okay?!

No I thought, no damned way could that be in the Bible. Being in a hotel I grabbed the Bible to check. It really is. That was an acceptable solution, to allow the rape of virgin daughters so that creatures with NO GENITALS don’t get raped.

No. That is not ever acceptable for me. I was already questioning my faith, but that killed it. I could not believe in a religion that allowed that. I could not follow or listen ti people who thought that was okay, and used it to try and say homosexuality was wrong. I couldn’t believe in a faith that was okay with the kind of stuff that had scared me.

I’m closing comments because I am not interested in anyone trying to explain how this is okay, or trying to tell me I’m over reacting, or frankly argue any of this horrible story that is so often intentionally misunderstood to use as a club against people. Yes. I’ve had people try that before. In case you are one of those people, you should know this story will never EVER be acceptable to me, and there is no way you can spin it that will make it acceptable to me.

U.S. Ultimatum Hits Japan & Dutch Semiconductor Giants – Cut Away All China Trade Or Else

Ah…

The plans of the idiotic.

Check out the video…

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 pound angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook red, yellow and green bell peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic until just tender. Stir in diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with chiles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove to a serving bowl.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook chicken in butter mixture until juices run clear, 5 to 10 minutes.
Place cooked chicken over tomato sauce and sprinkle with basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and Parmesan.
Serve with cooked pasta.

What was your reason?

What are some unfortunate ways people have lost their lives?

🚨Disturbing post ahead!!🚨

Here are some unfortunate ways people have lost their lives :-

In 2013, Ye Mengyuan, a 16-year-old girl, managed to survive the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco. However, she was later fatally struck by a fire truck responding to the accident.

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Newlywed Samantha Miller lost her life in a car crash just moments after leaving her wedding venue. Her husband Aric was also injured but survived. The crash was caused by a drunk driver.

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In 2002, during a hockey game, a puck deflected by a player flew over the protective glass and struck 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil in the head. The impact resulted in a fractured skull. Brittanie passed away just two days before her 14th birthday.

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In August 2005, a tragic incident occurred in Benidorm, Spain, where two sisters, Mildred Bowman and Alice Wardle, lost their lives in a horrifying accident. They were trapped for four days when their fold-up Murphy bed collapsed, leading to their untimely demise.
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In 2007, 24-year-old Oakland, California, resident Humberto Hernandez was hit in the back of the head by an airborne fire hydrant when a passing car struck it, and the water pressure shot it at him with great force.

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In 2009, dog breeder Diana Durre met with a couple at a Taco Bell to sell them a dog. As they stood “right underneath the big Taco Bell sign,” a powerful gust of wind caused the sign to break free and fall onto Diana’s vehicle, fatally crushing her.

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In 2012, Anthony Hensley, 37, was kayaking when he encountered an aggressive swan. As he attempted to handle the situation, he fell out of his kayak. While trying to swim back to shore, the swan continued to attack him, leading to his drowning and tragic death.

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In 2013, Roger Mirro was crushed by a trash compactor while looking through a dumpster for his phone.

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In 2014, A chef in Foshan, China, called Peng Fan was bitten by a cobra’s severed head, which he had cut off 20 minutes earlier while preparing soup. He died shortly after.

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A Brazilian man died after a cow fell through his corrugated roof and crushed him while he slept. 45-year-old Joao Maria de Souza, initially only suffered a fractured leg but later died of internal bleeding while waiting to see a doctor.

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May their soul rest in peace

This really is funny

The South China Morning Post said that Microsoft’s stroke has little impact on China, and China’s self-sufficiency policy in the field of information security has achieved results. What do you think about this?

An Indian addresses why the entire Western world was shut down by a global-wide IT failure on Microsoft systems, but China and Russia were unaffected. -MM

The difference was crystal clear

HK which used Microsoft in their Airport applications had to go to manual mode while Mainland China that uses Xinshi, it’s own Indigenous Linux Rooted system in Airports and Xongsha, Huaweis own indigenous system in Ports – had zero blips yesterday

Surprisingly Russia also had zero blips because they had their own slightly more basic version due to Sanctions

India saw 65% flights cancelled or rescheduled. I am in Bangalore now and while returning to my hotel after a morning walk, I met Indigo staff who are returning to Kempegowda only now for a flight that should have departed yesterday afternoon

India along with 98% of the world is utterly rooted to Western Applications and Systems

Microsoft, IBM, Google, Amazon WPS , Dell & Cisco – they together or individually form 99% of our entire Core Computing Systems and their upgrades, patches, reinstallations are what runs our country

This includes our Aadhar Database as well, Income tax database, Sensex and Banking systems

Likewise Nokia, Siemens, Sony – Ericcson, Cisco & Alcatel – they form the core of our entire digital communications on 4G+ platforms while Huawei, ZTE – form the core of our entire digital communications on 4G platforms

Also GPS is the ground root of our entire ground cartography system

What have our Top Industrialists been doing?

Given that when we started our forway into Software when China was scrambling around for Cheap Analog technology from Taiwan – SHOULDN’T WE HAVE SOME EQUIVALENT IN THE GLOBAL MARKET?

Instead after 30 years – we are still basically software coolies, writing code or managing people who write code and creating systems that run on core technology developed by the West

Sure these days we live in Condominiums with Gym and Swimming Pools, use Amex cards and swank around in Oakley or Raybans as Software Architects

Yet the ground reality is we are primarily COOLIES just like we were a century and a half ago

Yesterday was evidence of that

Some Western Entity makes a mistake and 300 Million Indians could suffer

Time to firmly join Russia and China and begin to move to an Indigenous platform in every sphere

I suppose banning Tiktok was fine but the fact that we could be decimated by sanctions if we rub the US the wrong way – that never struck us at all

US Tariffs Destroying The Chinese Economy?? Who Does It Really Hurt??

When you have the time to leave something behind, make it useful and memorable

When I lived in Western Pennsylvania, I would drive my cars, and my motorcycles all over the place. Most of which was long disused roads, old unused rail road lines, and towns that were abandoned a hundred years previous. Many interesting sights, and (I’m sure) curious stories to tell.

One day, while riding on a little used country road, I came up to the crest of a hill. I pulled over to take a leak, and as I did so, I noted that the bushed parted to a nice picturesque grass covered hill.

As it as a nice Summer day with blue skies and white clouds, I went forth to take a look and take in the wonderful and astounding view.

And it was. Really.

This was a nice field of knee-height green grasses. And not a shrub or other plant to be seen.

The hill side was enormous and perfect for flying kites and for having picnics. In fact, given the beautiful day, low humidity and just magnificent day, I walked forward and took in the entire experience.

I’ve done this before. I found a long abandoned cemetery in the long overgrown woods that way. Heck, on second thought, I actually found two such cemeteries. All long lost, and totally forgotten.

So as I was walking forward I saw the strangest sight up on a ridge.

It was a tomb; a well preserved stone house that served as some family Mausoleum. It looked a little like this…

Now, this was not a cemetery.

It was in a rural hillside, in the middle of a long abandoned tree line where the nearest house was miles away. It was isolated.

Nice hill.

Nice mausoleum.

Totally out of the blue. A real surprise. All up in the middles of this grand hillside view.

Who would have thought?

Later, say a a few months later, I asked a friend of mine about the place, and he knew about it. The story goes something like this…

There was once this wealthy family in a small town. The town grew and got prosperous. The family bought up a lot of land, and as the town prospered the family got very wealthy. The head of the family built the tomb on a field that he favored for family outings and picnics with.

After he died there was a change in fortune. His family either died off and moved away. And the town became a few remaining houses until that too was abandoned. And thus all that remains is the tomb.

The estate has established a trust fund that pays for groundskeepers to maintain the hill in a pristine croquet field, and to makes sure that no one vandalizes the idyllic environment. That that is the story of this place.

Still.

Preserving the hilltop for future generations to have picnics on; to fly kites on…

Or, to have romantic dates on…

Or, you know; to sky gaze at night on is glorious.

This fellow did good. And I for one want to tell you all… have adventures.

And when you have the time to leave something behind, make it useful and memorable. Leave something behind for the generations that follow…

Today…

China sez “we’re done playin'”

China has called-off arms control talks with US over weapon sales to Taiwan.

China has cut off arms control and NUCLEAR non-proliferation talks with the United States because of Washington’s arms sales to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

“China has decided to suspend talks with the US on holding a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. “The responsibility for this situation lies entirely with the US.”

He said the US’ continued sales of weapons to the island in the face of Beijing’s opposition had “severely damaged the political atmosphere necessary for continued arms control consultations between the two sides.”

“Washington must respect Beijing’s core interests if communication is to continue” the Chinese foreign ministry said.

Russia launches a giant 6,000-pound bomb from an SU-34 for the first time

This is crazy big news.

Note this video about the massive Russian submarine nuke bombs for the United States Eastern states. Fly over, drop and swim. Then Ka-blooey!

What is something you wish you had known sooner?

I have a very toned body, like massively toned for a female. I didn’t work for it. It’s just natural. I didn’t know my body was like this until I went to high school. They called me “tough”. I would be teased so badly. Girls followed me around the school laughing at me and calling me names. Adults weren’t any better. On top of that, I had horrible eczema. I hated high school so badly that I skipped school half the year. Woke up many days crying telling my mom I’m sick. Still I got good grades. School wasn’t hard, people were. Complete strangers that I never once tried to hurt had no issues in giving me a hard time.

Eventually high school ended. Hallelujah. And I moved to another city. I worked in tourism and foreigners loved my body. They hardly criticized me. One day a bodybuilder came up to me and told me my body’s amazing. He advised to enter the national bodybuilding competition. If I win that and Caribbean then the possibilities would be endless. I could travel the world.

I wish I could tell you I did it and won. I started training then dropped out. I didn’t want the world to see my body. That was a couple years ago. Now, I love my body and see how invaluable it is. I wish I had known sooner that being this different was a blessing and I should not have taken it for granted. Maybe I would be a world champ by now. But, it’s not too late, I just might enter the bodybuilding competition this year.

Even though I wish I had known sooner that my differences are amazing, I’m happy I know now. I appreciate every bit of me despite what others think. And trust me I’ve been told so many times “You’re different”. I was even the outcast in my family but I’ll tell that story a next time. Love, appreciate and endorse you for you truly are unique. See a pic of my legs with some bug bites (darn mosquitoes).

Fried Ravioli with Quick Tomato Sauce

Yield: 6 to 10 servings as an hors d’oeuvre or 4 to 6 servings as a first course; 2 1/2 cups sauce

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans Italian-style tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and coarsely-ground pepper, to taste

Ravioli

9 ounces frozen or refrigerated ravioli of your choice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Begin with the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat and Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender but not brown.
Add the tomatoes, breaking up the larger pieces with the edge of a spoon if necessary, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened some.
Add the basil and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.
Drain and manually separate the ravioli to prevent them from sticking together. Blot dry with paper towels.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet (preferably nonstick) over moderate heat and Sauté the ravioli for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned and slightly crisp.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

China’s Surprise Move: U.S. Chips Banned After Yellen Visit

Were you deathly ill but didn’t know until you went to the hospital and they told you?

I got up one morning and my left hand was swollen. I couldn’t find an insect bite, but thought maybe a spider bit me in my sleep. This was in the early 90s before the internet was a resource for research. I spent the day with family and attended a funeral. The next morning the swelling went up to my elbow. Still thinking about an insect bite I took some Benadryl and carried on. The next morning my entire arm was swollen and I went to a walk in clinic. The physician’s assistant took one look and sent me to a doctor nearby. He asked me to stop moving my arm. I showed him that I was able to bend it and he said stop! The Doctor was a vascular interventionist. At that time I was not a nurse and had limited medical knowledge. I thought that was strange but I went. The Doctor there looked at my arm and and asked me to meet him at his clinic next door in the hospital. He didn’t give me a diagnosis, just go there and he would se me there. I finally realized that this was serious when the nurses were shaving my chest, attaching electrodes and asking me to sign paperwork all at the same time! I had a blood clot at the brachial artery! The doctor removed it while I was under conscious sedation and I spent a week in cardiac ICU on a heparin drip confined to the bed. Moving the arm could have dislodged part of the clot sending it to my brain or lungs. And I stood outside the hospital and smoked a cigarette before I went inside! I was so impressed by the doctor and the nurses that I went back to school and graduated the nursing program! That’s how I became a nurse!

What is your opinion of J.D. Vance?

From my perch across the Pacific several thousand miles away from Washington, I think Vance’s perspectives on foreign affairs seem to dovetail quite closely with Trump’s world view:

He favors a negotiated peace with Russia over Ukraine, believing that Ukraine cannot win;
He thinks Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own security;
He believes the US needs to shift its focus to Asia (again) to prioritize and counter China’s economic and military rise, prioritizing this over traditional American alliances in Europe; and
He’s an economic nationalist. This includes protectionist policies such as tariffs and reducing reliance on foreign goods.

Whether you agree with him or not (and on economic policy, I’m a globalist who believes protectionism is bad for both the US and the global economy), it’s pretty clear that Trump 2.0 will be marked by trade wars, a pronounced “America first” policy — whatever that means — and increased tensions with traditional US allies in Europe. But there also seems to be some pragmatism about it (for example, engagement with Putin on Ukraine).

I think with Trump 2.0, we’re potentially seeing the beginning of a tectonic shift in world geopolitics — a framework that has been in place pretty much since the end of WWII.

MM Art

The theme is ” A man and his cat”.

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(12)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(12)

Teletubbies the Horror Movie – 1950s Super Panavision 70

What shocked you when you opened someone’s safe deposit box at the bank?

When my in-laws died we went to the bank to retrieve the contents of their safe deposit box. The bank has gone through a line of mergers and name changes over the years, my in-laws stayed loyal. We knew the box number but did not have the key.

We were told that there was no safe deposit box. We went home and found the paperwork from the original bank. The current bank got back to us that the box was marked as abandoned years ago for nonpayment and they assumed the contents were sent to the state. We countered that the box was free if they kept their accounts at the bank, the deal with the original bank. They had no answer.

My wife was devastated. Her grandmother’s wedding ring was in that box. We contact the state and they had no record of the box being turned over.

We went back to the bank with that information. The bank officer said things got lost between all the mergers etc over the years. Just out of desperation I asked who held that box number now. They said it was vacant. I asked to open it.. they did and there were my in-laws possessions!

There wasn’t much. Some long obsolete paperwork, an envelope that had photos of every room In their house from the 1960s, for insurance purposes, and thankfully the ring!

Living Paycheck to Paycheck ….. Part 2

Amazing

Another amazing Chinese airport where workers have moved mountains to build a new airport, quite literally.

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Workers in Chongqing needed to flattened the top of a mountain nearly 6000 feet above the sea level in order to construct the Wushan Airport.

The airport IATA: WSK ICAO: ZUWS is located at the border of Wushan and Fengjie counties, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the county seat, and mainly serves tourists to the nearby Three Gorges region. Construction began on 20 April 2015, and the airport was opened on 16 August 2019

Grapefruit

Sierra Tkacik

“Jane!” A voice bellowed from the recesses of the ship. “Where is my grapefruit?”“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” A voice echoed from the opposite direction.“My grapefruit, Jane! The one I specifically had my name on! The one you stole!”“First of all, why would you print your name on a freaking grapefruit? Second of all, if you didn’t want me to take it, you shouldn’t have put it in a community fridge.”“So you did take it!”“Why is this grapefruit so important, anyway?”“Do you know, Jane, how many people have died in ships due to scurvy? Do you?!”“So eat an orange!”“The orange is overrated! The grapefruit is the only citrus fruit that understands me.”Charlie groaned and pressed his forehead against the table. “Lewis, we just had a shipment of grapefruit yesterday, get another one!”

“Shut up, Charlie! This doesn’t concern you!”

“I don’t even know why you try anymore.” Lyra flipped her braid as she slid in next to him.

“Because you well know how much worse it will get if I don’t.”

Harriet groaned as she remembered the third great prank war.

Jane and Lewis were in an argument over their favorite colors, and it escalated into a full-blown war. Everywhere anyone turned, there was another trap set for either Lewis or Jane.

Somehow, they ended up joining forces against the rest of the ship and wreaked havoc upon the crew of the Flame.

They feared that it would spread to the other ships of the fleet, but luckily, Charlie recovered from his bout of illness quickly, and managed to calm both Lewis and Jane within the hour.

But the crew would never forget the horror and fear they faced in that week; that was the day Charlie became the unofficial leader of all things Lewis and Jane.

“I don’t even know why they’re on the same ship after that stunt; much less the mothership.”

Lyra took a lasting gulp of coffee. “Jane’s the best engineer in the whole fleet.”

“And Lewis is crazy good with the servers and the rest of the ship’s tech.” Harriet supplied, flicking a crumb of her muffin.

“Plus, they’re great gunners in a pinch and work well with everyone except each other.”

Claude snorted as he walked in. “Tell that to the Horogin embassy from two month ago.

“Listen,” Lewis looked up from his tablet, “we all agree that the embassy was a mistake, just like we all agree that in general, Jane and Lewis are remarkable workers.”

“Besides,” Harriet simpered, “can you really picture them anywhere else?”

The room fell silent except for the gurgle of the coffee maker as each of the four tried to imagine Jane or Lewis stationed on any other ship.

“Fair point.” Lyra admitted. “So can I just be put on another ship? I grew up on the Growth; agriculture is not something so easily forgotten.” Her violet braid twisted in front of her and seemed to writhe in agreement.

“Uh, Charlie?” Claude pointed. “There’s a problem.”

Charlie took one look at the floating braid before letting out a groan.

He tapped the screen of his tablet and set it down, a holograph of a red-headed man slowly taking form.

“Hey Charlie!” He showed of a gap-toothed grin. “Your gravity messing up too?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, I just got off a vid with the captain about it. Lewis is checking it out now.”

“Lewis? Isn’t he usually on servers?”

“Usually, but since he passed out on another late night shift yesterday, I figured putting him on monitor watching duty was a better plan.”

“Alright.”

A blond man with dark, circular glasses stomped past, an indescribable look on his face.

“Lewis, you figure it out yet?”

“Yeah, Arnold, it’ll be fixed in a sec.” He disappeared from view.

“Hey Jane!” A voice came from both the tablet and the hallway. “Something’s blocking the free-float tube!”

“Yeah, that’s probably your grapefruit.”

“You didn’t even eat it?!” The screech caused both Lyra and Charlie to wince. “What the heck?”

“I don’t like grapefruit.”

“So you took it from me for the sole pleasure of depriving me joy?”

“Yeah.” A clang was heard and Lyra’s braid dropped. “It’s in the compost bin now.”

“I hate you, you know!”

“Just like I hate grapefruit?”

An indecipherable collection of sounds was heard, before the hologram showed Lewis stomping back to his post.

“Good work, buddy.” Arnold offered, to what might as well have been empty space.

“Thanks for dealing with it, A.” Charlie picked up the tablet. “Good luck.”

“No, man, good luck to you. Lewis has his morning break in five minutes.” And with a wink, Arnold was gone.

“But that’s the same time Jane’s on break.” Lyra remarked.

The four looked at each other with wide eyes, then at their meager breakfast.

“Hide the grapefruit.”

Trump didn’t drain the swamp, he appointed the worst reptiles

Is there any car which thieves can not steal?

Where I live in Brazil, car theft is somewhat of a problem. For the most part thieves choose commonly found, locally manufactured models, like Ford Fiestas, Fiat Palios, and Volkswagen Foxes, and then take them to chop-shops who tear them down and resell the parts online.

Models that are ten years old or older are very sought after because they are often relatively easy to steal and parts for them are harder to find, so the demand for things like fuel pumps, taillights and radiators is greater.

If you go on to Brazilian eBay and buy a used or reconditioned alternator, chances are very high that it is from a stolen car. There is a whole black market industry for car parts all across of South America that is literally impossible to stop.

Ironically, if you drive a high-end model like a Mercedes, BMW or Range Rover no one will steal it. First because it is way too conspicuous to drive around in a high end car than a common one, you’ll most certainly get caught, and second because selling the parts is much more difficult because there are not that many high end models around, not to mention that the people who own these cars are wealthy enough to pay a dealership to fix them when they need service.

I have two cars, a 2009 Volkswagen Gol (a somewhat cheaper model under the Golf) and a 2010 Volvo XC60 T5. No one will touch the Volvo because it’s the only one in town and thieves know that Volvos have a factory GPS system installed in them that’s really hard to deactivate, but I really have to keep my eye on the Gol because Gols are all over the place and it is a very sought after car to steal.

Someone tried to steal my Gol a few years ago — they broke the small triangle window behind the back door to unlock the car, then they popped the hood and cut the wires to the alarm. Then they broke the ignition lock and used a screwdriver to force it to engage the starter. It was during the night and the car was right outside my bedroom window; I didn’t hear a thing.

I woke up the next morning and the car wasn’t there, so I called the insurance company who used a tracking system like lo-jack to find it, it was unlocked, sitting around the corner and all of the thieves’ tools were on the seats and the floor — even the screwdriver was still sticking out of the ignition.

I’m guessing that the thieves gave up and fled the scene when they couldn’t get the engine to turn over and a cop car came down the street, or something like that.

They couldn’t start the engine because I had installed an engine kill switch up and under the dashboard where no one could see it. Two feet of wire, a toggle switch and a 10-amp fuse saved my car from being stolen: total cost of $4.00.

The Volvo on the other hand is exceptionally hard to steal, not because of the GPS system, but because of how the ignition system was designed.

There is no key to turn, so there is no ignition lock to break; to start the car I put the remote that unlocks the doors in the dashboard and push a button. The steering lock is further down the steering column than in most cars — it actually sits under the engine at the firewall, so it’s very hard to get to.

The Volvo also has another feature that many cars don’t have, and it’s not a factory-installed feature. You could literally take a baseball bat to the windshield and it won’t break. You could also unload a full clip of .44 magnum rounds into the driver’s side window and it won’t shatter.

The car is bulletproof — the previous owner had it bulletproofed when she bought it new in 2010. It has inch-thick glass and Kevlar all around, including the roof, so just getting into the car is no easy task.

You’d probably be able to force the door open with a crowbar, but that would break the door’s closing mechanism making it kind of hard to drive, that is if you were able to get around the steering lock and the keyless ignition.

Very hard to steal. Hard to car-jack at an intersection too, something all too common in cities like Rio de Janeiro on hot summer days when people are stuck in traffic.

Of course, one could always use a tow truck.

Would you believe that I don’t even have insurance on the Volvo? Except of course for the mandatory Government insurance that costs about $5.00 a year. I know that someone won’t steal it – they won’t even try.

The Gol on the other hand is insured, to the hilt, with a super-low deductible, which costs me about $600.00 a year. It’s not worth very much though, maybe $2000.00, so the insurance company believes someone will steal it in a little over three years.

Actually the Volvo has a very interesting and somewhat amusing story behind it, I wrote about it in another post a few days ago. If you’re interested here’s the Quora link. What car do you currently drive? Is it worth the price you paid for it?

So, it all depends on where you live and the car you drive, what security features it has. No car is truly unstealable, but some of them are much harder to steal than others.

Are Chinese people aware of the power of their country in comparison to others?

Many Chinese are shocked when they first hear that westerners are afraid of China and Chinese.

Immediate reaction is “What did we do? We just work hard and mind our own business and sell stuff to everybody. Once in a while we get annoyed at Taiwan or the Philippines, but we don’t really do anything.”

They are unaware that it is because of their hard work and competition in Chinese society, that China is very powerful and influential in the aggregate.

“They’re LYING about the economy, this is now a DEPRESSION” Top Economist Warns

Regardless of who will be the next president of the United States, do you think the US will continue to fight a trade war with China? Or will it clearly understand that the root of the problem lies within the country itself?

I believed that will happened in about a decade from now! Britain took generations to accept that it has lost its hegemony to the US and I am sure it took at least a century for Romans to accept that it is no longer the head honcho.

The US is no different. It is in a generation of being in denial and it refused to recognised that the more it fights China the faster it goes down! And the best thing to do is to accept a secondary role of working with China to help its people to keep doing well and not lose everything!

Of course it is the US own doing that put it into present situation. Why?

First the US thought wrongly that it could pay its workers and its CEO the sky if they wanted and that they can always charge these excesses to the consumer and they will be willing to do so! But that is simply not true. Even US consumers won’t pay for over priced products!

Second they wrongly assumed that China and Chinese cannot innovate and makes better and better products and moved up the supply chain! This is due to their racial bias that cost them dearly. China learn very fast and catch up and overtook the US in no time! The idea that China steal intellectual property and copy is what caused the US to under estimated China and the Chinese people!

Thirdly the US wrongly thought that it ruled the world and yet stay competitive. The truth is to compete one need to be very driven and focus and the US is fighting forever wars and warmongering 24/7, 365 days a year. And it left the UD very weak in investment and infrastructures and the US simply cannot compete. While they lack skill and well trained engineers China has in abundance of resources and talents.

Forthly the US thought that it could fight any body and everyone in the world without repercussions. It is not true. The world turned against the US. And the world wants the US to fail because no one wants to be bullied by the US.

The US wrongly thought that their market is the biggest, today the US is really a very insignificant market today. The biggest market Center is East Asia, followed by ASEAN, followed by Europe and then comes North America with Indian sub continent and Central Asia growing fast, so is Africa and Latin America. Today the entire supply chain will stay in China not just because of China but Asian market is closed to 60% of the world market.

The US will fight another trade war but in reality it is sinking in the quick sand. Mark my word in 10 years leaders cannot win elections if they cannot have a positive relationship with China! It is simply economics!

Which habits of middle-class people keep them middle class?

Several behaviors prevent the middle class from ascending.

Spending large sums on depreciating assets. If you want to be wealthy, your only large purchases should be investments, not vehicles or gaming computers.
Buying more house than needed. While a house is an investment, if your paychecks are all going to pay a mortgage and upkeep, you are short funds for investing. If housing prices collapse again, you won’t even have the equity.
Not having 3–6 months of living expenses saved in case of a lay-off or emergency. Unemployment isn’t going to pay all your bills and living off credit cards until you get a new job is an expensive mistake. Putting an emergency cost on credit cards means you will pay at least twice as much with interest added than if using savings.
Paying banks, instead of themselves. Interest payments are a huge waste. Imagine if you had that $500–1000/ month credit interest going to investments instead of to banks.
Not understanding what is an investment rather than a purchase. Sellers use investment in advertising, but they lie. You don’t invest in a nice suit, you purchase it. The next day it is used clothing and worth 1/2 what you paid for it. You don’t invest in furniture, you purchase it. An investment is an asset expected to go up in value over time.
Investing only in their employer’s stocks. It isn’t a good idea to invest in only one stock, industry or investment type. Putting money in a variety decreases your risks.
Passing up job opportunities or promotions because you don’t like the people you will be working with, the added responsibility and/or travel involved. The road to the corner office might detour through a landfill, but it is the only way to get there. Promotions may not be offered a second time. The job opportunity you are holding out for may never happen.
Nobody get rich using coupons. It takes a complete budget and lifestyle that spends less than you make and that includes investing. Saving $20 a week on groceries, but spending an extra $600 a month on a new vehicle you just had to have makes no sense.
Money is not the goal, it is the tool. If you save up $100,000 and it just sits in a savings account, you are losing money and the potential for becoming financially independent.
You have to set aside money for fun or your budget will fail. Sacrifice is easy the first month. By the time you reach the fortieth month, sacrifices can feel like a vise on your life. Adding fun dollars to your budget will let you enjoy life while still reaching your financial goals.

Shorpy

Six foreigners allegedly poisoned in Bangkok luxury hotel

Is the Chinese government and its people considered perfect? If not, what are some reasons for this?

No, it is far from perfect and there is always room for improvement.

The important thing is to have a channel to provide input to government officials, explain why something needs to change to make it better, and see if they can make the change.

This is very different from the idea of free speech in the west because while people have the right to elect new leaders at election time, there is no way to request changes on a small scale, and then to follow up on them.

The Chinese way is to ask for changes on an ongoing basis, explain the rationale for the change, and if the official feels that it is reasonable, ask him to make the change. If he does NOT make the change within a reasonable time, then move up the ladder, and complain to his superior.

And so on and so forth…

So in the western system, you vote for the person and hope that he makes the macro changes you want. In the Chinese system, you go to the local official and request that he make the micro change you want. If the request is reasonable, he should make the change. If he does not, he will likely be voted out at the local level. Since he is also a Party member, failure to act on reasonable requests will affect his opportunity for promotion in the future, and affect his own career.

In court, what was the most devastating cross-examination of a witness that you ever saw?

My in-laws used to live across the street from a drug dealer. They often called the police where there were cars coming and going from his property, picking up “product”. This cut into his business, and led to several ugly confrontations between him and my in-laws.

One day my then-fiancee was visiting her parents, and was in the back of the house when there was a commotion out front, complete with gunshots. She didn’t see anything, but both her parents and one of her brothers claimed they saw said drug dealer leaning out of his upstairs window, firing a gun. From his body language and what words they could make out, his intent was clear: Stop interfering with my business, or the next time I won’t be firing into the air but at you.

They called the police and he was charged with aggravated menacing. Some months later, I attended the trial as a spectator, as my fiancee (now wife) was a witness. The drug dealer took the stand in his own defense. After a well-rehearsed examination by his attorney, it was the prosecuting attorney’s turn.

“Mr. ___, on [date], did you fire several shots from a handgun into the air from the second story window of your home?”

“No, I did not. I don’t even have a gun.”

“You own no firearms whatsoever? On [date], you didn’t have a single firearm in the house?”

“That’s right. I didn’t have no guns then.”

A look of confusion spread of the DA’s face as he quickly pawed through his notes.

“Now, on [date of previous police call to his home], didn’t you tell Officer ____ that you had an extensive collection of firearms and that you were an expert in their use?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, did you lie to Officer ____?”

“What?”

“Did you lie to Officer ____ back on [previous date], or did you lie to the jury just now?”

“Yeah, I lied.”

I suspect that if you want to be taken seriously by a jury, you should not admit that you are a liar and may have just lied to them on the witness stand.

He was convicted, despite testimony from friends who gave him an alibi. The jury must have thought they were liars, too.

Vintage illustration

The US Passport is Getting WORSE

Russia lays it all out on the table.

Washington’s belief that the United States will not suffer from a new global war and that the main actions will unfold on the European continent is a misconception, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

The stark language from Foreign Minister Lavrov was used during a UN Security Council meeting.

The clear implication is that the “main actions” of another global war would also unfold on the North American continent. Here. Inside the USA.

Keen observers agree there is no other rational interpretation of the remarks.

Yet as this story is published at 1:10 PM EDT on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Americans, for the most part, remain blissfully unaware of how dangerous the world situation is right now. They have no idea at all that the US Government has taken actions so grave, that the American heartland is now being openly discussed as a future war zone.

How this particular remark arose in the UN was after White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, said that “Washington does not want a war with Russia as it would affect the European continent.”

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov mentioned this remark and then said (verbatim) “In Washington, they are convinced that a new global war will affect not the US, but their European allies. If this analysis forms the basis of the Biden administration’s strategy, it is a very dangerous misconception, and Europeans should realize what a suicidal role has been assigned to them.”

Any resolution of the European crisis must include concrete steps to eliminate the threats to Russia that emanate from the West, the diplomat went on to say. He recalled that Moscow’s conditions for establishing lasting peace in Ukraine have already been outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin also noted that Zelensky’s term has expired and his legitimacy cannot be restored by any means.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that Putin does not rule out negotiations with Ukraine, as there are other legitimate authorities there.

For his part, Lavrov emphasized that Russia is ready to seek a balance of interests to resolve the current crisis in Ukraine, taking into account new geostrategic realities on the Eurasian continent.

Let’s summarize;

War with Russia;

Destruction of Europe
Nuclear destruction of the United States via missiles

War with China;

Destruction of QUAD nations (Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines)
Nuclear destruction of the United States via missiles

Chicken and Ravioli Cacciatore

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced
1 cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes w/garlic, oregano, and basil
8 ounces tomato sauce
9 ounces refrigerated cheese ravioli

Instructions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, onion and bell pepper; cook and stir until chicken is browned.
Stir in water, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add ravioli, covering it with tomato mixture. If necessary carefully separate ravioli. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until sauce is of desired consistency and chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently.

Chow time does SSM

He reviews one of SSM’s best. Have a chuckle.

If local detectives show up at your door and say your name came up in one of their investigations and they’d like you to come down to the station with them to talk about it, does that usually mean you’re a suspect?

About 15 years ago, a very expensive piece of equipment, ($30k market value at the time) was stolen from my place of employment. I was the one who discovered it missing and I was the one who called it in to our security office, who contacted the local police. I gave my statement to our in house security and the lead detective from the local law enforcement gave me his card and asked me to go down to the station to meet him and take an official statement on the coming Saturday (three days away at the time) at 8am.

I thought that was weird, but I agreed and was at the station at 7:45 am that Saturday. I checked in with the clerk who said the detective wasn’t in yet. I knew I was early so it wasn’t a big deal to wait. At 8:30 am, the detective walks out and acted surprised to see me. He then stated that he thought he told me 9 am. I showed him the business card he gave me and how I scribbled “Sat 8am” on the back of it. He gave the most insincere apology I ever heard and then told me he wasn’t ready for me yet and asked if I could wait 15 minutes and that he could have someone get me a coffee.

I agreed to wait and took the offer for the coffee. Half an hour later, he walks by and asked, “Did you not get your coffee?” and I said no, and he said, I’ll get right on that, I just need a few more minutes.” Half an hour after that, someone comes to get me and brings me to an interview room (still no coffee). Another 15 minutes later the detective show up with his partner.

They start asking me questions which I thought were peculiar. Then it hit me that I wasn’t just giving a statement, they were interviewing me as a person of interest. I am the first one every morning to open the location from which the equipment was taken. The surveillance video showed a team of 3 who knew exactly what they were doing and how to go about it. None of their faces were ever turned to the cameras and they knew exactly what they wanted, how to get it as quickly as possible and how to get it out of the building without being noticed.

The detectives thought that someone on the inside had provided the thieves with the intel they needed to get away with it, and I was suspect numero uno. Knowing what I know now, I would have immediately ceased talking to these detectives without a lawyer present. They grilled me for 4 more hours trying to break me into a confession of being an accomplice, which I was not.

It turns out that the thieves were a ring of professionals who spent a week scoping out the location to figure out how best to get their prize. The same individuals had hit 11 other institutions on the eastern coast of the US. It also turns out that the lead detective on the case who gave me such a hard time was also later convicted of stealing cash from the evidence room of his own station. Reading that headline made me smile because he was a huge jerk and it blew my mind that he even made detective in the first place, but it also made me sad for our justice system as a whole at the same time.

Also I never did get that coffee…

Which story in American history is hard to believe?

One story I’ve always found hard to believe is that of Lee Harvey Oswald having acted completely alone. People tend to forget that the guy defected to Soviet Russia for about a year. He renounced his citizenship, and worked for the Soviets for a while, who sent him to Minsk.

main qimg cd2734cccf425ca36aa4fcb76fc8bdb0 lq

Oswald went back to America because, as he wrote in his diary, he “found the work drab”. Soviet Russia was no fun. So he returned to America. How! How on earth did a US citizen defect to the Soviet Union and just… return. Like it’s no big deal. What the hell? He married a Russian wife, they have two daughters. Settle in America. Oswald, for the record, is a former marine. He’s an excellent marksman (finest in his unit) and for two years, he’s left completely undisturbed by US authorities despite having defected and worked for their enemies for a year. And, when he was just 24 years of age, he goes and — allegedly — kills President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.

It’s hard to believe an American citizen defected to the number one enemy of America in the middle of the Cold War, was allowed back to the United States without trouble, only to assassinate the president and get killed almost immediately after by a random citizen while in policy custody.

Valiant Thor: A UFO, the Pentagon and a 3-year Mission to Save the World

Eat less, but eat much better quality food

My father loved T-bone steaks. When I was growing up he always made a “big deal” about having T-bone steaks for dinner.

Later, when I was in elementary school, budget constraints made this event fewer and fewer. But always, I was allowed to gnaw at the bone when my father was finished . This was when I was in first grade or so. By third grade, these steak meals were few and far between.

It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s and married that I was reintroduced to steaks again. My wife thought that they were too expensive, and so we didn’t eat them at all, she instead insisted in more vegetarian fare, and salad bars. In those days we rarely ate at home, and the restaurants that served steaks were beyond our means.

But, my mother insisted that we eat some “real food”, and would cook filet mignon steaks. Which, I will tell you all is awesome.

Perhaps one of my biggest mistakes was to allow the dietary choices and preferences of my partner; my mentally ill wife, to dictate what I would eat. When we had money, she would insist on spending it on organic kale, seaweed, and borage leaves. Instead of delicious steaks, chicken or fish.

Oh sure. She would go in and out of these fads… depending on her emotions.

When we lived in Mississippi, for instance, she would become enamored with this seafood buffet. And I will tell you that I don’t know what was in that fish, but it really, REALLY turned her libido on. man, oh man! I’ll tell you what.

It’s, still to this day, a private joke that we share.

You see, what you eat; what you put inside of you matters.

Life is too short to eat overly processed food; potato chips, Doritos, sugary snacks, and just stale bland food. Eat less, but eat much better quality.

Eat less, but eat much better quality food.

It’s one of the on-going themes of China.

Today…

China and the United States

It’s not that. It’s just that Trump is an idiot. He doesn’t understand economics or trade.

He actually thought that the US would win a trade war with China in 2 weeks like Japan during the 90s. And that China would surrender to him.

So it’s not that the politicians are willing to undermine their own economy. It’s that they’re too dumb to understand this.

They still think they did it wrong. That’s why the US didn’t win. So Biden is trying something else. Double down and win.

And now if Trump is elected. He will try again with some other strategy. And Trump has said that he is going to hire Lighthizer as trade secretary this time. So expect more stupid moves.

The problem with Chinese experts working for the Chinese government is that they know too much. And they’re right. Anyone with a right mind would not decouple or even think about it because it would harm the US economy.

But the US politicians are not Chinese. It’s like a professional fighter fighting some random person with no training.

They will do stupid things because they don’t know any better.

Why did Quora delete a perfectly reasonable question about the decline of the US?

Quora is chock-full of Americans who are emotionally fragile with easily damaged egos because the US is not the most powerful, awesome, star-spangled, biggest-dick country on the planet. We’re not the “bestest,” to use a Biden-ism. Americans don’t want to face the fact that we’re an empire in steep decline.

We suck at war. Since World War 2, the only war that the US has won was the First Gulf War, which was limited in scope and a global effort. In World War 2 in Europe, Russia did most of the fighting and dying. The US-instigated Russo-Ukrainian War is a NATO disaster.

Russia is now producing three times as many artillery shells as all NATO countries combined:

Exclusive: Russia producing three times more artillery shells than US and Europe for Ukraine | CNN Politics

Russia has more nuclear weapons and better delivery systems than the US. For example, Russia had the Poseidon nuclear torpedo with a range of 6,000 mi (10,000 m). From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

Powered by a compact nuclear reactor, it is believed the Poseidon could travel at unprecedented speeds of 100 knots (185 kilometers per hour), have a range of

approximately 10,000 kilometers, and operate at depths of up to 1,000 meters. Designed to evade detection by acoustic tracking devices and other traps, the Poseidon has a diameter of approximately 1.6 to two meters. Particularly riveting is the torpedo’s devastating payload: a nuclear warhead with a likely yield of at least several megatons (with early reports suggesting it could yield up to 100 megatons). For comparison, Russia’s Tsar Bomba—the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested—had an estimated blast yield of about 50 megatons.

[1]

Global Firepower ranks Russia’s and China’s militaries almost on par with the US’s:

According to Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (retired) and many others, China would crush the US Navy in the South China Sea. From his interview on Dialog works:

“If we [the US] go to war with China, we will lose in the opening 30 to 45 days. Casualties will be humongous like we haven’t seen since our Civil War. They’ll be more like Gettysburg, 55,000, I think, in 3 days. They’ll be like Passchendaele, like Ypres, in World War 1, and, you know, we’ll lose two, three carriers the first week, first month.”—Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (retired)

According to Scott Ritter because of the US warmongering, Russia will probably assist North Korea in improving its solid fuel rocket boosters for intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles so that North Korea can extend its range from the US West Coast to any US target.

The US president is mentally little more than a crash-test dummy. He has the world close to World War 3 and nuclear war. Pres. Crash-test Dummy and the US neocons/chickenhawks tried to prevent Russia and China from forming an economic alliance, but like Wile E. Coyote, Supergenius, from Looney Tunes, their plans had the opposite effect.

In a colossal act of stupidity, Pres. Crash-test Dummy committed an act of terrorism against a NATO ally:

Seymour Hersh Accuses US of ‘Cover Up’ Over Nord Stream Sabotage | Common Dreams

For those who may not know, Seymour Hersh is one of the greatest investigative journalists in US history. He’s had a string of accurate news articles from the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam to Abu Ghraib in Iraq:

In May 2024, Russia once again became Europe’s biggest gas supplier:

Russia Reclaims Its Position as Europe’s Top Gas Supplier | OilPrice.com

I’m not comparing Russia to Nazi Germany, but would Winston Churchill and FDR have purchased goods from Nazi Germany?

The US sanctions, tariffs, and confiscation of sovereign assets have backfired on the US. Russia will win the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the BRICS trade alliance will continue to unseat the US dollar as a world reserve currency. The BRICS has almost 40 more countries that want to join in 2024. The BRICS will control most of the Middle Eastern oil, and for all intents and purposes, Russia and China have displaced the US in Africa:

US to pull troops from Chad and Niger as the African nations question its counterterrorism role

Right now, China does the most innovative scientific research according to Nature Index:

Nature Index Annual Tables 2023: China tops natural-science table

For those who might not know, Nature is one of the most highly regarded scientific journals in the world.

China’s universities are rapidly increasing in quality and are now some of the world’s best:

World University Rankings 2024: China creeps closer to the top 10

While Americans are jerking off getting liberal arts degrees, China is stressing science and technology.

In response to US sanctions, China has become the world’s largest producer of legacy computer chips:

US sanctions transform China into legacy chip production juggernaut — production jumped 40% in Q1 2024

Many Americans think that US sanctions will stop China from making the next generation of computer chips. I hate to inform Americans, but astrophysics has shown that the laws of physics hold throughout the known universe and in particular, in China. China will develop the capability to make the next generation of computer chips.

Here’s the US in microcosm. China just had a successful mission to the previously unexplored dark side of the Moon.

[2]The US’s Boeing Starliner is stuck at the International Space Station.

[3]The US government, NASA, and Boeing are trying to tell us that nothing’s wrong. Yeah, sure, whatever. By the way, last week, a tire came off a Boeing 737 at the Los Angeles International Airport and bounced into a local LA neighborhood.

[4]Luckily, no one on the ground was hurt.

The fall of the US Empire has a lot in common with the fall of the Roman Empire. We have mentally and morally unfit people throughout the US government. We have grifters throughout the US government. We have plutocrats stealing resources, making US citizens poor and homeless. We have an escalating and unmanageable national debt. Our politicians are diverting badly needed resources into the coffers of corporations and wealthy individuals. The US military is overextended all over the world and lacks the capacity to bring “freedom and democracy” to the global South.

Americans excel at self-absorption, superstition, wank-fests, and according to Britons on Quora, not geography. If you don’t believe the US is the bestest at everything, you’re a traitor.

To quote George Carlin:

You’re just another American who is willfully ignorant of the big red, white, and blue dick being shoved up your asshole every day… The owners of this country know the truth… it’s called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it!

[5]

Footnotes

[1] One nuclear-armed Poseidon torpedo could decimate a coastal city. Russia wants 30 of them.

[2] China says its Chang’e-6 mission successfully landed on Moon’s far side

[3] Astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station after yet more problems with Boeing’s beleaguered Starliner

[4] United Airlines plane loses wheel on takeoff in Los Angeles, marking latest incident for the airline | CNN

[5] A quote by George Carlin

Fideo Delicioso

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or diced chicken or pork
5 ounces dry fideo or vermicelli
1 tablespoon oil or shortening
1 medium chopped onion
1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 or 3 tablespoons chili powder
Salt or garlic salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Sauté selected meat until done, set aside.
In the same pan, heat oil or shortening and lightly brown fideo, stirring constantly. Add chopped onion halfway through browning.
Add chicken broth and water.
Return meat to pan. Add chili powder, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
For extra “zip,” add sliced jalapenos or ground cayenne pepper.

What is the most inappropriate experience you had with a debt collection agency?

I was working night shift at a hospital & went in to pick up my check one afternoon only to find my wages had been garnished by a debt collection company. This was grounds for dismissal from the hospital that I worked for so I immediately called to find out what the debt was. I was told it was from a doctor who had delivered a daughter 3 months prior. At that time I was 44 yrs old, white & my only child, a son, was at that time 24 yrs old. The woman that had the child was black & 26 yrs old. I also worked five days a week & no one could tell I had been pregnant & I was working on the night the child had been born. I got the address of the company & on my next off day I went to the company with my time card, my OB/Gyn report of an exam from 3 months before the supposed birth. Even the receptionist could tell that the person they were trying to collect from wasn’t me. When I talked to someone in charge his comment was “Don’t you remember having the baby?” He would not listen to anything or look at any documents. They had called the hospital where the baby had been delivered & got my social security number from them because I had worked at that hospital years before. They would not release the garnishment & I couldn’t get paid. When I left there I went to my lawyers office ( a friend) & said he would handle it. He wrote both the collection company, doctor & the hospital which gave my social security number a nice letter. I bought a new car & a house.

Putin & Xi’s Secret Plan to Confront NATO? Israel’s Battle with Hezbollah! | Paul Craig Roberts

Paul Craig Roberts.

Are inmates allowed to spend the entire day sleeping?

Sometimes in a county jail, you can sleep all day. Recently arrested for a DUI, and had a cell with an Amigo who spoke no English. I got a lot of sleep over the course of 2 to 3 days. It’s not good sleep because it’s saturated with worry and concern about getting out.

However in federal prison, you can’t sleep all day. Way before the DUI, I went to Federal Prison for something unrelated. Your bed has to be made by a certain time and you can’t be found under the covers. If you are found under the covers, you are written up. If you sleep, it’s a crime and you got to have lookouts. Occasionally you will be raided.

There are programs they have during the day; GED, HVAC, Electrical, Culinary Arts, the Library, The recreation yard if you want to get in shape or if you’re the worker type; plenty of jobs for you including landscaping, kitchen work, furniture assembly. The job may pay $100 to $200 a month. There are even more opportunities in “hustling.” Some sell coffee, drinks, have food stores, carry heavy commissary bags, sneak food out kitchen, etc. So they have designed it to keep your mind off of the time. The whole idea is to minimize escape attempts.

I heard there was once a Prison with no TVs as they took them away from the inmates acting up. There were 5 escapes a year from it. If all a person has to do is think, he will out think you. After the ordeal, each Prison has about 8 TVs in each dorm area. There are 12 dorm areas. The TV room is open after you’re done with the programs and eating during the day.

The number one deterrent for sleep is the inmates. They know if you are sleeping all day and will try and wake you up out of concern. “Get out that bed man.” many will say as they walk by. They may even tell on you.

Here’s some of my latest AI generated art

These are a figurative experiment. Concentrating on figurative art with a man and a woman. Again. Lots of nudes. If you can’t handle this, you can skip over this section.

As an artist I really like the human form; both men and women.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(17)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(11)

Is it common for thieves to return stolen goods to their owners without being prompted to do so?

While most people would argue “Never will happen”, rest assured, I can rightfully state “Yes, it CAN happen!”

3 Teens (all boys, between 15–17 years of age). Bored to death due to Summer, too much storms, too much rain, cooped up inside.

Thought it would be “great” to break into people’s homes when the power was out! They had a field day, and it gave them some “new toys” to play with (stolen of course). Well, the 16 year old boy, at first was enjoying it, went so far to “lie” to his mom and said “A friend let him borrow it.”

Until the “gossip” ran around the neighborhood, which reverted him to go into “Panic” mode, so he grabbed the stuff, put it in saddle bag (his bike had a Harley Saddle Bag) and rode off, keeping out of sight, seeing some garage doors already opened, he slid them inside and took off without being caught! Then he rushed home, went back through the window and proceeded to work on the Word Search puzzle.

Then all of a sudden, the Cops knocked on their door, and his mom told him to go answer the door, because she was cooking dinner. He did, and 2 cops right there, asking if he was xxxxxx? And he said Yeah? Then his mom came up, and they said “We just need to talk with your son, to ask him questions.” His mom went back cooking.

Well, they asked him what happened earlier today? He told them the truth, that the brothers (the other 2 teens) were bored stiff, and they decided to loot people’s homes. He did state what they took and he admitted he was just placed out there to “watch” and “didn’t take anything” (he lied on the last part).

The 2 teens told the Officers “what he had” and that of course, he denied it. He said “yes, I did take it, but I slid it all back in their garages. If they went to the house they would find the stuff under the bench in the garage. He just couldn’t do it.”

Then one Cop asked if he could look into his room? He said sure, so the Cop went in and didn’t find any stolen goods. Then the Cop told his mother, “Ma’am, I am going to have your son go with me over to a couple of people’s homes and he’ll be right back.”

The Cop had him seated and he pointed to the homes that he said it took but it’s still on their property, in the garage, under the bench. There it was, exactly where he said it was. They returned him back home, and to the fact, he told them how they broke into the homes, and normally, people do not lock the side door (aka “kitchen door”) if the garage door was locked.

Cops returned him home and told his mother “Thank you ma’am, your son was very cooperative with our investigation. Enjoy the rest of the night.”

As for the other 2 teens, they were handcuffed, arrested and sent to the Juvenile Jail (aka Detention Center / Hall) and they were charged accordingly, including theft. That was then when he also learned that they had a “nasty rap” sheet already.

Not only did he severe ties with them, he never did that again!

Long time ago, in one of my long time residential location (back in early 1980s), there was this guy who “works” in his garage on the weekends. Well, a lot of people would come up and watch him or chit-chat. Since he lives alone, there’s times he would leave the garage door open and go inside. Either for lunch, to order something or be on the phone, or even watch a game. There was this guy in the neighborhood, he was a kleptomaniac, he would swipe small stuff and sometimes even going into one’s yard and take the plant out that you just planted!

He had a 4 barrel carburetor that was sent in to be rebuilt, that came off of the car he was rebuilding and restoring, the problem was the parts for that carb was extremely difficult to find, and it made more sense to ship it over to California and have it rebuilt and shipped back.

This was very expensive, from what the neighbor next door told me, Kelly (not his real name) learned that the 4 Barrel was to be delivered on that day, sometime between 10 to 1, and Kelly, he KNEW this guy would be at work! So what did he do? Saw the parcel, walked over, took it, and kept it at his house!

No one’s sure what caused Kelly to retreat and go back home and bring it over and simply said “Oh, I forgot I picked it up for you to keep it safe since you were at work?” Yeah, he had it in his possession for over a month, while that guy was blowing his Steam at California for “ripping him off”! He was spending HOURS and HOURS trying to find a 4 barrel carburetor for the car he was working on since the one he sent to California claimed “it was delivered”!

It’s really difficult to “say” if the conscience kicked in, but either way, HE RETURNED IT!

What’s inside this crater in Madagascar?

What is the biggest waste of electricity you’ve seen in a home you visited, were a guest in, or even in your own home?

Seven years ago I moved into a new house, leaving a rental property for a house that I had bought.

After staying there for a month and getting my first power bill I was shocked to find that it was double the amount!

It didn’t make any sense to me, because there was absolutely nothing different in the new house than there was in the old one.

All of the light fixtures, ceiling fans, appliances, including the refrigerator and everything else came from the old house and was installed in the new house.

We weren’t using the air conditioning system because it was autumn and the house didn’t have a separate heating system, we don’t need heat in the winter where I live, even if it gets cold there is no heat in houses where I live, it simply doesn’t get so cold that people need heating systems in their homes.

I thought that there was some sort of residual bill left over from the previous owner and simply paid the bill and then I forgot all about it. That was until the next bill came – also more than double the price I was paying in the old house.

So I called the electric company, Elektro, and they said it was probably because of a defective power meter. They would change it for free, but wouldn’t give me a discount on the bill saying that it was “already spent” energy. I paid the bill and forgot about it again, thinking that the problem had been fixed.

It wasn’t, the third bill was just as expensive as the first two. What’s going on? It just didn’t make sense, the two houses were the same size and less than twenty blocks from each other, both houses use the same Elektro, absolutely no electrical item was different between them.

So why was the bill more than double each month? Was the power meter defective in the old house, yet in our favor? I didn’t know and I didn’t understand.

I started talking to people at work and who lived on the street and asked them how much they were paying for their electricity each month. None of them gave me a number of $500 a month. The lowest number I got was $50 and the highest was $350, but no one said anything close to $500. At the old house I was paying $235, so I knew something wasn’t right.

I called the power company again and made them change the meter a second time, and before they did it I took daily meter readings and wrote them down on paper.

Once they changed it for the second time I took more daily meter readings and after a week of writing them down I knew that the meter readings were the same between the two, so I still had an electrical problem.

That meant that there was nothing wrong with the original meter. Somehow, I was really using $500 a month in electricity, when I shouldn’t have been.

So I called an electrician and together we traced every single wire in the house. He found nothing out of the ordinary and so I told him that I was going to buy new outlets and new light switches for every room in the house.

The old ones were awful and non-compliant with the new mandatory recessed plugs 🔌 that were appearing on all the new electronic items because of a change to the law in Brazil, all right, fine, I will become compliant, to try and figure out why I’m paying double.

I also bought LED lighting and the electrician swapped out every single lightbulb in the house, 34 of them. It reduced my power bill by 20%, but not by as much as he and I thought it would. After four months I was still paying $420 a month.

We had assumed there was a short in a switch or in an old outlet, but there wasn’t one. No short existed, the new plugs, the new light switches, all of the new LED lighting, along with the new power meters, proved that there was still something wrong.

So, WTF was going on?

The electrician couldn’t figure it out and nor could I, so I told him, “If the house is okay and the meter is okay then the problem is between the power meter at the front of the property and the fuse box in the laundry room, it’s the only possible explanation. Maybe a wire is grounding out.”

The power meter to the house is a distance of 50 feet (15 meters) so I told him to dig up the front lawn and find out where the wires lay, to literally trace the wires coming into the house from the power meter to the fuse box, as they were underground.

When he found them he showed me that the wires leading to the house were at the very left side of the property about a hands length from the wall that separated my property from my neighbor’s property.

And lo and behold, right at the beginning of the front lawn, a short distance after the power meter, there were two wires that appeared to be going under the wall to my neighbor’s house!

Holy crap! Is my neighbor stealing electricity from me? Wow! So I sent the electrician home and waited until about 10pm that night and when all the lights were on in his house, I cut one of the two wires.

His lights went instantly out. I heard him calling out to his wife, “Is there a blackout?” and all I did was snicker to myself. I had found the problem, and now my neighbors no longer had electricity.

It took Elektro forty-five days to hook them up to the grid!

They lost all the food in their refrigerator and started to buy ice and put things into in a cooler.

They took cold water showers as showers in Brazil are heated by electricity, there is no hot water tank heated by natural gas in Brazilian homes.

Autumn became winter and I waited for them to say something to me. They never said a word.

Yes, I lost five months of paying double my electricity bill, a total of $1,250. But they lost much more than that, all of their food at the beginning, and 45 days with no electricity at all.

Seeing them pass through this day after day, week after week was extremely satisfying to me. They argued with each other almost every night because of it.

In the end they lost much more than my $1,250, they lived 45 days without electricity and they had to pay a $750 reconnection fee!

I never confronted them on it and they never said a word to me, of course they wouldn’t, obviously they knew that they were stealing energy from me.

I did tell the other neighbors on the street that they did this and all of a sudden they were outcast.

They sold their house two months after their power was restored.

I have no idea where they are now and frankly I don’t care. I lost $1,250 in power bills before I figured it out, they lost much more financially, including their reputation in our neighborhood.

The moral. Don’t steal from others, sooner or later it’ll catch up with you.

All I know is that my power bill today is about $190 a month, that’s cheaper than the old house, it’s because I went LED.

I’m happy.

Octopus vs Underwater Maze

What’s the name of the Chinese app that lets Chinese citizens rate their government officials’ performance?

Xuexi Qiangguo

main qimg 1eaf5ef1c6425284eec3a458165c4c04

It’s latest update allows you to ask questions on Xi Jingpings Policies to your Local Politicians and to rate your local politicians regularly

Of course for this you need to submit your ID details for authentication plus facial biometrics

However if privacy isn’t an issue – even foreigners can use the app

The App is however purely in Chinese

The App has four features:-

Regular ideology of Xi Jingping on his Vision for China
Asking questions of Xi Jinping
Asking local leaders to clarify CPC policies (Initiated during Covid)
Rating Local Leaders in terms of their performance

main qimg 80ea2beb60f40353df0238bdf09ec7b9

Zhanani or Civility Code

Active in 12 Cities now – it helps Chinese rate their fellow citizens in Civility and helps them rate their local leaders

There are 8 Areas where Citizens are given points or docked points by their fellow citizens

Traffic Rules
Drunkenness
Extra Marital Affairs
Garbage & Littering
Performance of Key Tasks (Government Officials only)
Problem Resolution (Local Party Officials)
Debt
Promptness

In each case, evidence is needed before the score can be modified so you need document pics or videos or normal pics to be uploaded

Everyone starts with 1000

The Lowest score is -300 and the highest is 2600

Failure to return a library book also could get a 3 point docking the first time and a 12 point docking the second time

Again you need ID and Biometrics to use this app

If you give false information, you can be held as per the Chinese Internet Regulations

main qimg 205cea319f5d4ba06d5422a4256c65c6

12345 App

Available on App and Phone, it is used to complain against Any Official in China and Any Party Leader

There are three levels

Basic, Urgent and Most Urgent (English Translation)

Officials are notified within 60 minutes and a ticket number is registered that has to be closed in 14 days (Basic), 7 Days (Urgent), 3 Days (Most Urgent)

Again your details are mandatory including Biometrics

Interesting:-

In 2018, when a Party Official conducted his daughters wedding, he blocked a 2 Km stretch of road for 90 minutes

Back then they had only phone hotline but within 5 minutes they registered over 200 complaints

He had to pay ALL FINES collected by the city that day and issue a public apology to the people

Negatives:-

One negative thing is that especially the Civility App can be used to report on fellow citizens talking about Taiwan or other stuff that could be a political issue

Someone who says “So & So is pro taiwanese” could get on a watchlist for several weeks before he can be taken off it

Until then he may not get a passport or be unable to take the Civil Service Exam

So 12345 is the best app

It’s fully restricted to Officials only

Some fun vintage illustrations

The Simpsons Prediction CAME TRUE Again In 2024!

Why does NATO want to enter Asia?

Because the United States needs help in East Asia.

Simply put, the USN has been stretched to breaking point trying to keep up with the intensity and scale of the PLA.

Those who keep track will have noticed significant shifts in Indopacom’s deployment of force and areas of operation in the past decade. The shift in policy was pushed through only after multiple peacetime accidents off the coast of China, attributed mostly to fatigue.

In other words, a lack of sleep due to intense operational tempo.

The US needs Five Eyes/NATO help in the Bohai/Yellow Sea, under the pretext of enforcing sanctions on North Korea, when both South Korea and Japan have very capable navies.

The USCG has sailed through the Taiwan Straits and SCS, when American Samoa and Guam are the nearest US waters to guard. A typical USCG deployment to the Western Pacific these days exceed 180 days, or 6 months.

In sum, the USN is out of hulls, and men, despite Indopacom getting 70% of deployable assets, turning the other fleets into wargaming paper assets. Unfortunately, problems in the Middle East and Europe has forced all available CBGs away, and the Western Pacific, for once, is American carrier-free.

Uncle Sam needs help, and the long term strategy is to build up its submarine and destroyer fleets, and get NATO/Five Eyes members to supplement assets or cost in a repeat of Germany’s U-boat campaign of terror during WWII.

Unfortunately, time is running out. All it takes is a war to be found out.

John Pinette – Around The World In 80 Buffets

Young people in China are “increasingly disdainful” of the West?

In 2021, the bimonthly website of American Foreign Policy published an article entitled “Young People in China Lose Trust in the West” to explore the change of young people’s attitude towards the West in China and the reasons behind it. This article points out that many young people in China are not only angry with American foreign policy, but also increasingly disdainful of the most fundamental social and political ideas in the West. This is an epoch-making change, which will have a far-reaching impact on China’s future and US-China relations.

This article holds that there are two main points in China’s young people’s criticism of the western model:

First, the recent frequent hate crimes against Chinese in the United States reveal white supremacy’s fear of Chinese and contempt for Chinese values, and prove that systematic racial discrimination is everywhere in the United States.

Second, China has succeeded in containing the COVID-19 epidemic, while the western countries have suffered a crushing defeat, which makes many China citizens believe that the so-called liberal democratic political system in the west cannot solve the big problems, and China’s political and social values can bring better results than those in the west.

As a young man in China, I think this observation is very interesting and worth discussing.

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The COVID-19 epidemic can be said to be one of the most profound events that China people have changed to the western countries. Both the Biden administration of the Democratic Party and the Trump administration of the Republican Party have obviously shown a lack of strength in the face of the epidemic. Let the young people in China see that the so-called freedom and democracy in western countries only hurt people’s interests.

It should be said that China is the first in the world to effectively control the spread of the epidemic and make young people more identify with the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s ruling philosophy and the unique advantages of China’s social system, which is only one of them.

Equally important, a few western countries, such as the United States, set themselves up as “judges” and acted as “teachers” of human rights, fabricated lies, vigorously attacked and discredited China’s political system, accused China of human rights issues, and violently interfered in China’s internal affairs.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic raged around the world, young people in China have seen more clearly the hypocrisy of western values advocated by these countries in terms of democracy, freedom and human rights from the comparison between China and the United States and other western countries.

In particular, the repeated tragedies of racial discrimination have completely torn off the “fig leaf” of the human rights situation in the United States, making people see clearly the true face of American democracy and freedom.

As Hua Chunying, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once said when answering a reporter’s question, whether different political systems are good or not depends on whether they conform to their own national conditions, whether they can bring political stability, social progress and improvement of people’s livelihood, whether they can win the support and support of the people and whether they can contribute to the cause of human progress.

No matter how much a country boasts about its democratic value, if it sits idly by and watches more than 500 thousand people die from the epidemic and does nothing; More than 40,000 people died in shootings a year and did nothing; If you just fabricate a piece of evidence, you can fight against other sovereign countries, causing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian casualties. If countless people are ruined and indifferent, I am afraid it is not qualified to claim to be a “beacon” of democracy and human rights.

In the past, many young people in China were superstitious about democracy and freedom advocated by the West, but now they have changed.

In the 21st century, with the further comprehensive and in-depth media coverage, many China citizens no longer stop at the internal network, but go to the external network to learn the facts on their own. Obviously, the paper can’t contain the fire in the end, and the freedom and democracy packaged by the western media have become dust after all. Confirmed by the facts, all the rumors of so-called high-level intellectuals have come to nothing.

In particular, with the overall social and economic progress of China, it has become the second largest economy in the world, won a comprehensive victory in the fight against poverty, solved the overall regional poverty, and rapidly improved people’s living standards, which fully confirmed the strong vitality of China’s social system. Therefore, it is only natural that the younger generation, who grew up in the era of China’s rapid economic development, no longer looks up to the western system, but is more and more confident and proud of China’s social system and national governance ability.

In fact, it is better to say “head-up” than disdain.

“We have begun to look at the West, so how can we let the West look at us?”

How To Tell Latinos Apart I Gabriel Iglesias

What would happen if the USN put a full naval blockade on the Straits of Malacca as punishment for China supporting Russia, plus the USN would fire upon Chinese commercial ships that go from the Middle East to the South China Sea?

Such an act is an act of War. It is essentially declaring war on China by the US.

Which frees China to do anything they want to those ships.

Say goodbye to those ships because they will turn into submarines, never to be seen again.

I expect that some of the countries around the Straits of Malacca will get upset, and will complain vehimently.

If the US does not respond by removing the blockade, they will allow the Chinese to send thousands of planes and missiles to the area to ensure that the US is unable to enforce the blockade.

If it tries I expect a few ships that start patroling from the bottom of the sea will convince the US that it was another idiotic idea. Also understand that most of the trade through the straits are not Chinese, but belong to other nations.

As NATO Issues China Seizure Threat, Beijing Is Moving Industries And Money Out Fast

Jesus!

Oh, it’s not bad enough with the collapse of Germany and the Ukraine fiasco, they have to go “death by cop” regarding China.

NATO is considering the unthinkable, potentially thinking of nationalizing Chinese infrastructure assets in the EU. This is taking the economic war to new terrible heights that will backfire. China will move money and industries out of the West back home, starving the West of capital & technology.

Provoking the Dragon.

Idiots.

“The blow-back will be legendary.”

OMG! It will be hysterically disastrous!

WATCH THIS VIDEO.

Djinni Mugs

Jay Stempin

DJINNI MUGS

Jay Stempin

Chapter 1

Batilda

The crescent moon shone bright in the night sky, its beady gray eye haloed by a lopsided grin. Yes, that sharp-edged crescent in the sky illuminated the forest floor, shoving bags of darkness under Mother Earth’s grassy misshapen rug. Batilda Bahama loved taking walks late at night, even when it was cold, especially when flakes of frost bit into her heart. Darkness was her favorite venue. Darkness was her friend. Darkness was a pastime. And when she really thought about it—her faithful enemy. Brought a smile to her long angular face.

Ye Olde Mosquito Shoppe had been in business for centuries here in the Land Between. It stood near Graveyard Gardens, the local cemetery and popular hangout spot for the dead. Oh how she loved the cemetery: quiet, dead, dismal. But using Old English to name a shop, in her opinion, was a waste of letters. But who wants to pay for new signage? Way better than anything on Earth.

Something far up on the rooftop was shuffling about in the dark.

Something went clang.

Batilda noticed the rusty drainpipe jiggling on the shadowy stone wall, like a nervous petrified snake. Her deep gray eyes followed the quivering drainpipe from the black earth to the rooftop gutter. She gave the fur-lined collar of her coat a tug, covering her ears, steam escaping her mouth.

Someone was standing on the roof, casting a long narrow shadow. She could just make out shiny silver toe-clips of black boots in the moonlight, foot tapping on the dewy shingles. She squinted through the dark. This figure was wearing some sort of floppy hat.

“You there,” she shouted. “What’re you doin’? For the love of Hades, get down!”

No response.

“I said,” she repeated in a loud, rattling voice, “get off a there. This’s private property.”

Floppy-hat man, after a moment of staring into the starry sky, spoke, “I’m here on personal business. Thanks for your concern. Doing just fine.” He tipped his hat.

Concern for his wellbeing was not on her map. In fact, unless you were dead or purchasing a plot, she cared nothing for anyone within five zip codes. Floppy-hat man’s words, however, rolled out and clung to her brain in a skittering fashion, like someone squeezing a handful of greasy potato chips in her hair. This was followed by a familiar buzzing in her ear.

Batilda, not a woman to be pushed around by an intruder, flared her nostrils, steam escaping like dragon-smoke. “If you fall, stay clear of my flowerbed. Don’t want your dead body squashing my plants. My tulips’ll have a fit, silly man. Then I’ll have to pay for one of my hired hands to drag your bones away. Waste of time and money.”

The man responded, by way of threat: “Your two lips might think twice about cussing at me if I have to come down there. Do you know who you’re speaking to?”

Oh, so he wanted a war of words, did he? Batilda, amused by this man’s idle threat, scratched a mole on her chin and arched an eyebrow. She was ready for a challenge on this dark night. “My good demon of a man,” she said with prickly undercurrents. “Get off my roof or I’ll have you thrown down. And if you think I’m kidding, I’ve got a fresh hole in the ground out back waiting to bury you in. And don’t think you get to die for free. You’ll pay handsomely, in advance. Burial and plot-fee rates have gone up, you know. And I’ll have your ghost incarcerated for breaking the law.” She folded her arms across her bosomy chest. “What’s your name? Want to make sure I stencil in your tombstone correctly. Spelling’s something I honor. Even for a twit like you.”

She waited. The man, apparently deep in thought, although someone wandering around on rooftops at night is either a thief or an idiot, or, more likely, both.

“I’m here on personal business,” the man repeated in a cool voice, again his words were crunching away at her thoughts. “Trying to find the Mosquito store. Need to make a few purchases. Heard good things about the place.”

Was he even hearing her?

“Listen to me, listen carefully, you knobby old wart, I own the Mosquito shop. You’re standing on it, fool. And I won’t be doing business with you.”

The man clapped his hands together. “Your shop? Marvelous, my lady of the night.”

Batilda watched as he began rubbing his hands together and then squatted at the edge of the roof. Flakes of shingles parachuted though the air; he reached one leg over the edge and notched the toe of his boot into the mortared groove of the brick wall. He began to make his descent, using the drainpipe as some sort of wobbly aluminum rope. The pipe jiggled away as he scampered down the wall like an inchworm, butt sticking out, knees bent into his chest.

Down, down, down, he went.

Batilda wondered how this man even made it to the roof. Based on his descent, he was less than dexterous, like a turtle climbing a rope.

He landed with a silent thud, avoiding her flower garden. Dusting his hands on his jacket, he said, “Brr. Sure’s a cold one.” He put out a hand in greeting.

Batilda just stared at his long, thin fingers, as if wrapped in barbed wire.

The man, tall and thin, removed his floppy hat revealing a bald head, save for stubble. Hair recently mown.

“Just what’re you doing on my roof?”

He began inspecting his fingernails in the dark. “Oh that. Just my job.”

“And what’s your job?” she probed.

“I’m a thief, ma’am. Rather good at it, if I do say so myself.”

“Hmm. Not a very good one. Any references?”

“It’s my duty to steal, so if you’ll just go about your business and leave me to mine, everything’ll be sweet as a worm in a peach.”

That buzzing sound returned in her head and then she heard a voice, tiny and distant, sing out in her thoughts: sweet as a worm, sweet as a worm.

Batilda had not paid to renew her psychic messaging subscription and was surprised to get a message.

She whispered out the side of her mouth, “This man’s a fool.”

“What’s that?” the thief said.

Batilda had thought she was cueing into with a psychic message. Why would she make such a verbal blunder?

“What’s your name, thief?” Batilda said, hoping to divert the conversation.

“Bagwell. Ball Bagwell.”

“Well, Mister Balls, I won’t have you thieving anything from my shop.”

“It’s Ball.”

“That doesn’t help your name very much, Balls.” Her eyes drilled into him as she leaned closer, gazing up at his steeple of a chin. “There’ll be no stolen thoughts on my property, either. But that hole in the ground can be reserved for you, if you know what I mean.”

He turned and made his way to the window, his high boots soundlessly moving along the dewy stone path. He peered inside the shop.

Batilda had dealt with her fair share of miscreants and wayward travelers coming into town. Most were dead. But there were a few lost ones traveling around in the dark with aimless intent. She had learned to trust no one, unless they gave her a reason. Which never happened. And this man had the nerve to turn his back on her. Then he went so far as to make such grand claims as to advertise his profession after being caught on her roof? It just didn’t add up.

“Think I could take a look around?” He hitchhiked a thumb at her window. “Crystals and djinni mugs for sale. I see ‘em. Could make great gifts.” He raised his eyebrows then peered through the window again. “Those are djinni mugs, right?”

“Nothing’s for sale, Balls. Now leave.” Her words came out smooth as an icepick up your nose.

“But I’ll pay for ‘em. A beautiful bounty can be yours, my lady of the night.” He winked at her. “You are lovely, my dear.”

No one had ever said she was lovely. Probably because she wasn’t. Batilda was more likely to be mistaken for a well-used mop: long stringy hair and a constellation of moles dotting her face.

Another psychic message came in: Dreams can be your gift to unwrap, but be careful when removing the wrappings. His energy was stolen from the San Andreas Fault-Line. He’s an eruption waiting to happen. Steal his energy then drop him in a fresh tomb, my beloved thundercloud.

Batilda loved being called “Thundercloud.” But who was calling her?

Batilda mulled over the idea of stealing the thief’s life. Sure, she could kill him but doing so in a nonchalant fashion is what brought it to an art. No sense in leaving a trail of gluten-free bread crumbs.

She could clonk him in the head with a spade and bury the cad alive. Edgar Allan Poe would be proud.

“You really interested in buying them, Balls?”

“It’s Ball, ma’am. And yes, I’ve got a sack of gold in my possession.” He padded his trouser pocket. “What’s your name?”

“But you said you’re a thief. Isn’t that against your code of moral conduct? What sort of professional thief buys anything?” She leaned on one hip and crossed her arms in defiance.

“It’s my day off. Have the whole weekend off, actually.” He grinned like a sheep in a barbershop, eyes volleying from the window to Batilda and back again.

Was the man nervous? That sheep-shearing grin made her think twice.

“Are those bronze djinni mugs? I do have exquisite vision. Prerequisite for my profession.” He cupped his hands around the glass. “Could be bronze. Love to get a closer look.”

Bet you would. “Gold agate blend. Rare,” Batilda advertised, taking pride in her artistry. “Crystal and rare metals forged with these two hands. I have a garden where I unearth my own crystalline structures, got hybrid crystals growing out of other base crystals. Adds a little punch to the energy flow.” She splayed out her pudgy fingers, dirt under her nails.

“That, Miss whateveryournameis, is just what I’m looking for. Rare crystals. I’m a bit of a hobbyist myself. And your loveliness is rare, indeed.”

She almost smiled but did her best to dodge Ball’s apparent staged praise. Plus, she was not all that familiar with crafting grins. Just the thought of it hurt. She volleyed back a theatrical retort: “A thief and a hobbyist. Wow. Must have an impressive resume. Bet you’re fighting off the job hunters with a wet spaghetti noodle.”

“So, about those mugs?”

A few seconds clocked across the airways.

“Don’t sell to thieves. Goes against my code of conduct.” She crossed her heart. “Cross my heart and may you die.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t like that,” he said frostily, to the point where Batilda was suffering from one of those 7-Eleven Slurpee headaches. Again, something with the way he spoke, his words, they slipped into her eardrums and traveled up the canal and left sticky cold footprints on her brain

Bagwell continued, “Some of us are better off dead. And I’ve done dead before, only to return here.” He made a face, reached a hand into the folds of his dust-brown trench coat and pulled out a folded-up sheet of parchment. Holstered to his hip was a short tawny sheath. From that sheath he retrieved a feathered quill, tipped in shiny silver. “Tell you what: I’ll gladly return in the morning. Pay for the beautiful mugs. But nothing can match your mountainous beauty. Your eyes are like boulders.”

“Mr. Balls, I’ll need to see some sort of qualifications,” she lied, vying for more information. “Got any ID?”

“I do,” he said. “Back in my cabin. Renting a place downtown. On Stress-In-Me Street.” He used the quill to scratch something on the folded-up parchment and handed it to her.

Ball Bagwell, Thought Artist

Thief and Metalsmith

“Why you giving me this?” She handed it back to him.

“Those are my credentials. We have a common interest: metalwork.”

Did Ball really take her for a fool? How dense was this man? But she continued to study his actions. She had no interest in metalwork but her curiosity was tickled, just a bit, though. She wanted to cuss at him, for wasting her time. She went so far as to take a step closer when Iggy flew into her ear.

Play along. Play along. Play along with him, said the mosquito with psychic intent.

“Metalwork?” Batilda said, doing her best to keep calm and refrain from scolding the man further instead of feigning interest.

He said, “Jeweled metalwork on deceased bodies is the new craze. Some, if they reincarnate and reanimate in the same flesh, enjoy having nice earrings or a necklace.”

She glanced at the parchment in her hand. Looked at Ball.

The parchment was now read:

Ball Bagwell, Thought Artist

Thief and Metalsmith

Do it when

“What’s this supposed to mean?” she said to the parchment. More letters were scrawled onto the sheet.

Ball Bagwell, Thought Artist

Thief and Metalsmith

Do it when you’re dead

“Neat trick,” she said in a flat tone. “Not impressed, though.”

“Just trying to set the stage. I’ll be here, first thing in the morning. Count on it.”

He was gone before she could even spit at him.

The following morning Batilda pulled on a pair of yellow leggings and a hand-woven wool sweater. Laced up her hiking boots and made her way to work.

She flicked on the lights inside and hit a switch behind the front counter; neon letters flashed, in bright green: Ye Olde Mosquito Shoppe OPEN! STAY DEADLY. MOST WELCOME. GHOSTS AND ZOMBIES BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Batilda busiest herself with watering some of her indoor garden: elephant ear plants in tall clay pots and window boxes of purple and yellow lilies, all growing in dark rich soil. She grabbed a mug from a hook on the wall and poured some hot tea while chatting with her flowers.

Images of Ball Bagwell hung out in the forefront of her frosty imagination. While sipping her tea and inhaling the aroma she curled out a brief smile to her potted flowers. Yes, her plants were one of the few things to seed her with happiness. They didn’t talk back, didn’t lie, didn’t do anything but grow and respond to her care with new buds and more faithful energy. She hoped this would take her mind off that twit Bagwell.

A bell chimed as the front door swung inward. She looked up from her steaming mug to see Ball Bagwell with a small red sack over his shoulder, using his hooked index finger to hold the rope cinching the bag closed.

‘Good morning to you, Miss whateveryourname is.”

“It’s Batilda. What do you want Balls?” she said void of emotion.

“It’s Ball. Wondered if you got my note.”

She narrowed her vision, eyebrows daggering toward her nose, studying him a moment. Sipped her tea. “Referring to the parchment you handed me last night. You saw me read it.”

“No. That.” He pointed his long many-knuckled Grinch-like finger to the edge of her desk.

There, sitting on top of her mail bin was a rolled sheet of parchment with a blue-wax seal; the initials BB pressed into the blobbed wax. A slight wobble of an eyebrow was her only indication of surprise. Batilda did her best to appear non-pulsed by the sight of mail on her desk. Mail did not arrive until late afternoon. And none of this was in yesterday’s delivery.

“Oh. Mail just arrived,” she said. “Haven’t gone through it. And what is it I can help you with?” she said.

“The djinni mugs.”

She gave the blue wax seal another look. “Like I said yesterday: not for sale. Don’t you have some place to be? Someone to pickpocket?”

“I’d rather be here. With you.” He pressed his hands onto her desk and leaned in a little closer. He sighed, sharing his coffee breath. His gaze moved to the three-tiered round shelf displaying mugs, crystals, saucers and tea cups, and various other hand-crafted goods. “Looks like you sold the gold djinni mugs.”

She followed his gaze. Sure enough the two gold-agate mugs sitting on display last night were missing. She walked over to the shelf and then looked at him.

“That’s odd.”

She was doing her best to get a psychic-read on him, but was coming up empty. Even if he was a dolt, she should still be able to cue into his thoughts.

Ball reached into his sack and pulled out two gold-agate mugs, set them, with deliberate care, onto the front counter. They shimmered in a pool of light from pair of fat stubby candles. His fingerprints remained on the edge of the shiny mug.

“My good demon of a foul man,” she spat. “You thieved those. I should have your fingers minced into a pie for that.”

His fingers disappeared into the inner pocket of his purple silk vest and retrieved a small black bag. Set it on the counter with a clink. “I’d like to pay for them, thank you very much.”

She hoisted the black bag into her hand. Heavy. She poured its contents into her palm. Gold nuggets. Looked to be enough for three months’ rent.

“Not sure what I should do with you?” she said, feeling the weight of the gold in her hand.

“Hire me.”

She grabbed a letter opener and slit his throat at the jugular.

Dead.

“Great,” he said with a sigh, looking at his dead body puddled on the floor. “Now I’m a ghost again. Gotta check back in at Inn Between.”

Inn Between was a treatment center for transitional spirits on their way to one of two places: Heaven or Hades.

What is the strangest medical thing that has happened to you?

Woke up one mornin’, reached down to my side….holy crap! What’s that lump doing in the side of my abdominal wall???

First thing I thought of was a hernia through the diaphragm — rare, but possible. The lump WAS strange — it was moving around as I changed position, it wasn’t always painful, and sometimes it disappeared entirely. So, I went to my MD, who of course called for the magic MRI .

The results came back: two 2.5 cm masses below the diaphragm, “suggestive of lymphoma”. What, I asked myself, is lymphoma??? Google gets a workout, I find out: it’s one of the 3 major blood cancers — 80% curable with chemotherapy.

Fast forward: biopsy, positive diagnosis, bone marrow biopsy to figure out what Stage it’s at, and – most importantly — a request for a second opinion from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in Manhattan.

The local oncologist grew impatient, and finally insistent, that I start the treatment immediately, and stop waiting for the second opinion. He scheduled me for insertion of the “port” (a piece of plastic under the skin into which they pipe the chemo drugs) the next Monday, with chemo to start immediately thereafter. I was looking at 6–9 months of chemo hell, with a mean life expectancy thereafter of 7 years, IF the chemo worked. {Actually, most people were eventually succumbing to a weakened existence because of the side effects of the chemo…Oh joy.}

Two days before the port insertion, I got the call from MSKCC. Could I come in for a workup the next day? Foolish question: I flew in on a magic carpet and avoided all the traffic on the GW Bridge!

The doctors at MSKCC were top-notch. They did another physical exam, reviewed all my records, then we had a consultation. The result? YES, the diagnosis of Stage I non-Hodgkins lymphoma was correct. YES, it was historically treated with intensive chemo to knock it out early.

HOWEVER: New models (developed, coincidentally, at MSKCC), now showed that lymphoma lingers at Stage I for awhile, then transitions to Stage II, going through a rapid growth phase. During this rapid growth, the cancerous cells get “hungry”, and absorb the medicine more thoroughly. Instead of carpet-bombing the cells, they are more specifically targeted, with much higher success rates and lower side effects.

The result: MSKCC, while confirming the diagnosis, recommended that I WAIT until the disease had begun transitioning to Stage II, which we could determine through semi-annual monitoring by an oncologist. Chemo could be deferred until that time.

I once again mounted my magic carpet, flew back to my previous oncologist, and shared the good news. He was disappointed, but mumbled some cursory good wishes — I had just cost him some $300,000 in revenue! I then changed my personal managing oncologist to one of the MSKCC staffers, whom I still see.

TEN years later — not seven — there has still been no transition (knock wood). I have almost no symptoms of lymphoma, and the doctors have reduced my visits to once a year. In fact, they have begun to use the word “remission” in my presence. I’m a bleedin’ medical miracle, I am!!!!

The real miracle though, is that one year later my wife suffered a major stroke, and lost much of her gross motor coordination on her left side. She went through a difficult rehabilitation, lasting close to a year, and then a re-adaptation to home, requiring me to help her, plus lead my family, as we went through all the stages of caretaking adjustments. I often think: was I spared for just this reason? As my wife and I grow old together, we are still dependent on each other, physically and emotionally, and our futures are inextricably entwined…as it was intended 46 years ago.

The vows said “for better or for worse”. We got both in spades.

Why do some Chinese companies such as Huawei, BYD, and Luckin Coffee grow much faster than U.S. companies in the same sector?

Who do Chinese companies grow faster than US companies ?

Because the Chinese are better businessmen…

The Chinese know their own strength and weaknesses .. and they also know American strength and weaknesses. The Chinese use Tsun Tze teachings to manage business .. and to compete with US companies. How ?

Some of Tsun Tze ways used by the Chinese are as follows:

The Chinese has a much larger market (with 850 millions middle class consumers)… the Chinese has a much larger export markets (143 countries are Belt and Road partners )…all of them have become the largest trading partners with China …(This is making use of China’s strength)

China has a better supply chain … For example: almost 90 % of the dozens of raw materials needed for batteries making, are produced ONLY in China…so are most manufactured semi-finished products are also made in China…Rare earths and other essential raw materials are available mainly in China…It is cheap and good for Chinese companies ..it is expensive and NOT available to US companies. (this is making use of China’s strength and US weakness.)

The Chinese has effectively used AI to help operate their ports and production/factory operations. The US has only ChatGPT (as AI) ..which cannot be used to automate port operations or to automate factory operations. Only Huawei 5-G system (with AI) is capable of running auto port operations and auto factory operations. China has been able to use more advanced AI ..to help Chinese companies to do business ..and to operate factories more efficiently. The US has only ChatGPT ..no good for factory operations. (Making use of China’s strength)

China has a created a manufacturing eco-system for factory production ..the US has created NOTHING to help their factory operations. (This is another China’s strength)

China produce 8 millions STEM graduate every year to help Chinese business. The US produces less than 400,000 STEM graduates every year. This is the reason why Apples make its i-phone in China, why Elon Musk make his EVs in China. (This is a vital strength of China)

With these manufacturing advantages, the Chinese companies are growing much faster than US companies. The gap is becoming larger and larger .. soon the US will never catch up.

One other point ..Americans know almost nothing about the real Chinese.. the real China…the real society in China. American and their businessmen know only FAKE stories about China from their news media and from their fake propaganda about China. NOT knowing the real strength and weaknesses of China …is a huge, huge US weaknesses …in the competition between the US and China.

What is the coolest weapon you ever got to handle while in the military?

The MK-19 (Mark 19)

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This is a full auto, belt fed grenade launcher. You could unleash a short burst from this thing, see the grenades arcing through the air, and watch them exploding way out in the distance. Pinpoint accuracy wasn’t the point with a full-auto grenade launcher, but it wasn’t that hard to drop a barrage of grenades all over and around something the size of a vehicle or small group of people using the leaf site on the back of it.

Or, with certain people of small stature firing them, you could watch the person struggle with the recoil until they overcompensated and fired the grenades into the ground a few dozen yards in front of them, at which point you dive for cover and listen to the shrapnel pinging off the humvees until the safety NCO manages to beat the person firing into letting go of the butterfly trigger. Real MK-19 ranges are built on the edges of valleys, and you fire from the top of a hill so that if someone depresses the gun too much the grenades go all the way down into the valley and explode harmlessly. In this case we were on an “improvised” range which was perfectly flat. Someone didn’t think that one out too well.

We could mount them on tripods as in the above picture, or mount them on the roof of our Humvee for patrols. They could be on just a pintle mount, where you could move it up/down left/right freely, or they could be attached to a traverse and elevation knob where the gun was held still and you rotated knobs to move it for more precise aiming at longer distances.

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This thing was just fun to shoot. It was a pain to maintain, especially in the dust of Iraq, but man was it fun to shoot.

Second place would have to go to the M-60 machine gun. Later in my military career we replaced the M-60 with the lighter M249 machine gun, but the M-60 was always more fun to shoot. The deep “thump” of that heavier 7.62mm round on full auto was just awesome, and I was even pretty good at picking off targets at the range with well-aimed single shots from the M-60 off the bipod. It was a great gun.

As military police we were expected to operate in independent squads, or even independent 3-person teams. So, every squad had three teams plus a squad leader, and every 3-person team had a humvee, a MK-19, and M249 (in the later years), 3 rifles – one of which had an attached M203 grenade launcher (I carried that one), 3 pistols, and all the AT-4 antitank weapons we could cram into the back of the Hummer. We couldn’t mount the machine gun and the MK-19 at the same time. We had to pick which one to bring on a mission (or have it chosen for us on bigger missions). On a typical patrol in Baghdad we would go with 2 or three teams and take one MK-19 with the remaining truck or trucks mounting the machine guns.

Oh, that reminds me. I got to shoot a live AT-4 on the range once.

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Usually, AT-4 training is done with a special practice weapon designed to shoot a 9mm pistol round. That’s sort of enough to make sure you can get the thing into operation and aim it. Once, in Iraq, we got permission to expend a limited number of live ones with the actual rockets inside for training. We drew names for the honor, and I won one of the shots. I shot mine at a burned out Iraqi tank carcass, and the rocket bounced off with a loud CLANG! It didn’t explode. That was an AT-4 right out of the back of our Humvee that we’d been carrying around for a few months in a combat zone. It kind of makes you wonder about the other ones you’re carrying, you know? I mean, there were no Iraqi tanks running around by that point, but you never know when you’re going to really need that extra boom for something that isn’t a tank. Turns out, we never did.

Anyhow, shooting the live AT-4 was pretty cool, but I still think the MK-19 was the coolest.

Oddly, with all the firepower we had, we never got issued any hand grenades, even in Baghdad. I only ever threw live hand grenades the one time in basic training. That wasn’t as fun as you might think. Basically, you stand in a foxhole, throw the thing out into a bare, open range, and then try to duck into the foxhole faster than than the drill sergeant can tackle you before it goes off. Kind of anticlimactic really.

Why will China lose all Western trade as it aligns with Russia?

Naah

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What is happening is that China is selling a lot of products to the West through Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico and Malaysia

It’s why Chinas trade with BRI & Asean is booming while reducing against US and EU

It’s pretty simple actually

The US importer himself invests to ensure China set up a factory in Vietnam or Thailand and sell their exports into US at normal tariffs

The Chinese gets majority of the cut while the Vietnamese get skills training and machinery and equipment from China and maybe in two decades can set up their own supply chain

You can’t stop trade

If there is a demand, there will always be a supply

For instance – BYD Cars made in China have to pay a 37.6% tariff to sell in Europe but BYD cars made in Thailand don’t have to.

India is the best example of this

We ban drone components from China but buy the same Chinese Drone components from Singapore or Malaysia with one small security check certificate for which we pay 60% higher cost

We can’t do otherwise

An order for 1000 Small Sky Drones is fulfilled in 4 1/2 months from DJI and the same order takes 1 1/2 years to 2 years at 150% higher cost by a German company

$ 2.7 (€ 2.47) Million vs € 4.1 Million

Nobody can replace the Chinese today

India tried but found that after 4 years – it simply can’t localise a supply chain without a massive infusion of subsidies for at least 15 years

This means at least ₹20 Lakh Crore or $ 240 Billion

Otherwise nobody will make components with 1% profit or 2% profit for the first seven years with Bank Loan interest rate of 14% a year

Banks maybe ordered to lend but borrowers refuse to avail money and if they do, they invest in share markets instead of building factories

The West is losing because they are fighting against Economic Forces which has never worked successfully

Soviet Union, Indonesia under Sukarno, Cuba have all lost

China under Deng identified the right path to avoid losing

They can’t win

The only way they can win is to make peace with Russia, China.

Create an International Law with equal participation at the table from Russia and China and Iran and others

And then COMPETE fairly

As a parent, what is the most heartbreaking thing your son/daughter has done with you?

Well, first my daughter 29 was killed in a car accident 2010. A month after that my youngest son went away to college.

It was a hard time for me obviously, dealing with losing my daughter and my youngest moving hours away, I did ask him if he’d like to wait on school and start the second semester. He says to me “no, it’s okay I’m over it” what!?

After less than one month you’re over the death of your sister!?

I only said to him, okay if you’re sure. Didn’t comment on what he said. Then for the next few years while he’s in college, we grew farther apart, I was in a terrible place, I’d be so happy when he would come home, he graduated found a job in Los Angeles and moved 60 miles from my house.

Yet I never saw him.

After a few years he told me he was “working on himself and he needed space, okay, I said. I tried to honor his request, only calling him maybe once a month, saying hello, how are you?

And I loved him. He wouldn’t talk more than that. For info, we paid over half of his college loans, and while in college I frequently send him 200- 300 dollars just to make sure he had enough money to do fun things, food and board were paid by my husband and I.

Then after years of him keeping his distance, at age 29 he texts us and tells us he can no longer be a part of our lives, he claimed that we failed him. That in order for him to be happy he didn’t want us in his life.

That was the only explanation he would give.

I asked him to please reconsider, I said let’s go to counseling to fix this.

He claims there is no ‘fixing this’ he said that this is on the advice of his therapist. what!? It’s been three years, I haven’t spoke to him in three years.

I have to say, it’s harder to accept your child rejecting you than if they die. I know my daughter didn’t choose to leave me, but my special only amazing boy, decided to never see me again.

It’s hard to believe that the beautiful relationship we shared while he was growing up meant nothing to him AND that he feels like I failed him. And gives me no explanation as to why.

I’m forced to live with this rejection with no way to try and make it right. Especially after losing my daughter (they were both 29when things happened.

it’s hard to believe my son could be so cruel.

I will always love him nothing would ever stop me from loving him.

I can honestly say, he was never abused, he was loved tremendously by his siblings, and his father and I he was smart at school, he was like the best kid ever, if at least he could let me know how I failed him, maybe I could begin to heal. I will never give up on him. I always pray he will come back.

I don’t own an oven in the house anymore. How do I prepare chicken if I can’t grill it directly?

There are lots of ways to cook a chicken without an oven.

There’s a Northwestern Chinese dish called Dapanji (“big plate chicken”) that I really like, it’s a staple in Xinjiang style restaurants and popular all over China. It’s quite easy to make, and you’re welcome to try my recipe below.

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Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, bell peppers, potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, sichuan peppers, red chilli oil/peppers, ground cumin, star anise

Preparation:

cut the chicken and vegetables into small pieces
sauté the spices/peppers in a big iron wok (a saucepan or pot will do fine as well)
sauté the chicken
add the vegetables
add hot broth or boiling water till the ingredients are fully submerged
stew for around an hour
add salt and sugar to taste
ideally served with broad, flat noodles such as daoxiaomian or banmian, but rice and flatbreads are fine as well
enjoy

China bad

80% of drones used by American farmers are from DJI! Is the US hesitating to ban Chinese drones?

US farmers have been steadily increasing their use of spray drones in recent years, with 3.7 million acres sprayed by drone in 2023 across 41 states and 50 crops, mostly by Chinese-made drones, claim US resellers of DJI equipment.

DJI Technologies said: “We don’t have specific market share numbers to provide, but a rough estimate suggests that approximately four out of every five ag drones utilized by US farmers are DJI models.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has released the full text of its marked up version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Unlike the version that passed in the House of Representatives last month, it does not include provisions to curb the activities of Chinese drone maker DJI Technologies, the market leader in ag spray drones in the US.

The House version of the bill sent shockwaves through the agricultural community last month as it included amendments from the Countering CCP Drones Act that would add equipment and services from DJI to the so-called ‘covered list,’ blocking DJI from getting FCC licenses for future drone models, and potentially leading to the revocation of existing FCC authorizations.

The SASC version, which was passed behind closed doors last month in a 22-3 vote, will now head to the Senate floor for consideration. Should it pass the full Senate it must then be reconciled with the House version.

Ukraine AI drones, new wonder weapon plan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is now in New York having talks with Lloyd Austin. What do you think is about to happen?

Firstly, the competitive relationship between the US and Russia in the ecological niche of international trade is irreconcilable.

Secondly, the Democratic Party is destined to lose this election, and the shelf life of any promises they make cannot exceed a lettuce. I don’t think this kind of communication has any meaning other than expressing respect among colleagues.

Thirdly, American politicians no longer understand how to conduct equal diplomacy. Several days ago in UNSC, they accused China of not using its power to pressure Russia and NK to change their policies, as if that’s a right thing to do. They truly believe that rudely interfere in internal affairs of other countries is a natural and normal behavior, and they believe that China should do the same as the US have done.

So why bother? I’ll wish Mr. Lavrov to have a nice day in NY travelling.

Why is the United States always targeting China?

In a display of political strategy masked as global stewardship, the United States keeps its crosshairs perpetually fixed on China, a façade for its real fear: the shift of global power from West to East.

The U.S. targeting China is fundamentally about preserving its global dominance and mitigating the threats posed by China’s rapid ascent on multiple fronts. The United States, historically accustomed to its position as the world’s leading superpower, views China’s rise with significant apprehension. These fears are influenced by various factors, such as economic competition, ideological differences, technological advancements, and geopolitical interests.

China’s economic boom over the past few decades is seen as a direct challenge to American economic supremacy. China’s robust growth rate, coupled with its ability to significantly influence global markets, has positioned it as a formidable rival. The trade wars, tariffs, and sanctions imposed by the U.S. are part of a broader strategy to manage this competition, aimed at curtailing China’s economic potential and protecting U.S. industries.

Moreover, the U.S. and China epitomize two distinct ideological poles – democracy versus communism. The U.S.’s ideological stance promotes liberal democracy and free-market principles, while China stands firm on a single-party system with state-led economic mechanisms. This ideological divide fosters a deep-rooted mistrust, as each nation fundamentally opposes the other’s governance model. The situation in regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong often becomes focal points within this clash, with the U.S. criticising what it perceives as human rights abuses.

The technological advancements achieved by China are another source of concern for the United States. The U.S. sees China’s strides in crucial sectors like artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing as a potential threat to its long-standing technological superiority. The fear of losing this edge drives the U.S. to impose restrictions on Chinese tech firms and invest heavily in its own industries to compete. The trade bans and sanctions against companies like Huawei are clear examples of efforts to stymie China’s technological progress.

Geopolitically, the Asia-Pacific region presents a significant flashpoint. Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have major strategic implications, and the U.S. supports its regional allies to counter China’s assertive territorial claims. Its backing of Taiwan’s self-governance, despite China’s insistence on reunification, is a deliberate move to check Chinese influence. Agreements like AUKUS and the Quad highlight the U.S. effort to strengthen its military presence and influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The targeting of China is also driven by the interests of the U.S. military-industrial complex. A substantial segment of the U.S. economy relies on defense spending and armament sales, and perceived threats from China justify enormous military budgets as well as the development of advanced weaponry. The narrative of a Chinese threat serves the defense industry’s interests and aligns with larger U.S. military strategies.

Lastly, the U.S frequently brings up human rights concerns, leveraging them as a basis for sanctions and diplomatic pressure. While there are genuine concerns about violations, such as the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang or political repression in Hong Kong, these issues also serve to undermine China’s global standing and challenge its internal policies.

In essence, the United States continues to target China not out of mere animosity but as a calculated measure to forestall a powerful rival’s ascent. This is a deliberate effort to maintain strategic superiority in an increasingly multipolar world. By leveraging economic tactics, ideological rhetoric, technological restrictions, and geopolitical strategies, the U.S. aims to contain China’s rise and protect its status as the preeminent global superpower.

Russia Eliminated a Senior PENTAGON Officer Responsible For The Supply of F-16 Fighters To KYIV

Has anyone ever had the satisfaction of seeing that one jerk driver get pulled over?

How about a quick story.

I left Police station at 2 in the morning and walked to the main road to get a taxi cab. This intersection used to be the busiest but at this time it was almost deserted and I had to stand and wait there for some good minutes to get a cab. Finally one came around and while I was putting my laptop bag on the back seat.

I heard this roaring sound of a car’s engine.

I turned back and saw this old model Suzuki Fx approaching the intersection in a flash. Crossed the intersection and vanished in to the night with speed so fast that It scared me for their or somebody else’s safety.

I stood still for some seconds feeling mixed emotions of anger and fear. It was likely that their careless driving might result into a collision with some other vehicle which surely would turn fatal.

But then it struck me “They must be running away after committing a crime”.

I was off duty and this wasn’t my jurisdiction. Tough day’s work had worn me out and I really wanted to get home and go to bed. But this driver’s utterly careless driving and this suspicion of them being criminals gave me a quick boost to do something about it.

I quickly made couple of phone calls and managed to warn a Police picket couple of miles ahead on this very road, told them to completely block the road and look for this old model Suzuki in black color. They acknowledged.

Instead of going home in my cab, curiosity took me to that very Picket to see if they’re stopped. I felt this strange energy and pride that I am doing something positive. Regardless of being off duty, I am striving to protect and serve the crap out of my city while they’re asleep. I won’t lie, it felt good.

I reached there and saw 3 persons who rode in that car were stopped on the picket and were being questioned. They were searched thoroughly along with their vehicle. Nothing illegal was found. They were not drunk either. All three were college students without a driving license and registration book.

Driver was acting quite confidently since we couldn’t find firearms or alcohol. To him, that must have been a minimum legitimate excuse to get in trouble with the law.

He spoke in a loud and rude tone “See? We are clean. Now let us go otherwise I am making a phone call. My uncle is blah blah blah”.

I looked at that young lad with disappointment. I wasn’t angry as such public behavior isn’t rare. No way was I going to let them take off in their “super cruiser” of a car.

What they didn’t know was that careless and hoon driving is a punishable offence which can lead to jail time. Having no registration book can result in seizure of vehicle until a Judge directs us to let it go after verification.

Tell you what. Why don’t you call that uncle of yours since you’ve got no IDs, we need to verify your background. And there is no way this vehicle is taking you anywhere. We are taking it in possession. Also it is to be determined if you should be booked for careless driving.

What?

You heard me.

A police mobile van was called and they were escorted to the nearest Police station. I left for home.

Later I learnt that car was seized and remained in the Police compound for a week as such legal procedures can be time consuming. But those teenagers were let go with a warning. Their parents came to the Police station late at night and assured “this won’t happen again”. Especially the driver’s dad was quite furious and felt free to spank his son’s bottom, or so I heard.

Somebody might think, I acted over grudge or something like that. No, I have nothing personal against him or anybody else. I did not hate that kid, but his careless driving seriously concerned me for his and other’s safety.

I hope he doesn’t drive again the way I saw him.

“48 Oyster Girl” Is Going Viral for This NIGHTMARE Date

Has anyone surprised you after their death, e.g. receiving an organ from a donor, a sizeable inheritance, or a visit from a friendly ghost?

Originally Answered: Has anyone surprised you after their death?

My brother did for me. I’m the youngest of 3 and my brother was the oldest. There were 8 years difference in our ages. We did not have the tightest of brotherly relationships when we were growing up or even when we were adults. I always felt that he was a bit cold, and as I was the only one in my family to have children, he remained a bit “distant”. I didn’t understand until after he died that it was just “his way”.

My brother was a bit “demanding” when he was home with family, yet he always was extremely tolerant of my son who has Down Syndrome. I just felt like “we” (my family, mostly my children) weren’t that close or important to him. I found out (much to my very surprise) after he died that just wasn’t true.

My brother was a video editor for the government (I don’t want to give to many details as it was military related). Upon his very sudden and tragic death, the owner of the contracting company gave me his personal belonging. One was a picture of Larry in front of his work station, a very complex video editing bay.

What caught my eye and threw me for a very big loop was a picture of both my daughter and son on his bay. It wasn’t just that there were pictures, but it was the most recent pictures my wife had sent him. We figured he never did anything with them. Then, at his funeral, which was attended by many military officers and civilians, so many of them came up to me (as I did his eulogy they all knew who I was), and asked me “we see your daughter, but where is Michael (my son)?” (We had left him home as it was just “easier” at the time). I was shocked. They all knew all these details about my kids. They all told me that my brother constantly talked about them.

I have to tell you that many times I broke down after this privately and cried. I never had any idea that he felt that close to my children. He had such a hard way about him that we just didn’t have that type of relationship. It was at that very moment that I realized just how much I lost in his passing.

I always knew my brother was a good person. He always worked, even in tough times, always was saving cats (he loved dogs, but as an apartment dweller they were not allowed). He always paid his taxes. He was just a good person.

It took his tragic passing for me to learn what he was really about. I miss him every day and have his editing clock in my office to always remind me of his presence in our family and my life.

Hum. I suggest that he should check the paternity of his children. This is far too weird. -MM

Man Discovers Fiancée Is Cheating/Committing Fraud On OnlyFans, So He Has Her Arrested By The FBI

Shorpy

Seared Scallop Cavatappi in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Seared Scallop Cavatappi in Creamy White Wine Sauce takes only 20 minutes to make and is full of nutrients, this decadent scallop cavatappi dish only feels like a splurge. We love it for dinner parties and special nights in.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 ounces cavatappi
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fennel, white part only, thinly sliced
20 each “dry” sea scallops
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped dill

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the cavatappi according to package directions. Drain and reserve.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Add the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook, allowing the fennel to caramelize on one side, about 3 minutes before flipping and doing the same on the second side. It should be caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside when pierced with a knife.
Remove from pan.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Increase heat to high.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
Place them in the pan in a single layer. If they don’t fit, do them in 2 batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Allow scallops to brown on one side (about 1 minute) then flip and brown the second side.
Remove from pan.
Add the shallots to the pan and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook down just to take the away the raw alcohol flavor (about 1 minute).
Add the cream and cook another minute.
Stir in the dill.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Add the pasta and fennel to heat through.
For each serving, divide the pasta between 4 bowls.
Place 5 scallops on each plate.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: National Pasta Association

20 And Back – The Super Soldiers Defending the Kuiper Belt

MM based on the Carmine Sabitini archetype template-seed

The earth rotates on it’s axis and we are just riding it. It seems to be wobbling a tad bit of late…

Oh Doggie, the alt-media are sure being quiet right now. Kinda spooky.

The Iranian strike was devastating. I’ve seen tons of videos of the lights falling from the sky, and the real interesting videos of skyscrapers fully engulfed in flames like some kind of pyre.

Serious wars going on. All backed by the United States.

Everything the UN tries to do something, the US vetoes it. Genocide, war, profiteering. You name it. The USA vetoes it. Soon, everyone is gonna leave the UN and go form their own elsewhere.

Anyways, the Iran delayed response to Israel was substantive and significant.

Israel is promising a horrific response (Hal Turner Link)

Four F-35 attempted to strike into Iran, but Russia notified Iran, and they Turned back (Hal Turner Link)

My guess is that they were carrying nuclear payloads.

Now Israel is [1] waging genocide on the Palestinians, [2] invading Lebanon, and [3] waging war with Iran. All with United States approval and backing (The Duran YouTube discussion)

This use of nuclear weapons by Israel in Lebanon is disturbing (Intel Drop)

Seems to me that Washington DC is run by neocon Jake Sullivan, and its as crazy as a “Mad Hatter”. The pivot to China is coming up hard and fast.

Mean while, Russia ain’t playin’. They packed their bags and left the USA. (Hal Turner)

Here in China, on this major anniversary, there are tons of patriotic war movies where China is fighting the USA on all the Douxing APPs.

Israel is planning something BIG. (Hal Turner Link)

Domain Commander confirms that nuclear-related weapons were used in the Middle East, and in Ukraine. But that none of the massive big ones are being rolled out… just yet. It is still “small to medium bads” from my point of view. And that I shouldn’t get too caught up in affairs that do not involve myself.

Perhaps we are expecting a Hollywood world war and not the nasty shit that we are watching today.

Domain commander said something about “to create a garden, you first have to clear the forest, and move things around“, and that all is proceeding to plan.

Domain does not like any nuclear weapons or discharges of them, and they will not permit the BIG nasty stuff to ever see the light of day. However, these small explosions (how it’s even considered to be small?) are trivial in the big picture.

If and when the USA does decide to “pivot to China” I will be getting much better intel from the DC.

Buckle up, but don’t get too caught up.

…

A few years ago I added an affirmation that I would live a lifestyle similar to the movie character Carmine Sabitini.

I liked the character, the way he carried himself, his business, the idea of family, and wealth and power.

Here is the part in the movie where the young “freshman” is introduced to Carmine…

The Freshman – Carmine

Know the character. This is what I aspired to manifest.

This is the man who I aspired to become…

He’s [1] a local businessman; [2] an importer involved in [3] international trade.

He’s [4] older. He has [5] a lot of respect.

He’s [6] charming in his own sort of way.

He has a [7] beautiful daughter, that is [8] strong willed, and independent. He also has [9] a network of friends and family.

He is [10] moderately wealthy, and [11] Protected from harm.

Yeah.

So, about a decade ago I added an affirmation along these lines;

I live a life similar to that of Carmine Sabitini in the fictional movie "The Freshman". The emphasis is in his relationships, power, wealth and business.

And then I forgot all about it.

But within a year of my affirmations, I was appointed the GM of an international trade organization, and had a lot of power and various relationships that seem eerie familiar.

Two years later I started my own operations.

Two years after that, I had a head-strong daughter. Indeed, Consider Carmine’s sole daughter…

The Freshman – Clark meets Tina Sabatini

Now, my daughter is only five, but sure as shit, this gal and my daughter have a very similar personality.

And I have even been walking back and forth in my office, just like Carmine, dealing with issues demanding “good news”.

I argue that you must be VERY careful on what you affirm. Be super dooper careful, and if you base your affirmations on a fictional character or lifestyle, you MUST be absolutely specific.

I am living this life now; based on an affirmation guidance-template that uses the movie “The Freshman” as a “seed”. Heads up, I will generate a YouTube or Patron video on this concept in the near future.

Meanwhile, I think that it is supremely instructive to watch the movie and compare it to what I have manifested.

All, in all, I am looking at 80% manifestation exactness on the elements so specified. No joke.

The Freshman | English Full Movie | Comedy Crime

Now, here is the entire and complete movie for your viewing pleasure.

If you want to really get to understand the interactions between affirmation statements and manifestations, then viewing this video will be of great help.

Please take the time to watch it so that you will get a better understanding on the kind of relationships that my affirmations were attempting to manifest.

Today…

Here’s a light-hearted joke that Australians might appreciate:

Why do kangaroos hate rainy days?

Because the kids have to play inside!

BREAKING NEWS: CHINA SENDS PLA TROOPS TO BELARUS – MESSAGE TO NATO

Hal Turner World July 06, 2024

In an utterly stunning development in eastern Europe, China has sent troops from its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to Belarus, to participate side-by-side with Belarus troops in an “exercise.” – as NATO places 115,000 troops on Belarus’ Border.

Word of this began to leak out around 5:00 AM eastern US time today (Saturday July 6) when avid air enthusiasts noticed an unidentified plane in Belarus air space. It had begun squawking a Transponder beacon, but was not identifying itself.

Unidentifed Plane Belarus 07 06 2024 Was China PLA

The plane landed at a military base in Belarus, and Covert Intel was quickly deployed to take a look. That turned out to be unnecessary because both Belarus and Russia made public the details:

The aircraft was a troop transport/cargo plane from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA):

Shortly after it landed, a small contingent of Chinese Army troops de-planed and were greeted with a hearty welcome by Belarus military officers.

It turns out this is a not-subtle-at-all message to NATO: China backs Belarus and Russia.

It also turns out that this proves interoperability between those forces; something that was not heretofore confirmed by the West.

NATO has positioned about 115,000 troops on the border of Belarus, hoping to force Russia to lock-in-place about 300,000 troops it has on the border of Ukraine.

Now that China has made its entry into the situation, Russia is now free to utilize those 300,000 troops along Ukraine’s border without having to worry that NATO will enter Belarus.

This is a very big change in the balance of power in eastern Europe.

It seems designed to give Pause to NATO and to the West.

Observers say it will either achieve that goal, or perhaps trigger a much worse set of actions by the West.

This is now a tinderbox ready to be ignited by the smallest “spark.”

What are some mind-blowing facts about social psychology?

Studies have found that humans are attracted to people who resemble us or our parents. Although other studies have found that we find individuals who resemble family members trustworthy not “lustworthy”, fitting with known deficits of sexual attraction to someone related to you.
Studies have also found that as time goes by, couples in long term relationships eventually look like one another. This is due to mimicking the same facial expressions over time, creating similar wrinkle lines.
Use mirroring body language when talking to somebody. I’ve used this in interviews and have had great outcomes. Copying someone else’s gestures in a subtle way makes you more understanding and likeable.
When you shake someone’s hand for the first time, make sure they’re warm. Warm hands mean a warm approach. Not mind-blowing but a useful technique.
The Bystander Effect. This theory suggests that when an incident occurs, the more people that are present in the accident, the less likely it is for someone to come forward and help. It’s true.
People follow authoritative figures blindly. A study by Milgram found that people would administer electric shocks on individuals, even if the ‘consequences’ were severe, just because an authoritative figure asked them to.
Your name is powerful. Using a person’s name upon greeting or in the middle of a conversation means that you recognise their existence. You massage their ego, boosting their self esteem. This one act does them a huge favour.

Col Douglas Macgregor Zelensky Dragging Us in to WWlll

From a pro-‘Merica site.

Burnt Round Steak

IMG 0287 2000x1334 2 scaled — IMG 0287 2000×1334 2 scaled

Ingredients

1 large round steak, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Burgundy wine
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl and marinate meat for at least 1 hour.
Put meat on campfire forks or on grill and cook over glowing coals until done as desired.

Notes

This is good served with fry bread.

25 Minutes Of Modern Women Having MELTDOWN Because Can’t Get More Child Support

What did you do when you were suddenly fired from a job?

The following might be a bit off topic.

Well, I was not technically “fired” because I already had a job offer in hand.

I was working in a North American MNC and our team project was winding down, and we had to look to others’ projects to clock our hours. Those were the days when we had to log daily how our time was used. It was apparent that the local office was not getting new projects, so I had gone job hunting and got an offer.

I took morning leave to go sign the contract, and was back in office in the afternoon. Had a chance encounter with the team manager. He told me he was going to send me on a short training stint in Australia, and that’s when I asked him not to. Naturally he would ask why, and I decided to tell him that I intended to put in my resignation at the end of the month. I wanted to spare him the embarrassment of putting in the paperwork with HR and then to find out that I would resign afterwards. I thought I was doing him a small favour, although I was going to leave the job.

He then asked if it was a competitor, and I said yes. I was trying to be nice, but realised that I was actually being naive when I look back at this.

Unknown to me, he went to HR. A few hours later, he came to my cubicle and told me that I should put in my resignation there and then, and leave immediately.

Yes, I do understand the fear that I might steal trade secrets or sabotage the work. But I was very disappointed that I had trusted him but he did not trust me.

To add insult to injury, I didn’t get the annual bonus because I had to tender my resignation at the beginning of December and didn’t complete the year of work. Which was the reason that I had wanted to put in my resignation only at the end of the month. These were technicalities, but was a whole month worth of pay.

A few weeks later, a former colleague arranged for a “farewell” lunch. A known less-than-responsible guy tried to upset me and said that because of my departure, everyone got a 10% raise as management was afraid that there would be an exodus. To which I replied, “Good for you. Luckily, I was offered a 20% raise in my new job and didn’t have to wait for somebody to leave.”

After that, I would refuse to go to reunions if either of those guys was attending.

TRICERATOPS – Retro Pulp Science Fiction by Skyward, 16mm, 1962, Film Experimentation, AI Dinosaurs

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

My father did 4 1/2 tours of Vietnam, USMC.

He was an asshole who accepted zero excuses for a failure to do what should have been done.

Mid 1970’s, we’re at the lake on vacation. Dad saw the man in the camper next to ours bail out of the camper, on fire. Flames were rolling out of the camper and the man’s wife was trapped in the rear. The man had set himself on fire trying to get to his wife out. Without saying a word, he grabbed 2 small fire extinguishers that were in our camper, hit the man with one in passing and then ran into a camper that was by then fully engulfed in flames. Lost sight of him immediately after entering due to flames and smoke. Probably 20 seconds later, dad came running out, with the lady thrown over his shoulder and laid her down and then collapsed under a tree. The camper was burnt to the ground within 2 minutes. Dad had some pretty serious burns. The lady he rescued had quite a bit of serious burns. The husband that had come running out on fire died before they could get him to the hospital.

My dad had never talked about his time in Vietnam or even about running into a camper fully on fire. When I came back from Mogadishu, I was having trouble sleeping, angry all the time, and was probably fixing to wind up in prison for numerous bar fights where a couple men had gotten hurt pretty bad. I didn’t have a off switch by then. I was not coping well at all. Me and the old man were drinking a few beers one evening after brutally hot day of working cattle. And the old men started talking to me, not as a father, but as a fellow warrior. He knew exactly what I was going through. He told me that the paticulars of the battle don’t matter. It’s the changes it does to you in your heart and mind that matters. He helped me find the help that I desperately needed. I didn’t know it at the time, didn’t find out till his funeral that he had run into a bunker on fire in Vietnam and pulled one other Marine out.

12 Mistakes That Make Men Look OLD

Commerce Secretary Raimondo said U.S. needs to work with EU to slow China’s innovation rate and need to ‘hold their feet to the fire’.

What do you think of such obvious hegemonic remarks? Does ‘America First’ still play a role in the United States?

Commerce Secretary Raimondo said U.S. needs to work with EU to slow China’s innovation rate and need to ‘hold their feet to the fire’.What do you think of such obvious hegemonic remarks? Does ‘America First’ still play a role in the United States?

Secretary Raimondo doesn’t really matter. The US-China relationship is decided by people above her pay grade. President Biden and his own advisors. The one closest to President Biden is probably Ron Klain, his chief of staff, someone who’s been his confidante since his vice-president days. Mr. Blinken may count as an insider (he’s really a Clinton/Albright man, not in the original Biden team. So an inheritance.). I doubt even Sullivan is that close. The others such as Tai and Raimondo, these are just “they came highly recommended by friend’-sort of office holders.

Mrs. Raimondo didn’t even endorse Mr. Biden in his presidential bid. She endorsed the billionnaire Mr. Bloomberg instead. These are East Coast “Wall Street democrats” – tax-cut, de-regulation, but also willing to spend tax dollars on (some) welfare and (some) education. When Mr. Biden got elected, he needed to get the support of Wall Street Democrats. So he offered HHS (Health and Human Services) Secretary to Mrs. Raimondo. She said no. Not interested in this thankless job with Covid raging. She wanted Commerce instead.

In the end it was Ron Klain who dived head-long into the nightmare logistics of the vaccine rollout, and did a good job of it too. And didn’t make himself the news. That’s what a president’s confidante should look like. Mrs. Raimondo, she’s many things but not a Biden Confidante.

Now that you know Mrs. Raimondo sits at the peripheral of the Biden Circle, you can see that what she says doesn’t matter. (She has a hawkish language, which probably more a reflection of her own closeness with Senator Reed, who’s the Chairman of the Senate Arms Services Comm. and a childhood friend since forever. Not a “pope” yet but definitely a ranking “cardinal” in the Senate.) What she is tasked to do, that will reflect some pieces of what the Biden team is thinking. It’s unlikely that they’ve thought about this issue a lot, with the White House so deeply buried in the budget and the stimulus fight with the Congress.

But they would know much more than the general public opinion about the realities of US-China relationship. If the ordinary people are at ground zero in terms of understanding, the politicians are probably at level 1, the trade and finance guys probably at level 2, and the WH probably at level 3.

For example, there are a ton of questions right here on Quora about the Chinese real estate company Evergrande. Questions like “would it trigger China collapse”. These people have no idea that it’s the Chinese government who stopped Evergrande from being able to raise money domestically, so they turned to issuing dollar-bond. In case of default, the government gets all the land and the assets, China policy banks hold the most senior debt. Chinese investors hold second-senior debt. Foreign dollar-bond investors hold the most junior debt, so they have to bear all the loss. Then you see a bunch of rednecks cheering it on while Tony Blinken called up the Chinese to say “could you please please be gentle with Evergrande”. China will tell him to go f*ck off but at least Blinken knows who’s gonna really be screwed. The general public, and all these “financial reporters”, they don’t even know how to read a bond seniority table, and with their very limited intelligence and knowledge, they want to set international policy!

The big picture is that the previous Administration had turned a largely win-win relationship into a lose-lose relationship, and Mr. Biden has come to the realization that “if for every $1 you lose, I’m losing $2 or more, then we may be both screwed but I get screwed even more. So can I figure out a way to stop the bleed, hopefully without rolling back everything, ’cause we’d look really stupid if we have to do that.”

Before the trade war, essentially the US makes the wheel, China makes the sofa. Put it on top, and you have a car to drive around. Then the trade war started, and the US took the wheel and put a trade sanction on it – which of course made China go into a frenzy of re-inventing the wheel.

The “China can’t innovate” is a stupid meme advanced by third-rate wanna-be politicians, such as HP’s Carly Fiorina when she wanted to run for the Senate in 2010. A people who launched nuclear bombs and communications satellites with only pencil-and-paper, literally, can not be very stupid, can they. It’s just that the notable Chinese inventions, such as cheap Malaria drug or salt-tolerant rice, these are really not “a thing” to rich people. In reality you invent things to improve your own lives, thus China wants to do shared bicycles and the US wants to do space tourism. One targets $2000 annual income people, the other $20,000,000 annual income people. Different market segments.

So this idea that by sanctioning China, these manufacturing jobs will come back to the US, is completely insane! Have you looked at how much these jobs are paid in China vs. the US? They will not “go back to the US”, unless the US becomes as poor as China.

The Wall Street actually figured out a good way to share the profit of China’s growth – by investing in it and get a share of the profit. There was China-bashing but that was mostly for two things – one is Pentagon budget, the other is some special favor for their pet industry from China.

When the trade war started, a lot of these American industries basically did a calculation – Trump is an idiot but maybe he can really squeeze something to my benefit? If it doesn’t work, then it’s all Trump’s fault and I can go back to the way we work with my Chinese partners before. Well, the problem with these cost-benefit analyses is that these things fundamentally is about what you think, not about the reality, and the reality tends to work differently! Turned out most suppliers still want the work. Distributors, not so much.

What about fixing the uneven distribution of the benefit of trade that created the army of Trump voters? No, of course, not. Don’t even think about it. I paid the lobbyists to make deals that are good for me and bad for you, fair-and-square! No way I’m sharing the upside! Let’s just all blame foreigners and poor people.

(PS: International trade deals creates winners and losers even though the sum total might be advantageous. The way to mitigate this uneven distribution is through internal fiscal transfer or domestic economic policy. Failure to mitigate will exacerbate inequality and make domestic politics volatile. )

So here we are, 3 years after the trade war and tech embargo, with the highest ever trade deficit, growing inflation, and a China who is now absolutely determined to de-couple technologically from the US. Mr. Biden is trying to stop the loss, and Mrs. Raimondo is sent out to see if our “allies” can share the loss, instead of making bank from it. Under the shadow of climate emergency and the extraordinary inequality. This hole we are in is so deep, nobody knows how to climb out of it. And the most idiotic and crazy of them yells the loudest!

Coup attempt in Bolivia fails as president urges people to mobilize against democracy threat

Here’s a light-hearted joke involving Americans and Irish stew:

Why did the American try to make Irish stew?

Because he wanted to see what all the “stew-pendous” fuss was about!

Shorpy

@@@@@@SHORPY Pittsburgh Panorama.preview

Toilet paper drama

Finding love in space

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Tea Kleva

It’s year 2155 and I’m living on Venus. We travel with space ships from one planet to another. Woman live on Venus and man on Mars, so in order to meet each other we go once a week on Jupiter.The purpose in my life is to find the love of my life. What a cliché, right? But I can’t help it if I’m a hopeless romantic. Sometimes I think that I would never find him and I will live alone till I die.The day to go on Jupiter came and I was ready to meet the love I was waiting for the past 50 years. All the girls took a seat in a spaceship and we were ready to go. The journey was long, so I started to talk to the girl who was sitting next to me.“So, are you nervous for your date?” I asked her.She looked at me and smiled. Her eyes were green and I just lost myself in them. I was just staring at her and the whole thing became awkward really fast.“I’m sorry for starring at you like that, but you have such a pretty eyes.” I apologized.“Oh, don’t worry,” she replied. “And yes, I’m a little nervous for my date. By the way, I’m Caroline.”“Nice to meet you Caroline, I’m Jasmine.”We talked the whole trip and we became friends. I felt the happiness filling my body and I was so grateful that I met her.The boys were already waiting for us. This place was always so beautiful and with the boys on it I loved it even more. I was just standing there alone, when one boy approached me.“Wow, I just can’t believe it. You are stunning!” the boy said.I smiled and thanked him. He took my hand and gave it a little kiss. We walked to one free table and sat down.“Let me introduce myself, I’m Hunter, I’m 166 years old and I live in a villa on Mars. I appreciate the natural beauty, so that’s the main reason I chose you as my date.” He said.“Well thank you for the compliment, Hunter. I’m Jasmine, I’m 133 years old and I live in a small apartment on Venus. I appreciate that you are such a gentleman and that’s the reason I let you choose me as your date.” I said.We were flirting the whole time and I could feel some kind of connection between us, but at the same time I just couldn’t stop thinking about Caroline and every time I saw her having a good time with her date I was kind of jealous.The day on Jupiter ended and I felt like there was no connection between me and Hunter. He was the perfect guy, just not for me. I walked in space ship and sat beside Caroline.“How was your date?” I asked.“It wasn’t bad, but at the same time I felt I had more connection with you than him, you know.” She said.I was so happy, because I felt exactly the same. Does that mean that I should search for my soulmate on my own planet? I’m so confused.“Can I ask you something?” I said. “Would you like to go out with me? To know each other better and become maybe, uh, more than friends…”I couldn’t believe I actually said that. I was a little scared of how she is going to react. So I was just starring at my feet. She took my chin with her soft, warm, perfect hands and lifted my head so we made eye contact. She was smiling so that’s a good sign.“I would love to go out with you Jasmine, because I feel something for you. It’s a little strange, but an amazing feeling.” She said while still holding my face.

During our flight back we hit another spaceship. The alarm went off and I was panicking. Caroline took my hand and told me everything is going to be okay. We landed on the Moon and Caroline had the idea that we could go on an adventure, so she took my hand and we ran on the other side of the Moon. We found a cave and we went inside. It was dark, but fortunately I had my battery with me. The cave was white, the walls had different shapes and the echo was amazing. We started singing and the walls sang back. I never wanted to leave this place. We went deeper in the cave and found a waterfall. I remembered that we learned a lot of this cave in the school. The water was magical. If you dive in it and think of some place, you would get there through this waterfall. I was so curious if this really worked, so I proposed to Caroline that we dive in the water and travel on the Earth.

We got in the water and thought of some place on Earth. Suddenly I remembered that Eart was a big place and that we wouldn’t land in the same place, but it was to late. There was a flash of light so I closed my eyes and I could feel my body flying through the space. I landed in front of Big Ben. I was in London. I didn’t have any device to communicate with Caroline and even if I was among the people, I felt alone.

Right now I just wanted to find Caroline and go back to Venus, where I could perhaps marry her and be with her forever. I know that we didn’t know each other enough, but my gut is telling me that she could be the one.

I just stopped for a minute and closed my eyes. I wanted to see if I could feel where she was. I heard music in the distance and someone was calling my name. I turned around and opened my eyes. Some kind of shadow ran into the bar where the music came from. I followed the shadow and I saw a girl who had same hair as Caroline. That must be her! I found her! I went to the girl and hugged her.

“I finally found you!” I said. I let go of the hug and the girl turned around. It wasn’t Caroline. I felt so embarrassed and I left the bar. I started crying because I thought I would never find Caroline. I sat on the stairs outside the bar and I couldn’t stop crying. After I stopped crying I looked on the floor and my tears spelled Paris. I stood up and went to the airport. I had some money with me so I bought a ticket for Paris.

I searched whole Paris just to find Caroline, but I couldn’t find her. I stopped in front of Eiffel tower and started praying that someone could give me a sign or some kind of help, so I could find her.

“Hello miss, do you want to see how beautiful Paris is from the top of Eiffel tower?” some man said.

I bought a ticket to visit the top of the tower. I stopped for a moment to enjoy the view, when someone grabbed my shoulders. I turned around and there she was, Caroline. We found each other, fate wanted to reunite us in the city of love, Paris. We hugged and I just couldn’t let her go. I didn’t want to lose her again.

“Now that we found each other again, we should go home.” She whispered in my ear.

“But home is wherever we are together. So right now we could stay in Paris and then we could explore the rest of the World.” I said with a tear sliding down my cheek.

So we decided to stay on Earth. The only thing we needed at the moment were each other and the desire for travelling.

After 5 years we travelled the whole world, so we decided to go back on Venus. Me and Caroline live in the house we build together. We love each other and want to grow old together.

Sometimes your soulmate come to your life when you least expect it and sometimes it’s not the person you would expect, but that’s the beauty of life, it’s unpredictable.

So Much

What is the cheapest thing you’ve seen a mega-rich person do?

Few years ago, my uncle, a heart surgeon, was ordering a coffee in a luxury and very expensive restaurant: the cashier turned out to be the owner of the business. While the restaurant is one of the most famous of my city, that man is the owner of a company that owns, along with that restaurant, many other luxury shops, cafeterias, food stores etc etc: that company has a profit of about 30–40 million euros a year.

So, my uncle took the coffee and was about to pay when the owner had a heart attack, and my uncle provided him first aid and eventually managed to take him to the nearest hospital and save his life.

After a month, my uncle, as he used to do almost every week end, goes to take a coffee in that restaurant when he sees the owner for the first time since that accident . The owner warmly greets my uncle and then … here comes the plot twist … tells him (not jokingly) “hey, last time we met, you forgot to pay your coffee”.

My uncle paid for his coffee and never set foot in that place again.

YOU NEED TO OUTWORK EVERYONE – Motivational Speech

What was Turkey’s stance during WW2 when Germany was near their borders?

Nervous. Very, very nervous.

By 1941, Turkey was in an extremely tenuous position. The Soviet Union, our old friends during our War of Independence, had reversed course under Stalin and had begun to eye not only the old Imperial territories in Turkish east that were conclusively lost with the Treaty of Kars, but also the Straits themselves. On the other hand, there stood Germany across the border- a state with which we ostensibly had friendly enough relations, but the aims of the Reich were hard to know. Further complicating things, Britain was prodding us to see if we’d enter the war on the Allied side, and while Britain didn’t exactly have the power to force us, this put us in the crosshairs of a Reich that might decide that it’d be better off eliminating the threat before it struck at an unopportune time. And of course, even if Germany didn’t desire to attack us, that still left the question of Mussolini’s Italy hanging: after all, Germany hadn’t wanted to attack Greece either.

Still fighting to climb out of the ruin that the Great War and the struggle for freedom afterwards had left us in, we couldn’t afford another war, nor did we want one. This left the razor sharp path of strict neutrality for us to follow, while arming ourselves to the teeth so we could sell ourselves dearly when the time came.

Throughout the Second World War, Turkey was one step short of a state of war. Air raids shelters designated across the country, rationing and blackouts instituted, courses to train citizens on the realities of warfare set up, and the army and the economy mobilized for wartime, Turkey was bracing for a war that might have been right at the door, intending to sell our lives dearly if it came to it.

By 1943, the Turkish army had expanded to forty-five divisions(including one armored division) and five brigades(one cavalry, one armored and three infantry), organized into three armies and fifteen corps, totaling 1.3 million men under arms- two thirds of all people eligible for military service.

Soviet-produced T-26 tanks during a parade before the Second World War. These vehicles bought in 1932 was the first sizeable tank force of the Turkish army. By 1945, Turkish armed forces would have a rather sizeable tank arm consisting of an utter hodgepodge of vehicles, ranging from Soviet T-26’s, British Vickers Mark 6’s and Valentines, German Panzer III and IV’s, and American Stuarts and Shermans.

Turkey’s Second World War policy can be described tongue in cheek as putting all effort towards being a friendly, but extremely spiky hedgehog. It was centered simultaneously on maintaining friendly neutrality with everyone around us, while being as ready as humanly possible for any war that might come our way.

High-Value Man TRIGGERED American Women After He Told Them They Aren’t Wife Material

What is the saddest thing you’ve ever seen as a police officer?

I’ve seen a lot of really sad things, way too many than I care to recall. But here’s just one sad story of many.

A Husband and Wife were having a Birthday party for their daughter. She was little, maybe 4 to 6. I don’t remember exactly how old she was. The mother and daughter and guests were all playing, and eating cake in the living room of their 8th floor apartment. The father had been recently receiving treatment for depression, and went into the kitchen and decided to jump out of the window, to his death.

The Mother didn’t notice, until we came up to the apartment and knocked on the door. I saw what was going on, and called her out of the apartment into the hallway. I explained everything that just happened to her, and yes, I didn’t follow protocol and have her make a formal ID of his body. Yes, I did it differently. A picture, the doorman, and his ID, were good enough for me. There’s no way I was going to put this poor woman through any more stress.

She asked me about what she should do? How could the situation be handled? I still don’t know if I gave her the right advice. I was a 28 y/o, I wasn’t married, and had no children. I told her to lie to her daughter for now. Not to tell her that her Daddy had died on her birthday by jumping out the window and committing suicide.

I told her I’d help call the guests’ parents, and have their kids picked up from the party. Then maybe she could tell her daughter that her Daddy wasn’t feeling too well, and went to the hospital. Maybe in the next day or two, she could tell her that her Daddy had died in the hospital of a heart attack.

Then, when the child was older she could tell her the truth, since family secrets always wind up coming out, anyway.

I’m not one for lying to people but I just thought that she would always associate her birthday with her father’s death, and that just wasn’t fair for this little girl. Unfortunately, death by suicide is still mostly taboo, even in big cities. She and her Mother deserved so much better than the hand they were dealt that day. I still don’t know if this was the right advice, but this is what I would have done for my child, if I’d had one.

Election In Britain

The Tories have lost the election in Britain.

Labour, under Keir Stamer, did not win the election. It received less votes than it had received under Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 and 2019.

biggerThe turnout was low. The overwhelming voter sentiment was ‘anything but Tory’. There was no enthusiasms for Labour and Stamer’s program.

Labour, under Corbyn, had been a real worker party with socialist tendencies.

The deep state, with the help of the Israeli embassy, had launched a media campaign against Labour alleging that it was hiding anti-semitic tendencies. Corbyn made the huge mistake of not fighting back against it. In the end he was kicked out despite Labour’s healthy election results.

Jeremy Corby, no longer in Labour, has been reelected. So have been five MPs who campaigned on a pro-Gaza position.

Stamer is a controversial figure. He seems to have been placed in his position by the deep state. His previous position was the Chief of the Crown Prosecution Service. He had a major role in indicting and incarcerating Julian Assange.

After being installed he has moved Labour to the right. It is now occupying a pro-capitalism center-right position:

“What Keir has done is taken all the left out of the Labour Party,” billionaire businessman John Caudwell, previously a big Tory donor, told the BBC. “He’s come out with a brilliant set of values and principles and ways of growing Britain in complete alignment with my views as a commercial capitalist.”The Labour Party highlighted his endorsement.

Stamer will hurt the British public more than the Tory did under Sunak.

There will soon be an uproar against him.

I do note expect him to survive for long.

Posted by b at 13:16 UTC | Comments (172)

To Smear China, the US Stabbed the Philippines in the Back

What did your parents do to you that broke your heart?

I was blessed with having great parents, but this is how they broke my heart…

My parents had me quite late. My mom was nearly 40 when she fell pregnant with me. I was their baby. Some of my half brothers and sisters had moved out already, when I arrived.

This made me much closer to my parents than any of the others. By the time I came around, they had both become more patient, less worried about making mistakes, way more relaxed and our relationship showed that.

But they were also much older than most of my friends’ parents. When my friends were relying on their parents to lend them money, mine were retiring and due to some issues with their retirement fund, there was no money for them to relax and enjoy their golden years.

Luckily, I had already started on my way to a successful career in software development, so I was fully prepared to support them, rather than the other way around.

For the last 10 years or more I have been asking them to live with me. Every time I asked they had some excuse that they couldn’t(or wouldn’t). For years I have been planning all the time we could spend together, but nothing I did would make them budge.

Then, 4 or 5 years ago, Dad had a stroke. He went from healthy active 75 year old, to a bedridden, confused, (sometimes) aggressive man-child. He refused any attempt at physiotherapy and declined steadily from then on.

Mom was a trooper. She looked after Dad to the best of her abilities, but she was well into her seventies too, so it wasn’t easy. I stepped up my attempts to get them to move in with me. They needed my help more than ever, but they were determined to stay in their own home.

Then, this year in February, Dad got sick. Some sort of stomach bug. Mom was exhausted (I mean, more so than usual). I tried to get an organisation to take over caring for my father at home, to give mom a break, especially since the illness meant so much more work for Mom. Every one I contacted were unable to help, because my parents lived too far away from the city. They were happy to help us if my folks moved to my house, but no one was willing to travel that far daily.

Eventually, on the 7th of February, Mom agreed. She and Dad would move in at the end of the month. After 10 years of me begging, they finally agreed. I was over the moon.

The next morning I got a panicky phone call from her just before 5:00 am. “Melanie, your dad isn’t moving. I think he’s dead.”

Dad had passed away peacefully in his sleep. Heart break #1. He may not have been 100% himself, but he was still my dad, and I could still see glimpses of who he used to be.

But at least Mom was coming to live with me. I moved Mom in the day after Dad’s funeral. It may have been too late to spend time with Dad, but I wasn’t going to waste a minute with Mom.

But when she moved in, something was wrong. She had no energy. Way less than ever before. I knew she had emphysema, but she had oxygen and I got her a shoprider. I was prepared to do whatever I had to make Mom’s last years as enjoyable as possible. Nothing seemed to work though. Mom’s health was declining so fast, and I was in denial.

On the 23rd of April, she was admitted to hospital. On the 26th of April, again, just before 5:00 am, I received a phone call. This time from a nurse to say that Mom had passed away during the night. Heartbreak #2.

She lived with me for 68 days. After I begged her to live with me for years. All the thing I had planned for us. All the places we could go. She spent 68 days with me, before she passed away. I know I should feel grateful that I got at least 68 days, but somehow, right now, I don’t feel grateful at all. I just miss her and want to get all that time back.

I often wonder if people in the US and China understand what it means to use a nuclear weapon.

Yes, China can destroy the US. My hope is that this essay will give the reader an idea of what that is like. Targeting each other’s population is what deterrence is all about.

I grew up during the Cold War. We did civil defense drills in school once a month. This meant old fashioned air raid sirens warning us of impending doom. The teacher closed lead-lined asbestos curtains called flash curtains in each classroom. The students squatted under our desks. We knew we had less than a minute before impact when the air raid sirens emitted a wavering tone. Such a thing would not have saved me because my school was only a few miles from an important Air Force base. The purpose of the exercise was only to provide morale to a population under threat of annihilation.

No one really knows what can happen in an attack or what China will do. This is my educated guess; an imagining. Let’s suppose a single missile, a DF-41 with 10 x 150 kt MIRV bracketing the Newark-New York-Jersey metropolitan area. Let’s think about what this small attack does before we decide what the two brigades of DF-41 displayed in China’s military parade can do. Let us also suppose the US does not retaliate and total war does not ensue. The one missile destroys the United States. It takes a couple of years but the wound festers and takes the country down.

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Figure 1. Sixteen DF-41 launchers on display in China’s military parade. China conducted 7 test launches so far of the DF-41.

First, a little about the DF-41, China’s most modern intercontinental ballistic missile. The DF-41 is the most advanced ICBM in the world, carrying up to 12 MIRV per missile to a target of 15,000 km. It is similar to the Russian RS24-YARS, a MIRV’d Topol-M but has longer range, more warheads, and is extremely accurate with or without GPS. Launched from 9,300 miles away, the missile can hit within an area the size of a football field. The DF-21 launches from the back of a truck. Time from a launch near Mongolia to arrival in the New York area is 21 minutes.

The DF-41 warheads are very similar to the US W-88 having a yield that is selectable between 20 kt and 150 kt. The MIRV vehicles are designed to penetrate the US missile defense system which means they may actually be MARV.

I used an online tool to make the following map.

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Figure 2. Simulated attack on the Newark-New York with 8 150 kt surface blasts and two air bursts all from one ICBM. The large orange rings around the impact zones are everything on fire, the gray areas are overpressure that breaks windows, roof, doors, etc. The green rings are everyone dies there within 24 hours from radiation never mind the fire, the inner rings are the fireballs than vaporize everything. The darker gray around the airbursts is an overpressure that squashes everything flat.

Let’s imagine how this plays out. It is 1:00 PM in the afternoon in Shanghai when, during spiraling tensions, the US attacks and destroys a PLAN aircraft carrier with a nuclear torpedo that was conducting operations in the South China Sea.

At 4:00 PM, in response, a single truck launches a DF-41 ICBM, the time is 3:00 AM in New York time. The weather in New York is clear with a light wind from the Southwest. At 20 minutes from impact, the first stage of the ICBM has MECO and the second stage begins firing. At 18 minutes from impact, the second stage has SECO and the third stage begins its burn. The fairing of the rocket jettisons to reveal 12 cone-shaped objects mounted in a pyramid. Two of these objects are penetration aids that act like chaff.

NORAD detects the launch 16 minutes before impact. NORAD does not have ABM in a position that can intercept this launch, it can only monitor what happens in horror. Fifteen minutes before impact the third stage has TECO. Fourteen minutes before impact, NORAD determines that the ICBM is targeting the East Coast, probably New York City or Washington DC.

Thirteen minutes before impact, it is 3:08 on the East Coast and 12:08 AM on the West Coast of the US, and the Emergency Broadcast System warns everyone in the US that a missile impact is imminent. Of course, most people are asleep.

The sharp cone-shaped objects decorating the top of the ICBM separate from the MIRV bus. The third stage of the ICBM continues on a ballistic trajectory moving at 25 times the speed of sound as it deploys penetration aid to create a dozen dummy warheads following the ballistic trajectory.

The real warheads change course like the DF-21 warhead is known to do. A second penetration aid creates a large number of dummy warheads over the target.

At 4 seconds from impact Pilots of a Boeing Dreamliner on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport observe a light show as the hypersonic warheads glow white-hot streaking through the atmosphere. It looks like meteors to them and then there is a light like no other. Everyone on the plane is dead before the plane bursts into flames and falls out of the sky. All non-military electronics in New England permanently cease functioning due to an EMP released by the two air bursts.

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Figure 3. Ground zero at Trinity, the 22 kt test at Alamagordo.

At impact, each of the 8 surface blasts creates a fireball 1.1 km in diameter vaporizing everything into ionized gas. All buildings are demolished by 20 psi overpressure in an area of 2.2 km in diameter. Everyone gets a lethal dose of radiation in an area 4 km in diameter and will die of excruciating pain. Everything not reinforced steel and concrete is flattened in 5 km diameter. Everything is in the process of burning, including people with 3rd-degree burns in an area 10 km in diameter. All glass and roofs are blown in an area of a diameter of 12.5 km. Remember all of this is times 8 from a single launch and we haven’t covered the airblasts, which are similar but with wider overpressure effects and a huge EMP.

It is impact plus 1 second 2.5 million people are Dead. The blast on Manhattan alone kills 750,000 and injures another 750,000. Lights go out over most of the East Coast.

At impact plus one minute, 3.5 million are dead. Seismographs around the country detect a swarm of ten 5.8 Earthquakes in the New York area. So begins a disaster, a holocaust, a war, destruction like nothing the US has ever seen. All from one truck-launched rocket.

At impact plus 2 weeks 8 million people are dead, 12 million are homeless and injured. A Hellish round water-filled depression reaches from Hell’s Kitchen to 3rd Ave and 52nd str to 38th st. Tall buildings reduced to broken girders and large chunks of concrete sticking out of a sickening pond.

All ATM machines across the nation cease functioning. Banks close, credit cards don’t work. The heart of the world’s financial system no longer exists. Because the wind came from the South West, people in upstate New York and New England are rained on by radioactive ash. People on the West Coast and all over the country do not have enough food because the just in time food distribution system is broken. The attack shatters the US economy and plunges the world into a financial meltdown.

Impact plus one year, the fires are still burning. The entire state of Connecticut is abandoned permanently and much of upstate New York is a forbidden zone. Power is not restored yet in New England. The US government fails miserably addressing a disaster, orders of magnitude worse than Katrina. One hundred thousand people died from exposure during the Winter following the impact. Skeletons and rotting bodies of people and animals lay in the streets of the once-great metropolitan area and a thousand people a day die from injuries. There is an outbreak of medieval diseases among the millions of homeless. People are randomly killed by accidentally wandering into random no go zones in perfectly green fields and forests of upstate New York.

At impact plus 2 years the political entity, formerly known as the United States ceases to exist. The West Coast goes its own way. Texas goes another. The Southern part of the United States makes Bangladesh look like heaven. Tens of thousands of US servicemen are stranded all over the world. The US Navy cannot buy fuel for its ships and planes.

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Figure 4. One of 10 warheads, a surface blast in Midtown Manhattan kills between 750,000 to 850,000 people and injures another 700,000. The one warhead alone is the worst disaster in US history by two orders of magnitude.

Now, it is known that China can replicate this scenario 24 times in the US largest metropolitan areas. The 24th largest metropolitan area is the San Antonio area just to give you an idea. The second largest is in Southern California. DF-41 is just one kind of nuclear delivery system that can hit the United States; China has others.

Footnotes

NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein

The Soprano Family Tree EXPLAINED

Can India catch up with China in this century?

It’s highly unlikely. If India couldn’t keep up with China over the last 25 years, what makes anyone think another 75 years will make a difference?

The problem with India is three-fold:

It has an ineffective democratic political system which produces ineffective governments.
It has a highly disjointed society mired in ethnic/religious conflict, poor human rights, and low participation rate of women in the labor force.
It has low literacy and backward infrastructure. Even newly built infrastructure has a tendency to collapse.

What was the strangest thing that happened to you as a foreigner in Japan?

This happened to my wife, who went to Japan to teach English as a foreign language for a year after University in her early 20s.

A few weeks before she was due to leave Japan, she was hit by a taxi while crossing at a pedestrian crossing. The lights were red, but the taxi driver was high on drugs and didn’t stop. Luckily for her, she was riding across the road on a bicycle that took most of the force of the taxi, otherwise she would have likely been killed. As it was she was thrown onto the road, and severely damaged her left leg which was hit by the taxi.

She was rushed to the local hospital, where the doctors told her they couldn’t save her leg and would have to amputate. This was a small city and the local hospital wasn’t very sophisticated, so she wanted to get a second opinion from the regional hospital nearby but the doctors wouldn’t send her elsewhere. Not being able to speak the language, she called a number of her friends from the school where she taught and they physically carried her out of the hospital, into a car, and took her to the regional hospital.

Again, luckily for her, a specialist doctor at the second hospital felt he could save her leg. Because of the language barrier, and her fear of a misunderstanding, she insisted on a local anaesthetic and watched while they inserted a metal rod from her knee to her ankle. The operation was a success, and the result was that she had to spend a few months recuperating in hospital before she could fly home.

Here’s where the surreal part kicks in.

She was lying in bed one day shortly after, when a man in a smart suit came in and dropped a paper bag on her hospital bed. He said that the local police were kicking up a fuss about the accident and he represented an organization that wanted the problem to go away. In return for her not pressing charges, they were willing to pay for her hospital stay, pay for Japanese language lessons to keep her engaged in the meantime, and to compensate her with the contents of the bag. He also made it clear that there really wasn’t an option here – she had to take the offer.

She took the offer. After he left, she looked in the bag to find the equivalent of c. £40,000 in Japanese yen (this was back in the early 90s).

It turned out that the taxi driver was a member of the local Yakuza and had been trying too much of the merchandise. They could have smoothed it over if he’d hit a local, but he had the misfortune to hit a foreigner. The regional police got involved, and the embassy got involved, and the whole thing was drawing way too much attention.

The happy ending was that a few months of intense Japanese lessons combined with little else to do gave my wife an understanding of a side of Japan that she’d never had seen otherwise. As a result, she ditched the flight home and stayed to continue the adventure, eventually enrolling at a Japanese University in a Masters degree in Japanese language and history where she was the only woman and the only foreigner that her professor had ever taught. Lots more great stories for another time.

However, her left hip really aches in cold weather.

What Body Fat Percentage Actually Looks Like For Men

What are some mind blowing life hacks?

Here are some interesting life hacks that might be useful:

1. Use a hair straightener to iron collars: If you’re in a rush and your shirt collar is crumpled, use a hair straightener to quickly smooth it out.

2. Freeze grapes to chill wine without diluting it: Instead of using ice cubes that water down your wine, freeze grapes and use them as natural chillers.

3. Use a dustpan to fill a container that won’t fit in the sink: If you need to fill a large container with water but it won’t fit under the faucet, use a clean dustpan as a makeshift funnel.

4. Rubbing a walnut on damaged wooden furniture: For minor scratches on wooden furniture, rubbing a walnut on the affected area can help mask the damage.

5. Turn a muffin tray upside down to make taco bowls: Place tortillas in the spaces between the cups of an upside-down muffin tray and bake to create crispy taco bowls.

6. Use a sticky note to clean crumbs from a keyboard: Slide the sticky edge of a sticky note between the keys to pick up crumbs and dust from your keyboard.

7. Open a stubborn jar lid with a rubber band: Wrap a thick rubber band around the lid for extra grip when trying to twist it open.

8. Store bed sheets inside their matching pillowcase: Fold and store your bed sheets neatly inside the matching pillowcase to keep your linen closet organized.

9. Use a bread clip to save flip-flop blowouts: If the thong part of your flip-flop breaks, you can temporarily fix it with a plastic bread clip until you can get a replacement.

10. Use a muffin liner to keep popsicles clean: Poke a hole in the center of a muffin liner and slide it up the stick of a popsicle to catch drips and keep hands clean.

What are the top 10 awesome life hacks?

At least once in your life, have a job that you don’t do for the money.
Never lie to your doctor.
Don’t be the guy who tells a kid that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
Unless you’re in the first row at a concert, don’t try to record it with your phone. The video and audio would be crap and you’ll never watch it again.
If you buy a Rs.10000 dress for Rs.5000, you haven’t saved Rs.5000, you’ve spent Rs.5000.
Don’t wait for something bad to happen for you to become a good person.
Being in a beautiful relationship > Being single >>>> Being in a shitty relationship.
Ladies, if you like him, tell him. He wouldn’t understand subtle hints, strong hints, or obvious hints. Just tell him.
The handsome, royal gentleman/the gorgeous, intelligent woman that you want to find so hard, probably won’t be in the nightclubs.
Take her somewhere different. Movies and dinners are played out. She wants to tell her friends great stories. (Thank you, ladies.)
Sometimes, girls don’t need advice, they just want someone to listen.
Spend time with your Father as often as you can. You’ll miss Him when you can’t anymore.
You know, those times in life when you have a grand thought, a fantasy, a wild gesture, a silly prank, anything really, anything that peaks your senses and makes you feel like you are living? If so, then take advantage of such moments. When your brain is telling you to call it a night, but your heart says to keep going, listen to your heart and do something new, do something fun, do something legendary and your brain will thank you for it later. You’re welcome.

Biden IMPLODES in ABC Interview as Dems CANCEL Events! DROPPING OUT?

Ugh! Good showing or not?

The End of the Petrodollar – The True Story

By Richard Werner

Yes, there was a secret deal with Saudi Arabia. Yes, China and BRICS alternatives beckon. But the true story is one of intrigues and double-crosses. And dead bodies.

28 June 2024. London. This month many stories were circulated on social media concerning the end of the petrodollar. This is of course a topic that I covered fairly comprehensively in this article, which was published in Fortune in March last year, and when I threw a completely new light on the inflation of the 1970s.

Parts of my analysis has become widespread knowledge, such as my emphasis on the deal between the US and Saudi Arabia – forced on that country the way the Mafia markets its ‘protection’ racket. However, it seems much confusion remains about the details of the events half a century ago, and most of all different versions of what happened were circulated this month, giving quite a misleading spin to the facts.

It started with some reports in early June, which stated that 9 June 2024 was an important date, because this is when the 50-year old “Petrodollar Agreement” would run out, as Saudi Arabia was not going to renew it. Signed on 8 June 1974, we hear in these reports, it ran out half a century later, on 9 June 2024. Such reports triggered a response by the Defenders of Mainstream Narratives reminiscent of those articles in the newspapers in 2020 that “debunked” reports that most people were not threatened by Covid 19, or that the injections were risky and could have seriously harmful consequences.

The 1970s inflation had been sold to us as being due to an external supply shock, triggered by a war. But as I pointed out in my March 2023 piece, it was instead engineered by the US Federal Reserve. As I explained, it was actually the USA that triggered the oil embargo and oil price rises in late 1973 and early 1974, as cover for its central bank’s policy of massive monetary expansion, escalated to all vassal state central banks, which had been implemented since August 1971, when the USA defaulted on its obligations to convert on demand US dollars into gold. The oil price surge, which happened after the first bout of inflation had peaked, was engineered by the US, as cover for the inflation and in order to transfer wealth from Europe and Japan to the US and in order to shore up the US dollar and global network of military bases. For this, a deal was forged between Saudi Arabia and the US, whereby the US would “protect” Saudi Arabia militarily, including ensuring the stability of autocratic rule by the Saud family, in exchange for the agreement by the biggest oil producer, Saudia Arabia, to sell its oil only in US dollars, and invest 80% of its resulting oil revenues in US Treasury securities. This policy supported the US dollar and simultaneously plugged the twin deficits of the current account and the government budget. It also ensured that the world’s oil spending ended up back in the US, so that the proliferating number of foreign military bases and operations could be maintained and financed.

The agreement to reinvest the Saudi oil revenues in the USA had been kept secret, and even the statistics on the main buyers and holders of US Treasuries were kept hidden for many decades, whereby Saudi Arabia was not revealed as the main financial supporter of the USA (an aggregated figure for “Gulf state investors” only was published, until a few years ago). Those who spoke of the “petrodollar” in the 1980s or 1990s were marked as “conspiracy theorists”. The 80% reinvestment requirement was first revealed by John Perkins in his 2004 book Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which was based on his personal experience, including as US consultant on “development consulting” contracts in Saudi Arabia. (The book is highly recommended). Of course he was also censored for spreading “misinformation”.

China launched an oil futures contract denominated in Chinese yuan already in 2018. And Saudi Arabia has been negotiating to sell oil for Chinese currency since at least 2022. But the US is busy trying to avoid this.

So is there any significance to the date of 9 June 2024? A number of reports by mainstream media, establishment financial houses and official “fact checkers” have come forward to engage in recasting the narrative and sow seeds of doubt about the end of the petrodollar.

Fact checkers denounce baseless conspiracy theories – claim no secret deals between US and Saudi Arabia

For instance, a “fact check” by PolitiFact asserted that “online claims” were “false” about the end of the petrodollar:

Notice that this official denial uses classic fact checker techniques, foremost of which is the elevation of a strawman that is then shot down: As far as I am aware, nobody claimed that Saudi Arabia would switch from selling oil only against US dollars to not allowing the US dollar at all. Yet, the headline insinuates there have been online claims that the dollar could no longer be used for oil purchases from Saudi Arabia. So invent a false claim that you put into the mouth of your opponent and debunk it. This fact checking statement does claim however that there was no agreement that Saudi Arabia would sell oil only for US dollars – one pillar of the actual Petrodollar Agreement.

But what about the main trigger for the reports in social media, namely the importance of the date of 9 June 2024? One indication that indeed 9 June may have legal significance comes from Reuters, because they launched a strangely timed report about an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the US on 9 June 2024, when many people would be using search engines to find out more about an agreement or failure of an agreement: Reuters claims on 9 June that

“the Biden administration is close to finalizing a treaty with Saudi Arabia that would commit the U.S. to help defend the Gulf nation as part of a deal aimed at encouraging diplomatic ties between Riyadh and Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing U.S. and Saudi officials.”

This report is clearly designed to sow confusion and ensure that those who google “treaty 9 June US-Saudi Arabia” or similar search words would get a story that was innocuous and irrelevant. The negotiations have been ongoing for many weeks, but Reuters had to publish this report on 9 June 2024, by pure coincident the date many commentators claimed that the petrodollar agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia had expired.

“The possible deal, widely telegraphed by U.S. and other officials for weeks, is part of a wider package that would include a U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear pact, steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state and an end to the war in Gaza, where months of ceasefire efforts have failed to bring peace”, Reuters knows further.

It is quite possible that this treaty was meant to be the de facto extension of the old Petro Dollar agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, and apparently the US failed to seal it in time for the old one to run out. Which could mean that there is presently no written agreement between Saudi Arabia and the US in place concerning these issues. Of course, that is less important while US troops are inside Saudi Arabia. This may be why the US may not feel the rush.

What does the White House say? When asked about the alleged failure to extend the petrodollar deal (that Saudi Arabia would sell oil only for US dollars), the official State Department spokesman refused to comment at a formal press conference. Watch the video or read the relevant passage from the transcript:

State Department press briefing

MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you so much. At the very 11th hour, when the United States and Saudi Arabia are very close for a defense deal, there are reports – unconfirmed reports that Saudi Arabia is not going to renew petrodollar deal with the United States. So any confirmation by U.S. side?

MR MILLER: That Saudi Arabia is not going to what?

QUESTION: Petrodollar agreement that took place 50 years back.

MR MILLER: I’m just not going to speak to those reports at all.

Dow Jones fact checkers denying that there was anything to see here were propagated by the fund monitoring and rating firm Morningstar:

This mainstream media organisation found “a fatal flaw in this logic: The agreement itself never existed”, referring to the agreement that Saudi Arabia would sell oil only against the US dollar, said to have been signed on 8 June 1974. As witness it cited one Paul Donovan, economist employed by asset manager UBS, who stated: “Clearly, the story is going around today is fake news.” But, when reading his comments, it emerges that he conceded that there was indeed an agreement, namely one that established the United States-Saudi Arabian Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation on 8 June 1974. According to Donovan this “had nothing to do with currencies”. On this date, a joint statement was released that had been signed by then US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and Prince Fahd, the second deputy prime minster (and in 1982 to become King) of Saudi Arabia.

The Commission and agreement was for five years and would routinely be renewed. According to the Dow Jones fact checkers, the agreement was merely “a more formal arrangement that would ensure each side got more of what it wanted from the other”. That it true if we rephrase “that would ensure that the US got what it wanted from Saudi Arabia”. Did the agreement mention currencies? It did not have to: With this agreement, on 8 June 1974, the US established a legal framework for the US to exert control over the entire Saudi economy, its oil production, its revenue from oil sales and the use of its oil funds – it was essentially a takeover of the Saudi economic governance. Currencies are a part of this, even if they are not explicitly mentioned.

The fact checkers however wanted to give the impression that this agreement was not about the petrodollar, when surely there was no other reason for it. Dow Jones goes on:

“According to Donovan and others who emerged on social media to debunk the conspiracy theories, a formal agreement demanding that Saudi Arabia price its crude oil in dollars never existed. Rather, Saudi Arabia continued accepting other currencies – most notably the British pound (GBPUSD) – for its oil even after the 1974 agreement on joint economic cooperation was struck. It wasn’t until later that year that the Kingdom stopped accepting the pound as payment.”

Wow. So put differently, the fact checkers actually admit that indeed Saudi Arabia did stop selling oil in any other currency than the US dollar, even phasing out the currency of the other, prior colonial ruler, Britain, in 1974, even though the latter with a minor delay of a few months.

The financial scribblers at Dow Jones then go on to admit the secret deal that Saudi Arabia was going to reinvest the majority of its oil dollars back in US Treasuries: “Perhaps the closest thing to a petrodollar deal was a secret agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia reached in late 1974, which promised military aid and equipment in exchange for the Kingdom investing billions of dollars of its oil-sale proceeds in U.S. Treasurys, Donovan said. The existence of this agreement wasn’t revealed until 2016, when Bloomberg News filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Archives.”

As I stated earlier, this secret agreement was first publicised by John Perkins in his 2004 bestselling book Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Bloomberg in 2016 triggered the formal confirmation from the US government. As I had reported in March last year, what Bloomberg’s FOI query did reveal in 2016 was the precise data of Saudi ownership of US Treasury bonds – which had hitherto been hidden in the statistics, by publishing only an aggregate of “Gulf country” holdings of US Treasuries.

So Dow Jones calls the Petrodollar Agreement a “conspiracy theory”, but in its “debunking” admits that both the data of Saudia Arabia’s ownership of US Treasuries have remained secret for almost half a century, and the deal to re-invest the oil money into US Treasuries itself, has been secret – as we know for ca. 30 years. Despite this astonishing and likely illegal secrecy, Dow Jones insists that it was not “some shadowy agreement” and that any other claim was just “conspiracy theories”.

So what exactly is the fake news then?

Dow Jones’ and Reuters’ track record in “fact checking” is by now notorious, as they covered up vaccine damage for years and slandered critics of the unjustified Covid restrictions. What about that UBS-hired economist who had joined this double-speak of factually admitting the secret agreements and simultaneously claiming it was “fake news” and “conspiracy theories”? Donovan’s so-called economic “analysis” is largely absent, his writing consistently unreadable and his forecasts reliable if one considers them as counter-indicators: Throughout 2020 and 2021 he insisted there would not be any significant inflation. Even in 2022 he did not concede that he had been wrong. Instead, he developed the theory that a sudden bout of disinflation would hit and reverse the picture in 2021 and 2022.

In his article of May 2020, entitled “Can debt be inflated away?”, published at a time when I was forecasting “significant inflation in 18 months”, he argues, astonishingly, that governments will not use inflation to reduce their debt burdens; instead they will do that without inflation, we are told! Some gems:

“Inflation is a complex topic. Entire books can be written about it. One of the myths that exist about inflation is that governments can easily inflate away their debt levels. … Governments are likely to try to reduce debt levels after the virus by taxation. There is one particular form of tax that is likely to be popular— financial repression. … Financial repression has been effective in cutting debt in the past. Financial repression also means that bond markets cannot punish governments for inflation (at least, not as easily). Bond yields are forced lower under financial repression. … For a government it makes more sense to tax savers through financial repression, while keeping inflation moderate. Adding inflation does not reduce debt in the long term.”

In June 2020 in his report “Where is inflation going?” he forecasts “low inflation in near term” and expects “Central bank policy should not be especially inflationary.” Astonishing, after the most dramatic monetary expansion in the history of the Fed in March 2020. But according to him, “The most likely outcome is near term low inflation, longer term higher but not high inflation”. Why is that? He is a believer in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” – a term used much by World Economic Forum front man Klaus Schwab: “Reversing globalization is inflationary if it is politically motivated. If it is a consequence of the fourth industrial revolution, it should be neutral or disinflationary.

As late as February 2021, in his report “What’s up with inflation this year?”, this financial commentator predicted that there would not be any significant inflation in the major economies. While he already had to concede at that time that “some product prices” had been “raised”, he argues this was due to “unusual spikes in demand for specific products, coupled with supply chain problems”. Based on the higher-than-he-expected inflation he had to admit: “Headline consumer price inflation numbers will move higher in developed economies this year.” But he doubles down: “They are unlikely to be high. Importantly, consumers will not necessarily notice several of the inflation increases, and these changes are unlikely to alter consumers’ view of their real disposable income.”

Right, so no high inflation in advanced economies and nobody will care about the modest inflation. Later that year, in his August 2021 report “Will tomato ketchup kill inflation?” he further doubles down on his “no inflation” forecast by coming up with the astonishing theory, which he calls the “tomato ketchup effect”, that a bout of “disinflation” would hit hard and surprise everyone!

“Inventories data suggests some disinflation impulse in developed economies over the next few quarters. The fact that we have had fewer, and smaller summer sales has added to inflation now. As the retail inventory / seasonal price discounting pattern normalizes, this will first remove an inflation contribution, and then from next year act as a disinflation force (discounted prices in 2022 being compared to undiscounted prices in 2021).

…

So, the tomato ketchup effect could add to disinflation forces—although, ironically, it should be noted that actual condiments prices are already a source of consumer price deflation in the world’s developed economies.”

So as late as Summer 2021 Donovan had still not woken up to the fact that the massive and unprecedented credit creation the central banks forced onto the banks and the economy in March 2020 would result in inflation, and he even predicted “disinflation” to dominate.

When, in 2022, inflation could no longer be denied, Donovan switched to publishing eulogies on central banks having done the right thing. In this report of 6 April 2022, entitled “Price inflation or demand deflation”, the UBS commentator claims

“There was only one plausible policy response to the global pandemic: ease policy.”

Actually, that report sets new records in being painful to read. His audience cannot be a large one:

“As noted in the last Chief Economist’s Comment, food is not food.”

“Economically, commodity prices operate through two channels: higher inflation, and lower growth.”

It does seem though that UBS clients were asking him more questions as his disinflation scenario of 2021 and 2022 didn’t quite pan out. But that, we learn, was just a further force for more disinflation:

“The economist who goes from working 60 hours a week to 90 hours a week but is paid 10% more is a force for lower inflation—the employer gets 50% more economist for only 10% more money.”

While consumers got 20% less volume for their groceries now in smaller packaging, what was his take of the forced closures of many firms during the Covid psyop? Instead of recognising this as a reduction in supply, as I commented throughout 2020 (which means, with unchanged demand, a source of inflation), he sees this as a source of deflation!

“However, if companies go bankrupt in the face of reduced demand or there is an expectation that demand is going to be weaker for longer, this second-round effect could become more significant in the future.”

After the Federal Reserve had raised interest rates in March 2022 – which Donovan had singularly failed to forecast – he merely concludes his analysis on “inflation or deflation” with the by now familiar warning of deflation:

“The risk of policy error has increased, which might suggest that the prudent course of action would be a slow and steady pace of tightening to ensure that demand deflation does not get out of hand.”

Right, so this disinflation theorist expected risks of demand deflation as late as April 2022, almost until inflation had peaked at double digits in most economists later that year.

His reports can be found in the Archive at the bottom of his page – no direct hyperlinks are possible, as all links are mutating to only give you his main homepage.

It seems UBS is nevertheless happy with the utterings of this particular commentator, located in the chief investment office, whose forecasting track record must have bankrupted many investors – although his audience is likely those high net worth individuals who hand over their assets entirely to UBS to manage while they themselves consider the economy a big mystery. So he has likely been deployed to ensure these clients won’t ever begin to understand how the economy works. Most importantly, just like when Boeing hires its staff on the basis of their latest woke views, the impact on quality is palpable. The content of Donovan’s writings on economic matters seems less important, while his loyalty to politically correct ideological issues must be appreciated. See for instance his economics report of 27 Juni 2018, entitled “Pride and Prejudice and Economists”, in which he celebrates “pride month” by providing his views on “LGBT” at length – which many will consider an outrage, because he thereby overlooks the “Q+”, clearly a major flaw in his argument. Nevertheless, UBS clients learn important facts:

“The economics of LGBT equality is the economics of prejudice. Prejudice takes place when a person, a firm, or society makes a choice using irrational ideas.

“Prejudice puts the wrong person in the job. If an LGBT employee has come out, prejudice may do more economic damage. If a company is prejudiced, it will employ the wrong people to fill its positions. A company may choose not to promote the best qualified LGBT employees if there is an anti-LGBT prejudice, for example. A company that deliberately does not use the best people is never going to make as much money as it might”

“A company may find it difficult to hire the best non-LGBT staff if it is anti-LGBT. A non-LGBT person may be unwilling to work for a company that does not share their values.”

Of course, the detailed five-page analysis in 2018 was not enough on the topic. Moreover, it obviously was wholly inadequate to merely pontificate on “LGBT”. So in August that year, Donovan added a 9-page report entitled “The commercial case for LGBTQ inclusion”. This inclusion of “Q” people clearly spelled progress for UBS clients, but at the same time no doubt many UBS clients were demanding more such analysis. While UBS readers of investment analysis would have appreciated the quiet expansion of the important concept to include “Q”, they would at the same time have felt a strong curiosity to see also the “+” people covered in the economists’ insightful analysis. As a result, in due course UBS wealth management clients were delighted to find that in the following year Donovan produced a seven-page report on this urgent topic, in which he also improved on his shameful earlier failure to celebrate “+” people. It is entitled “Does anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice do more damage than we think?” (8 October 2019). For lack of space I cannot elaborate on the content of this now suitably expanded analysis, except for noting that UBS’s commentator eagerly adopts the habit of mainstream economists of simply making stuff up and then proclaiming it as fact, known as “making assumptions”:

“The non-heterosexual population is likely to be significantly larger than officially reported (an 8% to 8.5% range seems a sensible assumption).

So, an uneventful economic analysis and unsuccessful forecasting record, but at least the orthodox, government-supported views on important issues such as transgender activism in society are well covered. Shall we guess that Donovan also was an eager proponent of the innovative policies adopted in March 2020 and thereafter by many governments across the globe, involving masking, lockdowns and experimental injections that killed millions? Or any other agenda endorsed by the powers that be? That would not be surprising, since, as his endorsement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution foreshadowed, it turns out Donovan is an asset of the CIA-founded “World Economic Forum”:

At this stage I would like to disclose two things about myself – and, fear not, they do not include the above woke topic: firstly, I was selected as “Global Leader for Tomorrow” in 2003 by the World Economic Forum, which would, they told me at the time, allow me to attend the WEF events for five consecutive years, including their major late January gatherings in Davos. I attended the latter bash in January 2003, when I was given that dubious accolade, and again a year later. The snowy location was lovely and it seemed exciting, at the time, to the thirty-something your truly to meet famous leaders, such as Bill Clinton, or be taken aside to be introduced to an unknown German politician called Angela Merkel, who had not yet risen to power, as well as meet some pop idols like Peter Gabriel. But the hosts were not too happy about my penchant for challenging their well-staged and pre-programmed “discussions” with facts, almost always contradicting their agenda. So not long after the second event I attended, in January 2004, I was informed that the “Global Leaders for Tomorrow” program had been cancelled, meaning I was no longer invited to WEF events. Later I found that a new group called “Young Global Leaders” had been created and a more selected subset was going to be invited back, obviously not including me.

The second disclosure is that when researching this article I dimly felt like I had seen the name Paul Donovan before, and not in connection to analytically rigorous work. Then I remembered a particularly nasty negative review of my book Princes of the Yen, years earlier on Amazon, which made numerous factually wrong claims. The name of that particular reviewer was a Paul Donovan, who possibly was instructed at the time to produce a hit-piece on the newly published English version of my book. My book was highly acclaimed in Japan, even by leading financial and political analysts. Of course, it is no longer available on Amazon – you can only get it new at www.quantumpublishers.com .

It could be sufficient to stop here. But there are a number of loose ends the reader should be allowed to connect.

Digging deeper into the murky events of the 1970s Petrodollar Deal

Firstly, my conclusion stated above, that the 1974 agreement established the legal basis for a complete US takeover of Saudi Arabia’s economic policies quickly emerges from various sources. As billions of dollars flowed into Saudi Arabia as part of the agreement with the US, the administrators and CIA agents on the US side were keen to stay in charge of the allocation of this money, channelling billions to the US and their pockets.

In a publication by the Middle East Institute we learn about this “under the radar” US control of Saudi Arabia:

“The Americans who were seconded into the Saudi government were there as part of a grand design engineered by William E. Simon, President Richard Nixon’s last Treasury Secretary, to channel as much of that money as possible back to the United States. Simon was Deputy Secretary until he was promoted into the top job on May 8, 1974 — just three months before Nixon’s resignation in the Watergate scandal. He stayed on as Secretary under Nixon’s successor, Gerald R. Ford.

Despite the distractions of Watergate, the spring of 1974 was a crucial period in US-Arab relations. Agreements negotiated by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in his famous “shuttle diplomacy” had ended the hostilities of the 1973 war and stabilized the battlefields of Egypt, Syria, and Israel. The United States restored diplomatic relations with Egypt. With the end of hostilities, the Arab oil producers, led by Saudi Arabia, ended their wartime embargo on exports to the United States. In that newly favorable atmosphere, Nixon embarked on a last-hurrah trip to the region. While in Saudi Arabia, he agreed to the creation of a US-Saudi Arabian Joint Economic Commission, known as JECOR. This was Simon’s brainchild.

JECOR’s mission was twofold: first, to teach the Saudis — who had no tradition of organized public agencies — how to operate the fundamental bureaucracy of a modern state; and second, to ensure that all the contracts awarded in pursuit of that mission went to American companies. JECOR would operate for 25 years, channeling billions of Saudi oil dollars back to the United States, but would attract almost no attention in this country because Congress ignored it. The Saudis were paying for it, so there was no need for US appropriations or congressional oversight.

The Commission’s objectives were listed in a joint statement issued by the American and Saudi officials who created it: “Its purposes will be to promote programs of industrialization, trade, manpower training, agriculture, and science and technology.” The participating Saudi government agencies would be the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and National Economy, Commerce, and Industry, and the Central Planning Organization, soon to become the Ministry of Planning. On the US side, the managing agency was Simon’s Treasury Department, not the Agency for International Development, because it was not a traditional foreign aid program — it was a money-management program.

So the Saudis had no clue how to run the country, and the US, in their wisdom and great experience with colonial rule, were generously offering to help.

Declassified US documents confirm the far-reaching scope of the June 1974 agreement. We learn that through the JECOR machinery and Americans on the ground in high positions at all the ministries, the US essentially directly controlled Saudi Arabia’s economy and finances and thereby its government.

In an internal letter by the top US administrator on the ground in Saudi Arabia to his superior, we learn that the top decision-maker was not even Treasury Secretary Simon, but Henry Kissinger himself. The report was written in April 1974 and referred to an Initial Study Report on Joint U.S.-Saudi Cooperation, indicating that the original oral agreement had been made earlier, likely the meetings before the December 1973 highlight when Kissinger met with King Faisal in Saudi Arabia.

Written by Joseph Sisco to Henry Kissinger, we learn in this letter that the two commissions (one on economic matters, the other on security matters) would

“operate subject to my day-to-day political guidance and coordination, under your direction.”

Sisco describes the timeline that would lead to the 8 June 1974 formal agreement that would seal US control over the Saudi government.

Kissinger’s goals thus had been to

(1) end the restrictions on oil supply that Saudi Arabia had imposed in October 1973; this was achieved by March 1973, by promising Saudi Arabia solutions and compromises (that never materialised);

(2) gain control over the Saudi economy and government in order to ensure compliance with his objectives;

(3) which included ensuring that the Saudi currency would be pegged to the US dollar, hence Saudi Arabia would agree to sell oil only against the US dollar,

(4) and which also included a continued steady rise in the oil price (against Saudi resistance), and

(5) that Israel and its actions would be kept out from discussions about all of these. In other words, it was all about US (and Israeli) interests.

The “bedouins” would have to follow orders.

Having achieved four out of five is not bad. Despite this great success of Kissinger’s diplomacy in securing US interests, upon his death last November at age 100 there were voices that criticised what happened in 1974 – namely for failing to achieve aim number 5 and keep those issues separate from Israeli occupation of territories after the 1967 war. For throughout 1973 and 1974, Saudi Arabia had considered itself as the leading Arab nation that should and would represent Palestinian interests, and consequently, both the Saudi King Faisal, and his trusted foreign minister, repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of Israel from the territories occupied in 1967.

“In December 1972, Saudi King Faisal ended a long-standing policy of not allowing “oil to be used as a political weapon,” as James Akin put it in a Foreign Affairs article in early 1973. In that month, two American officials, John Connally and Franklin Lincoln, visited Faisal separately and came back with the same message. “King Faisal said that there could be no further development of mutual Saudi-U.S. economic interests or any further expansion of oil production … without a political settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Kissinger reported to Nixon, according to State Department archives” (Source).

The oil embargo was not an issue for Kissinger, because he had beem keen to drive up the oil price, and indeed the hike of January 1974, when the oil price quadrupled, was on Kissinger’s insistence, vis-à-vis a reluctant Saudi oil minister Yamani.

However, the dogged determination by the Saudi King and his foreign minister that Israel withdraw military troops to within the borders of 1967 was crossing a red line for Kissinger.

Already in December 1972, Saudi King Faisal “ended a long-standing policy of not allowing “oil to be used as a political weapon,” as James Akin put it in Foreign Affairs.

“In that month, two American officials, John Connally and Franklin Lincoln, visited Faisal separately and came back with the same message. “King Faisal said that there could be no further development of mutual Saudi-U.S. economic interests or any further expansion of oil production … without a political settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Kissinger reported to Nixon, according to State Department archives.

The same article elaborates:

On Aug. 10, 1973, almost two months before the eruption of the Arab-Israeli war and the imposition of the oil embargo, then-national security adviser Henry Kissinger told the director of the Office of Energy Policy, John Love, regarding the potential use of oil as a weapon, that “the Saudis are just not sophisticated enough to understand it, and they are, therefore, more dangerous.”

This conversation occurred because Love wanted to discuss what he had dubbed the “Saudi Arabian problem.” By this he meant a recent change in Saudi policy that saw it threaten to use oil as a tool to exert pressure on Israel to withdraw from territories occupied in the 1967 war. Kissinger thought that the Arab-Israeli conflict was “insoluble” and that any “Arab government that would sign a settlement acceptable to the Israelis would be out in two years.” This is why he thought the Saudis were not sophisticated enough to understand the dangers of being at the forefront of this issue both for themselves and for U.S. interests.

What exactly were the “dangers” and who was most at danger? This would soon emerge – and it was the top Saudi decision-makers, whose lives were at risk should they choose to challenge Henry Kissinger and his plans for the US and the Middle East.

Initially, the foreign minister and his King could be appeased concerning the Israeli occupation, thanks to Kissinger gaining their trust, insinuating deep understanding and referring to promising negotiations with “the Israelis” that would later address the issue. For instance, after one meeting with foreign minister Al Saqqaf, Kissinger boastfully and ‘jokingly asked the participants, “Did you see the Saudi foreign minister come out like a good little boy and say they had had very fruitful talks with us?’” (Source).

Actually, Kissinger knew better than anyone that this Arab demand would never be met and that settlers would soon lay claim to land and homes in the occupied territories. So he deceived the Saudi leadership, waving the possibility of an eventual Israeli withdrawal to obtain an agreement from the Saudi king to establish US control over the economy. Believing that the US would support what to the Saudis seemed reasonable and just demands that Israel would withdraw from the territories it occupied during the 1967 war, Saudia Arabia also persuaded other Arab oil-producing countries to follow them in lifting the oil embargo on March 18, 1974, despite key demands not having been met. In the eyes of some, even this was a failure for Kissinger, since the temporary existence of “the embargo succeeded in linking the Arab-Israeli conflict with U.S. interests in the region’s oil — an outcome that Kissinger tried very hard to prevent from happening” (same article).

Once the formal agreement of what amounted to a legal takeover of Saudi government by the US had been signed, on 8 June 1974, Kissinger will have begun to encourage the Saudi King and foreign minister to drop their demand that Israel withdraw from territories occupied since 1967.

This no doubt displeased the King and his foreign minister.

Their persistence in demanding the withdrawal of Israel from occupied territories and their insistence that Saudi Arabia lead the Arab countries on this point resulted in King Faisal and his foreign minister Al Saqqat was becoming a problem for Kissinger. Meanwhile, Kissinger seems to have established a more cordial understanding with King Faisal’s half-brother, Prince Fahd. That prince pointed out to the Americans that al-Saqqaf was “anti-American”, says Wikipedia – likely code for the insistence on the Israeli withdrawal.

“During the oil crisis in 1973 both Prince Fahd, later King Fahd, and Prince Sultan, minister of defense, claimed that Al Saqqaf and Ahmed Zaki Yamani, oil minister, had an anti-American stance and also, were the major reasons for King Faisal’s hostile approach towards the USA.”
Wikipedia on 29 June 2024

Kissinger no doubt had a solution in mind.

Consider the subsequent events. On 6 November 1974 Henry Kissinger was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was meeting senior government officials of Saudi Arabia. At the final meeting, just before Kissinger’s departure, the foreign minister, Umar al-Saqqaf, spoke as follows:

“Our policy is the same. We want to see complete withdrawal to the 1967 borders and the return of Arab Jerusalem to its people and the restoration of their legitimate rights to the Palestinian people. I have no new demands. This is what I said even before the Rabat conference. I am saying this and repeating it simply because we have no new demands.

There is another topic touched upon by my friend Dr. Kissinger; namely, that of oil. I repeat that the policy of my King and my government is still the same as it was; namely, to keep the prices as they are and to try to reach a reduction, albeit a symbolic reduction, or if we can, a greater reduction—and we would be doing this because of our awareness and of the welfare of humanity at large.

Finally, I greet our guests, the Secretary of State and the colleagues who came with him, and look forward to seeing him in the not too distant future when at least part of these problems we have been discussing will have been solved” (Source).

The foreign minister may not have been aware of this, and certainly was not aware of the significance of the consequences of his words, but by this statement he had made clear that, after all these talks, discussions and negotiations, the current leadership of Saudi Arabia was going to continue to cross two important red lines of Kissinger’s policies: Firstly, concerning Israel, Saudi Arabia should have given up its demands that Israel withdrew to its 1967 borders. Secondly, it was Kissinger who had persuaded the Saudi oil minister Yamani to quadruple oil prices in January 1974, and the policy was not to reduce them significantly, but if anything, raise them further, because high oil prices underpinned the US dollar, which had become a petrodollar, and at the same time high oil prices ensured that the transfer of wealth from other countries, notably Germany and Japan, to the United States would continue.

How dare a “Bedouin” make demands on the US and Israel? Or, in Kissinger’s words of 1973, he found it

“ridiculous that the civilized world is held up by 8 million savages. … Can’t we overthrow one of the sheikhs just to show that we can do it?” (Source).

At the time, Kissinger responded diplomatically, if obliquely:

“The Foreign Minister, who has been a voice for moderation and wisdom in this area, will be coming to the United States next week to the General Assembly, and I look forward to continuing our discussions on that occasion.” (Source).

The events took their course. Like today, when influential decision-makers in America want nothing more than war with Russia, at that time the idea was for the US not to give in. Apparently the calculation was that the King “of the Bedouins”, whose father Abdulaziz, aka Ibn Saud, had been installed by the grace of the UK and later was backed by the US, was going to get a warning shot, and failing that, a new King would be installed. After all, the UK and US knew that it had been worthwhile to encourage the old King to keep producing sons – 45 in total. There were plenty of princes to choose from, some of whom were bound to be amenable to a deal that would put them on the throne.

As Andrew Scott Cooper details in his book Oil Kings, secretary of defense Schlesinger and secretary of state Kissinger had been discussing toppling one of the Arab governments and seize the oil production. This should not be considered far-fetched, but something quite plausible, since it is what the US actually did implement in many countries, such as in Iran in 1953, in Libya in 2011 and tried in Afghanistan for 20 years, and partially succeeded in Syria – today one third of the country – the parts with the oil – under illegal US occupation (an “unprovoked all-out aggression and occupation”, to use the terminology used against Russia), with the oil stolen by the US.

In line with this practice of engineering regime-change, Schlesinger and Kissinger developed plans to “seize Abu Dhabi,” the oil-rich emirate in the newly founded United Arab Emirates, in the last days of November 1973.

“Although the plan was not actualized, Kissinger organized a press conference on Nov. 21 where he publicly threatened “countermeasures” if the economic pressure continued. The following day, Yamani, the Saudi oil minister, appeared in a TV interview in Copenhagen and declared that Saudi Arabia would cut 80% of its oil production if any countermeasures were taken. He also told his American, European and Japanese audiences that the Saudi government was willing to blow up its oil facilities if the United States were to take any military action. These threats were substantiated by the CIA and ended Kissinger’s attempt to dissociate the issue of Arab-Israeli peace from the oil embargo” (Source).

But by late 1974 the plans of Kissinger had evolved. He probably felt he had warned al-Saqqaf.

Al-Saqqaf travelled to New York the week following their meeting in Riyadh, to meet address the United Nations General Assembly on the Palestine issue. There he spoke for the 11th consecutive year, on the issue of Palestine.

“He said, as he had unvaryingly for seven years, that Israel should withdraw from the territories it occupied in 1967.” (New York Times, 16 November 1974).

If there were further meetings with Kissinger and others in the first half of November, we can only guess that he refused to change his mind about these 2 red line issues.

He died suddenly and unexpectedly in New York on 14 November 1974 at the age of 50.

In the words of the New York Times:

“…Mr. Saqqaf had died of a cerebral thrombosis, a blood clot in the brain. He was 50 years old. … Mr. Saqqaf has been at the center of negotiations between Middle East leaders and Secretary of State Kissinger on the issues of Middle East peace and oil.”

And in another New York Times article:

“Saqqaf was an imposing diplomatic figure. Over 6 feet tall, he often dressed in flowing Arab costume for official functions and while on missions. He was fluent in English and French and accustomed to Western ways.

His body was sent back to Saudi Arabia on a US plane with the under-secretary of state and the President’s condolences.

This sudden death however seemed not to have deterred King Faisal to change his mind about these two policy issues. The economic decisions were made by Americans in charge of the JECOR. Sure enough: Oil prices failed to fall in 1974 or 1975, which is what the Saudi King was trying to achieve, backed by his foreign minister, for the greater good of humanity, as his foreign minister had explained. Needless to mention, Israel also failed to withdraw to the borders of 1967.

But open dissent was to be discouraged. First the foreign minister, labelled “anti-American” on Wikipedia, died in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Then, half a year later, his King, to whom he was loyal and with whom he shared his vision of foreign policy, especially the demand that Israel withdraw from occupied territories, was also dead. On 25 March 1975, King Faisal was assassinated and his half-brother prince Khalid was made King of Saudi Arabia.

Did this mark a turning point in Saudi Arabia’s attitude concerning being the leader of the Arab states in demanding that Isreal withdraw to the 1967 borders? The reader be the judge.

Kissinger had warned that it was not wise for the Saudi Arabian leadership to be at the forefront among Arab states in this demand on Israel, and especially their willingness to use their control over oil production as an active tool in that policy.

The next leaders were less insistent.

Unfinished business

Yet, there was one piece of unfinished business – long-standing oil minister Yamani was still putting up resistance. It was surely just bad lack what happened to him next.

In December 1975, when Yamani was at the OPEC headquarters in Vienna, notorious secret service operative Ilich Ramirez Sanches, better known as Carlos the Jackal, who had studied at the University of Westminster in London, raided the building and took Yamani hostage. He then demanded a plane and went flying around North Africa with Yamani and other hostages for two days (the pilot was British ex-Royal Navy man Neville Atkinson; other operatives on the team included German “Red Army Faction” members, an organisation that has since been shown to have been run by NATO as part of “Operation Gladio”). Yamani was supposed to have been shot by Carlos, but wasn’t. Carlos was thus expelled from his Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine organisation by its leader Wadie Haddad before the end of the year for failing to shoot hostages when PFLP demands were not met, failing in his mission.

But minister Yamani had become more agreeable ever since: He stayed in the job until 1986 and lived to a ripe old age.

There is nothing to see here.

It does look as if the US has essentially been totally controlling the Saudi government and all its key policies, rendering the decision to sell oil only against the US dollar – challenged by Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Muammar Qaddafi of Libya at the cost of their lives – subject to direct US control, and thus rendering it unnecessary to point this out explicitly in any written agreement between Saudi Arabia and the US.

So what about the current crown prince in Saudia Arabia? The media seems to have created the impression that he is some kind of “rebel” who is trying to shake off US influence. Indeed, when Crown Prince Mohammed’s request to the US to obtain nuclear power were rebuffed, he achieved a rapprochement with Iran, which was intermediated by China. This, in turn, ended the longstanding and ongoing proxy war in Yemen, in which Iran had supported the Houthis and Saudi Arabia their opponents.

“The diplomatic breakthrough also strengthened Saudi ties with China, a powerful alternative and counterweight to the United States that Mohammed could leverage in his dealings with the North American superpower. Indeed, just hours after the deal was announced, the offer to normalize ties with Israel in exchange for U.S. commitments on security and nuclear technology was reiterated”. (Source)

On the other hand, he seems to have acted to keep Arab leaders in line. Think about the peculiar resignation of the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in November 2017, when on a visit to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. He was only allowed to return to his own country after significant international pressure, upon which he rescinded his resignation. At the time, several dozen Saudi princes, business leaders and government officials were arrested in Saudi Arabia.

“Many were released only after relinquishing partial control of their businesses to the state or paying billions of dollars. The Saudi government was believed to have collected more than $100 billion from the move.

Having strengthened his de facto status as the premier policy maker of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed sought to foster more cordial and stable relations internationally. In October he reportedly indicated that he would normalize Saudi Arabia’s ties with Israel, as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and other Arab countries had done in recent years. (Source)

Most of all, US troops, which also means deep state operatives, continue to be based inside Saudi Arabia. So at present there is insufficient evidence to suggest that Saudi Arabia is no longer under US control.

BRICS and the alternative to the US dollar

A Chinese Renminbi (RMB)-denominated oil futures contract named Shanghai crude oil futures (SC) has officially been trading at the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) since 26 March 2018. In 2023, China and Saudi Arabia entered into a local currency swap agreement worth ca. $7bn in order to boost trade in their currencies and lessen the reliance on the US dollar.

In early June 2024, Russia’s central bank and the Moscow Exchange halted trading in dollar and euros, as the US imposed further sanctions against Russia and made use of the US dollar even more difficult for Russians. As a result, the Russian central bank stated that the yuan had become the predominant currency on the Moscow bourse, accounting for more than half of currency trades in May.

In December 2023, Iran and Russia held a meeting of central bank governors and concluded an agreement to trade using their local currencies instead of the dollar.

Meanwhile, the BRICS economic group, which includes China, India and Russia, has discussed the prospect of a BRICS currency that would challenge the dominance of the dollar.

However, the US dollar remains the most important foreign reserve currency, accounting for more than half of all FX reserves (although this is down from two thirds only two decades ago).

Given the high degree of deep state machinations concerning Saudi Arabia, oil and the dollar, should we really believe that the emergence of an alternative currency among the growing BRICS group of countries is a development that was not signed off by top decision-makers?

While China and other BRICS countries would like to increase oil trade in BRICS currencies, this is not happening yet. A main obstacle is that the Saudi currency itself is pegged to the US dollar and, as noted, US dominance over Saudia Arabia’s economic and political decisions remains. In the words of a Japanese analyst:

“It is true that China is asking Saudi Arabia to use the renminbi to settle its crude oil payments, but the Saudis would not want to take China’s offer seriously,” Mr Kondo said. “The Saudi riyal is pegged to the dollar, making budget planning easier by receiving oil revenue in dollars. The dollar’s position as the world’s major reserved asset remains still dominant, which give little incentive for the Saudis to switch to other currencies.” (Source).

Another obstacle is the fact that China still has some capital controls on its international financial transactions, with the yuan only partially convertible. While it can be used for current account transactions, to pay for goods and services trade, restrictions remain for capital account transactions, including investments and loans. The Chinese yuan has not internationalised enough to serve easily as a reserve currency.

Also, Saudi Arabia only this month became a full participant in the mBridge project, a collaboration between several central banks to develop a new system for cross-border payments using central bank digital currencies. But this project is guided by the Bank for International Settlements, partly owned by the Bank of England, the formerly privately-owned bank domiciled in the City of London Corporation. MBridge was launched in 2021 as a collaboration between the BIS and the central banks of China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, to advance cross-border trade and payments using the project’s blockchain, the mBridge Ledger. In addition to the six central bank “full” participants, there are a further 27 official entities partnering in the project, including the IMF and the World Bank. Other central banks, namely of Norway, South Korea and Turkey (NATO or otherwise US allies) are observers. Partner banks include Goldman Sachs, HSBC and China’s six biggest state-owned banks.

The US policies in the past ten years were designed to forge a new military alliance between Russia and China, which others, such as Iran, have joined, while also forging an economic alliance centering on these countries in the larger circle of BRICS countries. More recently, the policy of first freezing and now confiscating Russian assets held in the US sphere of influence must convince more and more countries that an alternative system is more attractive than the US economic zone of influence.

It is notable that US policy decisions have been at the bottom of all this, further enhanced by the American-run regime of grey and black lists of countries concerning financial and tax reporting and consequently the ease of access to bank services. This regime practically discriminates against people and companies resident in many countries and makes simple payments and fund transfers difficult for them, as banks shy away from the high regulatory burden. It did not use to be this way and it doesn’t have to be this way. But decision-makers chose it this way.

Could it thus be that the much-hailed “alternative” to the US system of hegemony of BRICS countries and a BRICS currency is just another Hegelian dialectic opposite, possibly seen as necessary on the road towards a one-world government? For a one-world currency to be realistic, as proposed for instance by my former Oxford MPhil Economics classmate Mark Carney in 2019 at Jackson Hole, the US dollar has to be dethroned. The decision-makers behind this are influential enough to make America take those policies that would dethrone the dollar. Their chosen tool are central bank digital currencies, favoured also by China and Russia, not just the Western central planners. And it is these that we must oppose and resist as much as possible.

ALERT! NEUTRON BOMBS, USA TROOPS MILES FROM RUSSIAS BORDER, TRUMP GOES NUCLEAR, BIDEN IS FINISHED

What is one city you would never return to? Why?

For me, it is Paris!

I am an Indian and you are going to say that you have many places in India that are worse than Paris. And I accept it, perhaps you are right! But the question asks specifically, “What is one city you would never return to”. It asks for my opinion based on my experience.

A lot of Black people (I mention this because there were no other ppl in those groups. More on the line of haggling and harrassing, and NOT on racial discrimination) trying to strike a conversation by blocking my path with the most common question, “Which country you are from?” or with the line, “You look pretty”One of the women walking in front of me answered, “From Italy” and that is it! He started to follow and he was like, “I love Pizza.” and “You are so pretty”. Since she was ahead of me, it scared me! And in a split of second, she ran away. And then he asked me, “Which country are you from?”Some Black people selling souvenirs on the roads near Eiffel Tower were very persistent in trying to sell their items. I mean, we neither went near to them nor asked them anything. And these guys also knew Hindi, “Sasta hai Sasta hai!!”The other city where I had a similar experience was in Rome. But for some reason, it was not so crowded and I could escape every time.
Weird experiencesOne of the most profound weird (I would not tag it “racism”) experiences I had was in Paris.
We were waiting for the Bus in a queue. There were Indians in front of me and there was this group of 3 old stylish ladies talking in French behind me.
When the bus came one of those three ladies pointed a finger and said to me and my mother, “You two, behind me!”. You should know better than to bully me! Long drama short, I got into the bus and those three got into the second bus that was for the same route just behind this one ;)Another experience was at the metro station after I purchased the tickets from the vending machine. A man came to me and asked me where I was going. I told him and then he said, “This is not the ticket you should be buying”.
Every European city has its own rules when it comes to tickets, where to validate it and so on. There is a high probability that I could have made a mistake and bought the wrong ticket.
I got nervous. He began to tell me that I should not be buying from the vending machine for this route and should purchase a value that was higher than my current ticket.
After a minute, it felt odd because I am not so dumb to purchase the wrong ticket! And I can read English as well as French. I simply told him, “Okay, I will pay the fine” and I just walked away from him. (Btw it was the right ticket)I have a couple of more experiences. All these in 3.5 days I stayed in Paris.The bus drivers are all the time irritated.Surprisingly, a lot of honking compared to other cities in Europe that I have visited.
Pedestrians were crossing even on the red signal for the pedestrians (In India, nobody cares for signals but in Europe, in almost all the places I have visited ppl take traffic rules seriously.)
Pricey!Paris is known as the Fashion Capital of the World. Rightly so! Almost all the big brands are present there. But for the middle class, it is too heavy on the pocket.My shopping included only books, second-hand French books that would have been hard to get in India!
And obviously, some freeze magnets!French Macarons are also costly and I have had better things in my life which were damn cheaper. My mother remarked, “Why is it so sugary?”
Over-hypedMacarons are over-hyped and so is the Mona Lisa!But since I will not perhaps visit again (other than special circumstances), I had a lot of French Macarons and waited 55 minutes (even though I had a ticket) to enter the Louvre (where the Mona Lisa lives!) and another 20 minutes to get somewhere near to the painting.I am not complaining per se, just pointing out. I enjoyed both. It is just that it is nothing great. But had I missed it then I would have regretted it because of all the hype surrounding it.
Paris Metro made me uncomfortable. But maybe, it is just me.
A lot of traffic and jams as well. I preferred to walk around and/or take the metro.

I was advised by my driver in Porto not to stay out too late in Paris and to make sure that I am always in a place that is surrounded by people. Not a good advice before starting the Paris trip.

Jurassic Park – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

What was the biggest scandal at your high school?

A teacher that I knew very well was arrested and jailed without bond for sexual assault.

But there was no evidence to the accusations.

He got along well with the students and staff. A bit strict at times, but he was a pretty humorous and kind person overall. So when the allegations came out, we were all shocked but confused.

Something just didn’t feel right.

The person pressing the charges was a senior, and she was a bit “out there.” Many people saw her as a “social justice warrior” with strong beliefs in feminism. She definitely wasn’t a timid or soft-spoken person at all.

She claimed that he had molested her since freshman year, assaulted her multiple times at school, and even visited her home several times.

Her friend also testified as a witness while saying that she had been assaulted too.

What’s “interesting” though is her Facebook page which states that her hobby is “taking down white males.”

Furthermore, police did a thorough investigation of all his devices, but couldn’t find anything.

Nevertheless, he was still arrested and jailed.

Now, I’m not saying he’s innocent, but without any evidence, it’s difficult for me to justify his imprisonment either.

And I really hope that he isn’t innocent.

Because if he is, then he has had his whole life unrightfuly taken away from him.

He’ll never be able to teach again.

He’ll be forever labeled as a child-molester.

His career is ruined.

His family is broken.

And his life, by all means, is essentially over.

What Putin and China did is SHOCKING and the U.S. is in Deep Trouble

Some fun illustrations and pics

GET UP AND GET IT DONE – Motivational Speech

Beef Pastrami

Ingredients

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons dried thyme
6 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons whole juniper berries, + 1/3 cup crushed juniper
6 cups water
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup kosher salt
1 beef brisket (about 4 to 5 pounds)
2/3 cup coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, combine the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, garlic and whole juniper berries.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and add dry spice mixture and steep for 1 hour.
Place the brisket in a glass or plastic container. Pour the seasoned brine to cover the brisket completely. Cover and refrigerate for 3 weeks, turning the brisket every couple of days.
Heat the smoker.
Combine the crushed juniper berries and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Using the palm and heel of your hand, press two thirds of the berries and pepper mixture into the brisket. Press the remaining mixture into the other side. Place the brisket in a smoker and smoke for about 4 hours.
Remove from the smoker and cool for 30 minutes.
Place the brisket in a large Dutch oven, cover with water and place over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.
Remove from pan and cool completely.
Slice into thin slices and serve.

What battles in history were won because one side did something so unthinkable that it caught their opponent completely by surprise?

Imagine you have an army and you’re out of supplies. Like, if you sit there for a few more days, your men will start to starve. That’s how bad it is. You’re also not getting resupplied any time soon because the enemy navy is blocking your sea routes and the enemy army is blocking your land routes. Your only way to survive is to beat the enemy army in a head-on battle.

But there’s just one problem: the enemy army is twice as large as your own. And is led by one of the greatest living generals.

How do you win the battle?

This was the situation Julius Caesar faced in the late summer of 48 BCE. He had made a gambit, attempting to cross the Adriatic in late fall in risky waters, but he only made it across with half of his army and was promptly outmaneuvered by his opponent Pompey’s larger army. Near the town of Pharsalus, he found himself outnumbered, outmatched, and even outplanned. Pompey held all the cards.

Pompey’s associates, who included most of Rome’s Senators, urged him to battle. He himself wanted to stay up on his hill and starve Caesar out, but he was pressured into a confrontation. He obliged.

As Pompey’s army marched out, it must have been an intimidating sight for Caesar. He had faced down larger armies before, but they had always been armies of Gauls, undisciplined warriors without much organization on the battlefield. Facing him now were trained Roman soldiers led by a commander with decades of experience in field battles. Caesar must have come to terms with the idea that this would be his last battle.

The two armies lined up. Pompey had the tactical flexibility to either stack his units tightly to create more breakthrough pressure or to extend his line and outflank Caesar. He opted for the former, matching Caesar’s line in length and seeking to penetrate. Caesar had no choice but to attack.

In most battles, the attack would begin with a slow walk, accelerating to a brisk stride and eventually a full jog that would create momentum for the strike. However, Caesar knew that his momentum was not enough for Pompey’s deep ranks. He took advantage of his soldiers’ coordination and discipline; ten meters before making contact, he ordered a full-stop halt to the entire line. After a brief rest to recover from the initial run, they advanced slowly, shields braced, into the fray.

The infantry combat devolved into a stalemate. Pompey’s lines had more weight, but Caesar’s soldiers were veterans who had fought with Caesar for a decade. They had bore powerful charges with more fervor from Gauls before, and they could handle slow, grinding formation fighting just fine despite being outnumbered.

For Caesar, the problem would be the cavalry.

Pompey was dominant in cavalry. Caesar had some Gallic auxiliary horsemen, but Pompey, with all the resources of Greece and the rest of the Roman east, had amassed Macedonian-style cavalry in the thousands. They outnumbered Caesar’s cavalry at least five-to-one, and when they charged, it was a sure thing they would crush Caesar’s flank and bring a quick end to the battle.

Finally, around the peak of the fighting, Pompey’s cavalry charged. Thousands of hooves on the ground, kicking up dust and producing a terrifying low rumble that drew closer and closer to Caesar’s cavalry. They stood still, awaiting the charge. It looked like suicide, a last stand.

At the last moment, they raised their spears. It was a death wish. Pompey’s cavalry made contact.

Immediately, Caesar’s cavalry turned around and fell back. Pompey’s cavalry followed in hot pursuit. But suddenly, Caesar’s cavalry units began splitting off into two groups. They each moved to one side.

Taking their place were a unit of legionaries. Armed with spears.

Pompey’s cavalry were not prepared for this reserve unit of infantry, especially not ones using spears. Turns out their spears were actually just improvised pila: heavy throwing javelins repurposed as anti-horse weapons. But against an unexpected enemy whose momentum became kryptonite, they worked perfectly.

Horses and riders fell, impaled by the spears. Others were struck in the back by pila as they turned tail to flee. The charge broke into a chaotic mess, and the Caesarians were getting the better of the melee fighting on foot. Finally, the Roman cavalry came back for their charge, making contact with the broken Pompeian formation and utterly scattering it. The Pompeian horsemen fled off the battlefield in disarray.

Now it was Pompey’s flank that was in grave danger.

Pompey did not expect that the Roman cavalry would be coming back from their death stand. He was completely unprepared to see a mix of cavalry and infantry barreling toward his left flank. The infantry were equally unprepared and failed to meet the charge properly. Their tightly packed lines were crushed even closer together.

Caesar took advantage of this disorder from every angle. He knew a river protected the left side of the battlefield, so he diverted the rest of his reserves to the Pompeian left flank and sent them on a crushing push through their lines.

The Pompeians folded. 40,000 men lost to 22,000 men on a flat plain with only one little trick.

Julius Caesar would go on to defeat all challengers, becoming the dictator-for-life of Rome.

Then he got stabbed. Sadge

China does not reveal its true military capability (following the principles of Sun Tzu).

Western intelligence can only guess at China’s real nuclear capability. At present, their guess is that China has 350 nuclear weapons and 90 ICBMs.

However, many netizens have studied this question in great detail and their estimates are much higher. Their consensus is that China may have 800 nuclear weapons, and possibly as many as 2,000, including the delivery vehicles for all of them.

Bottom line? We just don’t know.

This uncertainty is what China aims for. It must keep US military planners up at night.

Suppose China does have 800 nuclear weapons. Suppose China has the delivery vehicles for all of them. What does this mean for the United States?

America’s missile defence shield is unproven in the field. However, it has been tested, and recent tests show less than 60% effectiveness. That means 40% of China’s nukes could slip through US defences.

So how much damage could 320 nukes do to America? Well, it would certainly flatten America. It would kill many tens of millions of people, perhaps over a hundred million.

It would wipe out America’s industrial and technological base.

It would create millions of square kilometers of radioactive wasteland that are uninhabitable for centuries.

How could America feed its remaining population? Radioactive land is not arable.

And let’s not overlook the possibility of nuclear winter.

If this is anybody’s idea of survivability, they’re welcome to it.

Never Underestimate China’s Ability to Do the Unexpected

Nothingness.

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Jaylen Hyden

Her hands ghost against the Paine of thick glass separating her from the void, infinite nothingness as far as one could look in the pitch black reach of death’s gaze.the only thing stopping her from being scooped out into its frigid embrace was metal. Metal and wires, a rib cage made out of nuts and bolts, with nothing but cold surfaces and sharp edges welded together that encapsulated her and the rest of her crew.She almost forgets to breathe, her lungs twisted up and tangled with a combination of unfiltered elation and deep seated dread that knocks back and forth within her skull until she becomes lightheaded from the thought of acknowledging either of them.Instead of that, she grunts, lifting herself out of her chair while her eyes continue to fixate on the electronic timer counting down its life until they reach their new destination. A new place, new opportunities, a new start-A new home.She hesitates at the last thought, brushing it aside as she walks away from the machine, her hands slightly shaky from the amount of caffeine she’s ingested in the last 48 hours, the empty cups now stacked up into a messy pile beside her desk.She walks out into the hallway from her office, the bright, fluorescent lights nearly blinding from her extended time cooped up and occupied with work. Even just a few steps out and she can already hear the mutter of chatter flooding from the commons area, Snippets of conversation buzzing to life the closer she gets. A small smile lifts the corners of her mouth as she enters the room, her older sister sitting in one of the many chairs scattered about the room.She walks towards her on the bleached white tiled floors, stopping beside her place a comforting hand over her shoulder; and chuckles when the girl nearly jumps out of her seat from surprise.

“Wha -Charlie! I told you not to scare me like that!” the older girl squeaks, a squeezed smirk scrunching up her face subtly.

Charlie replies with a toothy, smug smile, only patting her sister again on the shoulder, albeit a bit more delicate this time.

“You know I couldn’t miss an opportunity like that!” charlie defends, crossing her arms while continuing to wear the same smirk. Her sister rolls her eyes, and finally chuckles along.

“So you finally decided to come out of your hole, huh?” Her sister nudges charlies side with her elbow, a friendly gesture. Charlie’s body tenses slightly, she really wishes she didn’t have to. She would rather be anywhere else then on this godforsaken ship, but she never really had a choice.

“You would do the same if you were the one in charge of making sure this tin can doesn’t blow up!”

“guess I can’t argue with that.”

“See, I told you. Now how is the data coming along?” charlie glances over at the clock hung up on the wall; god, it was already almost 2am. She doesn’t want to be here.

“Got two more potential sites we could look into, nothing special though.” her sister shrugs.

“Are they actually habitable this time?” charlie mutters under her breath. She feels like she’s already said this before, like this whole thing has happened before.

“Yeah yeah,” her sister waves a dismissive hand in the other direction “no more acidic deposits or whatever.” charlie snorts at the response. But it’s mostly out of reflex. She can’t wait to get back to her room at this point.

“Can’t say people would be too happy if the equivalent of an acid volcano blew up their home.”

She jokes back, forcing her face into a smile.

“It sounded like it would be a ‘them’ problem at the time, not a ‘me’ problem.” her sister jokes.

“Whatever you say, rose.” she rolls her eyes, until settling her gaze on the screen of glass on the other side of the room. Her face scrunches up as she easily abandons the shallow conversation, instead making her way across said room; something twisting uneasily in her stomach the same way her awe of the stars did with her lungs.

“Where do you think you’re going, i’m not done with you yet!” Rose calls after her, a smile still strewn on the taller girls face, while her sister ignores her.

Charlie stops a few steps short of the glass, and places a delicate hand on its surface, her eyes squinting into the nothingness.

“Uh, rose?” she finally responds to her, calling out to her sister as her other crew peers start to glance over curiously, and then follow up with an array of different sounds of sudden panic.

“I’m coming i’m com-” she stops short behind the shorter girl, mouth slightly agape.

“Rose, what is-

“What the hell is that thing?!” a sudden shriek arises from the room in the back, cutting charlie off from trying to reason out what she’s currently seeing in front of her. Something in her memory seems to click, but she doesn’t know why.

Something blacker than the abyss stares back at them, long, lithe tendrils slowly curling in and out from around it as it continues to approach the ship.

Somebody in the crowd begins to scream, and soon the whole ship is riddled with fear and panic as everyone seemingly begins to scramble. Crowds of people trampling over each other through the small door frames on either side of the commons.

She should be running with them, screaming in terror and ripping her hand away from the glass. But instead she can only stand still as her sister tries to drag her deeper into the false security of their ships from the lurking leviathan in the void.

She’s just so tired. And she just wants to go back home.

Maybe space wouldn’t be that cold after all?

She can hear her sisters voice behind her, muffled but just as grating to her ears. She stares out of the window, glazed over eyes watching the creature sulk closer.

She can finally go home.

BECOME OBSESSED – 3 HOUR Motivational Speech Video | Gym Workout Motivation

It’s no time to die

Today, I’ve got a complete 007 James Bond movie at the end. Please stick around and enjoy it. It’s a recent movie too. “It’s no time to die”. It’s well worth your time to carve out and watch.

Now, on to other subjects…

You know, I inherited my father’s desk. Actually I inherited all of his desks, as he had three. And my mother’s desks.

And in my struggles of life, my siblings and relatives came and looted them away. All of which were sold to strangers for a pittance.

at home projects 2020 10 Sylvia Worsnop desk before tagged

Maybe they were able to buy a pizza for the $2000 desk they sold for $5.

Some of them were really nice too.

Now, today in China, I don’t use a desk. I have various tables that I use. And I fight with my daughter for desk space. LOL.

I have long argued that all men should have a desk. It’s a place to plan, to work, and to organize. The old roll-top desks with all those little drawers, and cubby holes were perhaps the highlight of this item of furniture, but over time, as I have become more mobile and recognized that for each move, I would lose some of my possession, I now have a smaller list of “needs”.

It’s 2024.

I don’t carry a wallet, or anything like a watch any longer. I have a few notebooks and a handful of pens, but that’s all about it.

Ah.

But electronic reliance comes with it’s own troubles, hassles and problems. I will say this again…

But, you know, supreme reliance on a computer of cell phone comes with its own problems. And You all, should know what that means and what they are.

After so many hard drive crashes, system reboots, stolen products and police extractions, I do not trust data storage and histories on the computer at all. In fact, a actually loath them.

Anyways, back to my narrative…my father had his boy-hood desk stored in my paternal mother’s house attic. It was a glass bookcase, with a pull down writing desk. I thought that it was cool. You could store your books and treasures on one side, and then go about your business on the other side., and when you were done, you could lock everything up.

Pretty cool huh?

I still think that it is important to have a “space” a secure place that is free from intrusion and prying eyes. As well from a virus, or an electrical discharge. Call me old fashioned, but there is a certain beauty of having a quite space all your own, where you can set your coffee, tea, or whiskey down and think, read or write.

A desk.

About Desks

Writing desk 1 (unsplash) 30 8 22 crop v2

Do you dream about sitting down to write at an antique desk? Do you imagine being able to channel all the creativity of the people who have used the desk before you, and that somehow their words become yours?

What makes an antique desk so appealing is its tangible history. The marks, scuffs, and etchings of the people who sat there before you all add to its beauty.

It’s why these desks remain so popular with antique collectors and consumers alike – both looking for a piece of furniture steeped in character to complete their study or hallway.

What are the most popular antique desks?

When you think of an antique writing desk, you probably imagine a grand partner’s desk with ornate detailing or a slender ladies writing desk.

Antique desks date back hundreds of years, but the most popular styles were conceived between the 16 and 18th centuries, when furniture design really flourished.

Cabinet-makers like George Hepplewhite and Thomas Chippendale made their name during this period with designs that are still sought after today.

There are so many styles to choose from that it’s easy to get lost in the number of options:

Pedestal desks
Partners desks
Bonheur de Jour (ladies’ writing desk)
Secretaire desks
Roll-top desks
Bureau à Gradin

Every style of desk has its own defining set of characteristics that make it easy to identify (but a word of warning, these pieces aren’t easy to date so do your homework and make sure that what you’re buying is a genuine antique before you hand over your money).

How to identify an antique writing desk

In this section, we look at some of the most popular antique desks and their characteristics.

Pedestal desks

The antique pedestal desk has a flat writing surface with two pedestals on either side, that usually contain drawers. You might also see it referred to as a kneehole desk (so-called because of the space between the pedestals for tucking in a chair). The kneehole desk dates back to the Georgian period.

Partners desks

This type of desk was designed for two people to use at the same time with a large work area and drawers on both sides. Because it looks good from both sides, this desk would make a grand centerpiece in the middle of the room (just make sure you’ve got the space before you invest!)

Ladies writing desk

This elegant desk with slender legs shot to fame in the second half of the 18th century in Paris. It’s also known as a bonheur de jour, which is French for daytime delight.

This desk has a raised back that forms a kind of cabinet with a nest of drawers or sometimes open shelves with a mirror. An English-style desk will typically have mahogany drawer liners, but French models are more likely to be oak-lined.

Secretaire desks

Antique-style secretary desks are typified by their drop-down writing areas which usually have hinges. Some are made from exotic woods like rosewood, tulipwood, and kingwood, but other hardwoods became popular later.

Roll-top desks

The late 18th-century roll-top desk is usually made of oak, mahogany, or walnut. These desks are popular for their storage which includes drawers, shelves, and pigeon holes. Typically this storage is hidden behind a rolling door or a shutter, which retracts vertically.

Bureau à Gradin

This type of antique writing desk has tiers of small drawers and shelves along the back of the surface area. The Carlton House desk is the most famous example of a bureau à gradin, which was reportedly designed by George Hepplewhite for the Prince of Wales. What makes the Carlton writing desk so popular is the drawers that wrap around the desk in a U-shape.

How do you pick an antique writing desk?

When it comes to choosing a writing desk, consider how you’ll be using it. If you want a desk that you can sit at for long hours while you work then look for something that is big enough to fit your screen, a keyboard, and a laptop.

Today’s workspace is full of 21st century equipment that needs to be stored somewhere, not to mention the tangle of cables that come with it. Antique writing desks are not designed to accommodate electrical items, so think about where you’ll put your printer and other devices.

Of course, if you’ll only be sitting at your desk occasionally then you can buy something to suit the room’s decor without worrying about the functionality of the furniture. Consider how much space you’ve got available and whether the desk is designed to be positioned against a wall or whether, like a partners’ desk, it’s intended to be used as a grand centrepiece.

The juxtaposition of new meets old in interior design can make an impressive statement, but that doesn’t mean any old chair will work with your antique desk. To get the most out of it, choose your chair carefully. There are plenty of antique desk chairs out there that fit the bill.

Late 19th century swivel desk chairs with upholstered seats are some of our favourites.

Antique writing desks – the bottom line

Sitting down at an antique writing desk feels very different to sitting at an MDF table from a big budget store. When you sit at an antique desk, you’re joining a long line of people who used it before you to do something similar.

Whether you’re working, paying a bill, or writing your Christmas cards, doing it at a desk with a long history feels like it carries greater importance.

Is it the Marcos’ family has their entire assets in US and the US court is threatening them with freezing such assets unless follows US interest and goes against China? If is true, can this ruins the Philippine growth and prosperity or the other way?

Marcos’ huge inheritance in USA has been frozen by USA long before his father Marcos Senior died. Marcos Sr was a notorious corrupted pres in the world.

Instead of USA threatening to freeze his inheritance, it is more likely that USA may have used those frozen assets as a bail to fish Marcos Junior.

Money is 1 thing. Marcos Jr also had an arrest warrant in USA related to the his inheritance. He is temporarily lifted while he is president.

He was supposed to appear in a US court after his father’s death & while Marcos’ junior was still living in exile in USA. But he fled & sneaked out of USA & returned to PH.

If there were a threat, more likely it is not the frozen assets but his arrest warrant. I would guess.

Of course, Marcos is working for his personal interest at the expense of PH & Filipinos.

When former PH pres Duterte had no problems with China, there is no reason Marcos should have problem with China. There is no reason Marcos should provoke China because China has no problem with PH fishing in PH’s EEZ

Marcos conveniently twists UNCLOS & interpret fishing right in EEZ as sovereignty.

Anyway, Marcos is leading PH to a war with China & making PH a battlefield.

My crystal ball tells me that Marcos will not 1 cent from his inheritance. USA will cook up 100 reasons that USA cannot unfreeze the money. USA will confiscate the money to pay for US debts. But USA may cancel the arrest warrant after Marcos’ “hard work” to provoke China.

What is best reason?

USA & UK seized the assets of Russian oligarch after Russia invaded Ukraine. Their reason is that they will use the money to help Ukraine.

Now USA can seize Marcos’ assets in USA. May be the reason is that he is nice to China by not provoking China hard enough. Haha. USA has many smart people.

Ah. He found a keeper

Is Communist China really good? None of its citizens seem to protest anything.

Communist is not an accurate way to describe modern China. China isn’t really Communist. Don’t let the name of the party fool you.

China’s government is unusual in that it actually learns from its mistakes, adapts, evolves and improves. Western governments do not.

Despite mistakes made under Mao’s rule, the government has become one of the best in the world. The country has developed rapidly and peacefully. The people live much better than they did a mere 30 years ago.

So, yes, modern China is really good. Go visit China and see for yourself.

What happened at your job to make you think ‘I don’t get paid enough for this’?

Originally Answered: What was your "I don't get paid enough for this sh*t" moment?

I accidentally scanned the next woman’s deli meat because she hadn’t put a divider on the belt. The current customer said, nicely, that it wasn’t hers and I voided it. The next woman seemed agitated and complained again. I joked “I forgot my mind reading glasses at home. Next time I guess you’ll have to use the divider.” other customers chuckled but the lady turned red and raised her voice “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY”

I said, “don’t worry about it, it was just a silly joke.” I started scanning her stuff and she calls the customer service desk from her cell phone and starts telling a very dramatic version of my scanning and joke. The manager walks over after realizing this psycho is in the store. The woman is complaining about me and looking over occasionally “oh, double bag that one.” I had zoned her out and looked up to see her and the manager looking at me expectantly. The manager says, “well?” I asked, what? The manager says the woman wants an apology. And super nonchalant, I said “oh! Sorry.” then asked her if she was ready to pay. This pissed the woman off even more, that I was not crying from embarrassment or fear. She paid and starts yelling again as she’s walking backwards out of the store, to me “I hope whatever made you this way gets better!” I think, yep you’re leaving.

Manager pulled me aside and says “what do you have to say for yourself?”

I said in that Same calm tone “I don’t need this in my life.”

She says “excuse me?” I said, that customer was rude and unstable. She was drawing attention from other customers and detracting from their experience. She clearly was looking for an argument and nothing I could say would change that. The most I could do was ring her up and tell her to have a nice day.

The manager shrugged and said, just remember that sometimes we can’t say what we want to– and then walked off. She has been rude to me ever since but complains when I pick a shift to work that isn’t hers.

edit to add: this woman was psycho. People came up to apologize on her behalf after, and/or compliment me for staying so calm. Clearly some of you have not worked retail. Do it for a day and you won’t take her side.

Grilled Cheese and Bacon Mini Meat Loaves

Love meat loaf? Make it on the grill for a summertime treat!

Prep: 55 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound extra-lean (at least 90%) ground beef
1/4 cup Progresso® plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
4 slices center-cut bacon (about 3 1/2 ounces), cut crosswise in half

Instructions

Heat gas or charcoal grill for indirect cooking as directed by manufacturer.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix all ingredients except bacon. On work surface, pat mixture into 7-inch square. Cut into 4 (3 1/2-inch) squares. Top each square with 2 half-slices bacon; attach with wooden picks.
Carefully spray grill rack with cooking spray. Place patties on unheated side of two-burner gas grill or over drip pan on charcoal grill (medium heat). (If using one-burner gas grill, cook over low heat.) Cover grill; cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly pink in center.
Using spatula, turn patties over. Cover grill; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160 degrees F and bacon is crisp.
Remove wooden picks before serving.

Notes

Use Italian-style bread crumbs for a different flavor. You could also use pizza or spaghetti sauce for the ketchup.

Center-cut bacon has had the fatty ends cut off. You can use slices of regular bacon–just trim about 3/4 inch off of each end. The half-strips should just cover the surface of each beef square.

Nobody Cares, Work Harder

On Tuesday, China and the Philippines held a bilateral meeting to ease tensions in the South China Sea. Do you think if those de-escalation efforts would work?

The essence of the conflict between China and the Philippines remains unchanged. The fundamental contradiction between China and the Philippines on Ren’ai Reef is the ownership of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The differences between the two countries are also very clear, that is, the conflict between the Philippines’ attempt to actually illegally occupy the South China Sea islands and China’s rights protection.
The Philippines has never given up reinforcing the hull of the “Sierra Madre” and building facilities on Second Thomas Shoal, and has never stopped delivering building materials and supplies for related operations to Second Thomas Shoal. That is to say, the Philippines is trying to regard the stranded ship as its territory, thereby truly turning “sitting on the beach” into illegally occupation.
Sierra Madre has been on the Second Thomas Shoal beach for 25 years, Filipino soldiers have been living on Sierra Madre for 25 years, heavy metal pollution brought by the rusty Sierra Madre, Filipino soldiers produce daily household garbage, kitchen water, bath water, food scraps, bottles, plastic bags, feces and so on directly discharged into the coral reefs, which become the Second Thomas Shoal eco-pollution source, whose contaminated area stretches over a dozen nautical miles.

China and the Philippines are currently holding the ninth meeting of the bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea issue. Judging from the details announced by both sides since 2013, this mechanism is a “temporary special arrangement” established by China and the Philippines after 2016. This is an effective way to manage differences explored by the two countries. On June 30, 2022, Bongbong Marcos came to power, and the new Philippine government led by him did not agree with the “gentleman’s agreement” between the Rodrigo Duterte government and the Chinese government. Overall, whether the “temporary special arrangements” can play a role depends entirely on whether the Philippine government abides by its commitments.
Whether the US military will intervene on Second Thomas Shoal, it is very certain, they will not. Although U.S. politicians have repeatedly confirmed verbally that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to the South China Sea, the U.S. military can arbitrarily adjust its position, response, and the extent and methods of measures it takes based on its own interests and strategies. Judging from the parties involved in the recent conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, the US military has never been a participant, and the only participants are the American media. American media reporters are regular crew members of Philippine ships, and they are good at Preaching and distorted reporting.

THROUGH HELL – Motivational Video

Is the conservation of pandas a part of China’s foreign policy?

It is now. But it did not start it that way about 200 years ago.

In 1800’s, many Europeans came to China, esp Christian missionaries. They found pandas. An animal they never saw at home.

They started killing Panda to bring it home for display in their museum. Or they smuggled live Pandas from China to their home country.

Some of these smugglers were Christian missionaries.

Pandas were close to extinct at one point.

It was then that Chinese authority decided to protect Panda from killing & smuggling.

Panda dont make babies easily. As part of conservation, China sometimes needs to manually help them make baby.

Panda is a unique species. Some foreigners like to put it in their zoo for display/education & at the same make money, China also get into the business by renting panda to foreign countries.

It is mutual interest.

Have you ever conned a car salesman who thought he was going to con you?

My wife was able to turn the tables on a Ford dealership several years ago. She bought a used car from them and was quite happy with the car until it was totaled in a flood. Insurance paid out, so she bought the same model & make of vehicle from the same dealership with a 3 year extended warranty. This last detail will be important later: her 2nd vehicle was a different color.

From the day she drove the 2nd vehicle off of the lot, the brakes squeaked and the steering was loose. Despite taking it in for warranty repairs a few times, they refused to fix it & blew things off as just “dust on the pads”.

Shortly before her warranty expired, she took the vehicle back in for an oil change & inspection. The service tech gave her a $2,000 list of proposed fixes (including replacing the dangerously worn brakepads, a tie rod, & a few other big ticket items). She asked for a printout of the repairs with pricing. Then she asked why the repairs weren’t covered under the warranty.

The service guy told her that her warranty had expired over a year ago. That’s when she asked him what color her car was. [The guy had pulled up the older car in their computer system.]

Scammy dude quickly tried to backtrack & say that there was nothing really wrong with the brakes or other components and that they were just suggestions. But he had roasted himself with flagging some repairs as “critical for safety”. After he realized he was screwed, he suggested doing all the repairs just for the cost of labor.

My wife had to get a manager involved, but the dealership ended up doing a ton of repairs on her vehicle that they never would have agreed to do without trying to gaslight & con her. All covered under the extended warranty, without any labor costs.

I WILL MAKE IT – Motivational Speech

Do Americans actually compete with illegals for low-level jobs?

Perhaps my former son-in-law’s story might be instructive. He was employed as a framing carpenter in building construction, but was priced out by low-paid undocumented aliens.

He took a job in a local cabinet shop and made more money.

He liked “Cross-Fit” exercise, so on his lunch breaks, with the boss’s permission, he started making sturdy plywood boxes for cross fitters to jump on and off of.

His boxes sold so well that he left the cabinet shop and started his own business selling his exercise boxes on-line. I allowed him to operate from my home workshop.

His biggest customer was a local on-line retailer of sporting equipment. Before long, this company persuaded him to become their employee, with the promise of a big new wood shop, benefits, and steady money.

He went for it, but within a few months his new bosses outsourced production of his boxes to China and cut him loose.

The Chinese version of the boxes, I was told, were made with bad plywood, and the company lost a lot of customers. They attempted to hire my son-in-law back, but he was no longer interested.

He is now a state government employee, working full-time in the carpenter shop of a large local university for a decent salary and job protection and good benefits.

What is the best way to invest money when you don’t have a lot?

Rule No. 1: Never lose money.

Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1.

I’ll never forget my father’s lesson. He told me, “Son, no matter how many material things you accumulate, you can lose them all.”

“What do you mean, Dad?”

“Your great grandfather owned a beautiful farm. It meant everything to him. One day, some crazy, corrupt government officials came and took it from him. He lost it.”

“He couldn’t get it back?” I asked.

“No, in fact, let me tell you another story. Your grandfather lost one of his businesses due to some powerful union leaders that came one day with three buses, and took all his workers.”

“How? Where did they take them?” I asked intrigued.

“By the time they retuned, they were forced to follow the unreasonable demands of the union leaders. Your grandpa’s business was never the same again. He had to eventually close that booming business. He lost it.”

I couldn’t believe the stories, “Has this ever happened to you?” I asked.

“Yes. You were still a young boy. We owned a lot. One day some people decided to build a street through our property so they could get to their property — isn’t that crazy?”

“With no permits?”

“Yes, no permits! We lost that land plus got a huge headache of legal fees. The lesson here, Son, is that material possessions can be lost. But remember this: NOBODY can EVER take knowledge away from you. Investing in your knowledge is the safest investment you can ever make.”

So, to answer your question, what is the best way to invest money when you don’t have a lot?

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. — Benjamin Franklin

ENJOY THE PAIN

What is the saddest thing you’ve ever seen?

When i was 12 years old my sister (she was 16) she began to experience abdominal pain. She never really told anyone about it except me (we were super close, like inseparable close). She thought that it was just because of her periods. As the months started to grow, so did her pain. I was freaked out so I suggested that we tell our mom but she said that she didn’t want to burden my parents (we were at a financial loss at that time).

So after about 65 days she couldn’t hold on so she decided to tell my mom. My mom got an appointment immediately and we rushed to the ER (Emergency Room). My sister was wailing in pain. The docs over there took an ultrasound scan and then an MRI and a couple of other scans, at this point my mom and I were crying that’s when they revealed that my sister had Pancreatic Cancer and that it had crossed Stage III. My mom literally fainted right there.

I was alone and scared and i had heard about cancer only in stories and books like fault in our stars. But when my sister was a victim i didn’t know how to react.

When my mom regained consciousness and calmed down, they told her that my sister was given a few painkillers and anesthesia for the time being and that we had to start with chemotherapy soon but that they were not sure that it would work. My sister did not know that she had cancer, the doc explained it to her usually merry face broke down.

They started chemo and her beautiful black locks which she was proud of slowly began to fall. She was a person of positivity so she told my mom that she wanted to EXPERIMENT her hair. She had hip length hair which she cut it to a bob then a pixie and then finally shaved her head. We both shaved our heads together.

She would never get a minute of sleep at night. On the 12th of December, it was my birthday, I ran home from school happily as my friends had given me a lot of gifts for my sister and me. My dad was there, my mom wasn’t, my sister was at the hospital, so I asked my dad to drive me to the hospital as I wanted to give the gifts to my sister.

My dad was looking really depressed but he agreed. When I reached my sisters room, she was screaming out of pain my mom was screaming for the docs. I went near my sister slowly she smiled at me even with too much pain.

Her last words to me were, “I love you, take care of tiger (our 1 year old dog) and mom and dad, it’s time for me to see grandma and grandpa in heaven”. She died at 16:07pm on my birthday. I cried for almost a month and I still cry for her every single day but not in front of my parents because I know that if I cry they will cry too. I hope she found a peaceful place! A MESSAGE TO MY SIS – I LOVE U ABBY pls come back if u can I miss you every second of my life.

KILL YOUR EXCUSES – Motivational Speech

Have you ever been arrested or taken into custody for something you didn’t do?

I was arrested for what a US Assistant Attorney (AUSA) indicated in the formal charges was a million dollar fraud case. I was fingerprinted, photographed and processed in as an arrestee. I was held for 9 hours while they processed me.

The AUSA alleged that I had, over the course of a few years, embezzled more than a million dollars and that the “amount could well be much more as they were still counting” but at this point, “couldn’t locate the monies.”

I was only 36 years young and didn’t have so much as a traffic ticket as an adult. I had a traffic ticket as a 16 year old.

I knew the federal agency I worked for was targeting me for opening my mouth about waste, fraud and abuse at the highest levels, but I never thought they would stoop so low as to make up charges and have the power to convince the AUSA to indict me.

How wrong I was. How naïve I was.

An attorney who was representing me in a civil case against my agency, called a friend of his who was a white collar criminal attorney at a big law firm in the city and asked him to meet with me.

I didn’t think the gov’t would indict me so we had a good chat, but during this “chat” he scared the dickens out of me and I ended up throwing up on him!

He indicated that the federal gov’t was surely going to indict me even with no proof, no evidence. I could get 10 years for each count of fraud. He said, “they do it all the time.” I had a career, but no monies to pay his firm. He said, “don’t worry about it, we’ll work something out.”

I was indicted for 27 counts of fraud with no evidence to support the charges.

The trumped up criminal charges were to try and scare me away from the civil case.

However, since I had worked for the gov’t for years, I had about 12 boxes of paperwork related to my job, etc. The criminal attorney asked me why I had all this “proof” and I indicated that I work for the U.S. government!

In reality, I always kept copies of anything I signed as I have a mediocre memory and my memory is complicated by a migraine condition so I lose memory on a regular basis, similar to an epileptic seizure disorder.

Long story short, the federal judge threw out all the indictments (with prejudice) and lashed out at the AUSA indicating “if you ever bring a case such as this to me again, I’ll have your law license revoked.”

Be That guy.

What is the best thing you saw someone do when they got fired from their job?

A friend of mine, let’s call him Mike, a 5-year mid-level executive of an IT company was unceremoniously removed from his office when a new manager, let’s call him Fred, took over the company. Now both Mike and Fred came from another company, where Fred, then an “ass”piring Newbee did his best to take over Mike’s position and was unable to do so. Mike eventually left the company when his current company offered better compensation.

Six years passed and Fred, who rose after Mike left, was able to get a Senior Level position where Mike was working. For no reason, Fred on his first day fired Mike, the claim was insubordination, as Mike did not offer him a “Good Morning” as they passed each other in the hallway.

Mike who was already planning to set up his own company, went to his office, packed all his things, turned over his keys to HR, and left. A week after he was busy preparing his new company, using in part his separation pay. Unknown to Mike, several other employees in his division, learned what happened and resigned.

Now Mike was handling “Special Accounts” and he approached them saying he was no longer working with the company and was moving on. He did not tell them he was setting up his own company. It was also later learned that several of Mike’s co-workers came to work for him.

When Mike left, the company wanted to get him back, Mike said he would, only if they removed Fred and replaced him with another manager. The company would not do so.

Not a year later, Mike became bigger than his old company, who after Mike left slowly disintegrated when some clients left. Some did transfer to Mike’s company, many others found other groups. At this time, the owners of Mike’s old company offered to merge with Mike, who after consideration agreed.

You know the first thing Mike did? He went to Fred, said Good Morning, and gave him his options – either to resign or be transferred to a smaller branch about 100 miles away. Fred opted to resign.

Yeah, karma is a b****!

GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES – Powerful Motivational Speech

It is clear to the world except the US & its Western puppets, that it has a short time before the total eclipse of the dominion of arrogance, US & W. Europe. Will Putin and Xi be new world leaders, will it include India? Will Biden open be a doorman?

I think USA knows. That is why it is struggling to hang onto its “empire” for as long as possible.

That is why USA hysterically suppresses China thru sanctions, trade war, US puppets etc.

W Europe also knows. Some continues to stay by USA. Some turning to China. Poland, for example, is 100% pro-USA. But it asks for Chinese investment in EV in Poland.

Putin & Xi for sure will be the new world leaders.

India? I personally do not see that in the foreseeable future because it is far too behind Russia & China, both economically & technologically.

India’s propaganda skill is good though.

Have you ever had such a close call it makes your skin shiver everytime you think about it? If so, what happened?

I was about 11 or 12 and the last two lessons of the day were hockey practice. Now our hockey field was away from the school but in walking distance. When it was finished we went home straight from the field as we all lived local. I had to go along a road with houses both sides but then there was nothing but fields both sides for about a mile until you reached a busy t junction. When I reached the quiet stretch a car pulled up alongside me, and the male driver opened the passenger side door and told me to get in. I said no so he started to get out the car and with that I ran for my life literally. He chased me for a bit and then gave up as I was nearing the junction. He turned his car around and drove off. I think of it now and again and wonder what would have happened . I may not have reached my 75 years of age. For some reason I never told anybody as I remember feeling it was my own fault for not going the long way round. In hindsight I know I should have done. I hope he didn’t succeed in abducting anyone else . I feel guilty about not saying anything but at the time it never entered my head because all I thought about was getting into trouble with my dad as he would have gone berserk.

Have you ever “fired” a doctor? How did you go about leaving your doctor and finding another one?

Yes I did, in the middle of my second pregnancy. I was around 4 months pregnant and was having a sonogram done to check on the progress of the baby. Of course that particular day, my future daughter decided to curl up in a ball with her back facing my stomach, so the sonogram technician was having a tough time getting a read on the blood flow in the umbilical cord. We tried everything we could to get her to move, but she was already showing signs of stubbornness and stayed put. We tried for over an hour, and let’s not forget that you have sonograms done with a full bladder, so I was in pain. Finally the technician said she would give it her best shot and make a note in the report that the baby was blocking access to the cord. I agreed, we finished, I peed and went home.

A couple of days later I was shocked to receive a phone call from my OB/GYN’s office informing me of my referral appointment at the Perinatal/Neonatal center in a city over an hour away (I lived in a rural area). When I asked what the referral was for, I was told they couldn’t tell me and I would have to discuss it with the doctor at my next appointment. And I informed them that the referral appointment was prior to my next meeting with the OB/GYN and I would not go to it without knowing what it was about. They insisted that I had to go. I said if it’s that important then the doctor can call me himself and explain why I needed to go, if not then I wasn’t going and I hung up. As you can imagine, my stress level was now high and I couldn’t imagine what was actually wrong when everything had been fine so far. Next thing I know, one of the Nurse Practitioners from the office calls to talk to me. Again, she cannot tell me why I was referred; only the doctor could. So, I said, either the doctor calls me himself or at 4 pm tomorrow I will be coming into the office to pick up a copy of my files to take to a new doctor.

I was not surprised when the doctor never called me, and as promised, I showed up at 4 pm the next day to pick up a copy of my records and told them to cancel the referral appointment and all future appointments with the practice. Once I got home, I sat down and read my file and figured out why the doctor had referred me and it was wrong. First, he saw the numbers for the blood flow in the cord, but didn’t bother to read the note about my daughter blocking it so assumed she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Next, he used a certain test based on the size of her head and length of her spine and decided she was undersized. With multiple nurses in the family, they quickly pointed out that the tests he used to determine the size are not valid until the fetus is at least 20 weeks old, and she was only 16 weeks old.

So, I took this information and made an appointment at a new OB/GYN practice. With my records and a new sonogram, they confirmed that the first doctor had been wrong and the baby was progressing on schedule.

I never regretted leaving the doctor that made assumptions, used the wrong tests, and failed to communicate with his patient.

Did you know there was something wrong with your health, but no one believed you, until one day you received a correct diagnosis?

This is a Christmas story. And it’s not my story, but the story of a young man who was helping his mom in the kitchen, preparing New Year’s Eve dinner.

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When at some point his mom dropped something on the floor, he was the first to bend down and pick it up. That was a typical Mark thing — helping all the time.

But when he bent down, something snapped in his neck.

A lump occurred on one side of his neck, but he had no pain, and felt fairly okay. (But still.)

And it’s not that his family members did not believe him when he said that something in his neck had snapped — some even proposed to drive him to a hospital, just in case — rather, it was an inconvenience on New Year’s Eve, and it did not hurt so how bad could it be, right ?

And as no one was insisting, he took his bike and rode to the hospital himself. By then, the lump had considerably grown, but nobody had noticed that (or maybe they ignored it altogether).

They would never see him again.

When Mark arrived, he collapsed near the entrance of the ER. And there was nothing the ER doctors and nurses could do for him, although they tried, and tried, and tried.

Later, the medical doctors discovered that Mark had Syphilis — a fact which was (most probably) unknown to him — and that he had developed an arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal tangle of blood vessels) in his neck. As he bent over to help his mom, the tangle had snapped, and bled him to death within the hour.

And ended Mark’s story, on New Year’s Eve.

It’s Supposed To Be Hard | Motivational Video

What did someone say/do that made you close down your account and go to another bank?

My husband was trying to claim a work pension, and needed a form completing and stamping by our bank. A simple form, just requiring the bank’s name, address, sort code, IBAN, etc. and his signature. He went into his branch and they refused to stamp it, saying it was policy not to stamp any document that wasn’t theirs. He shrugged, said ok, and then asked for help completing the simple form, as he has Parkinson’s Disease and can no longer control a pen. The clerk refused to help. My husband asked to speak to a manager and he too declined to help my disabled husband. The reason he gave was ‘we might make a mistake.’

THIS WAS THEIR OWN DETAILS!

If they don’t trust themselves to write out their own name and address, why should we trust them with our money?

It gets worse. As a ‘vulnerable’ customer, we asked for a marker or flag to be put on our account, so it would show up every time he needed banking services and they would know he needs extra help. In spite of having been assured that the flag was there FOUR TIMES, every time we phone in or visit we are told that there is no such flag on our account.

It gets worse. My husband went to Australia recently, to visit a dying friend. While there his phone malfunctioned so he couldn’t make calls. The bank spotted what it thought might be a fraudulent transaction and asked him to verify the transaction. Because he couldn’t, they cancelled his internet banking, leaving him with no access to money. He borrowed someone’s phone to call them and explain. There was a power outage at the bank’s end. He was cut off and they would not call him back.

I tried calling them but they wouldn’t speak to me, even though it was a joint account. I spent 90 minutes begging them to call him and talk to him, but they said they couldn’t. I asked to speak to a supervisor but they said there wasn’t one. I went into the branch but they wouldn’t discuss it wth me. The advisor got up and walked away from me saying she couldnt help.

My husband had to go into a branch in Australia and beg them to loan him some money, and eventually they loaned him enough money to get home but while he was there he needed the bathroom (he’s on diuretics, and when you gotta go, you gotta go!) but they wouldnt let him use the bathroom and sent him to McDonalds next door, which was closed. He was in such distress that he went back to the bank and said he wasnt leaving until they let him use the bathroom, even if it involved soiling himself in public. They let him use the bathroom pretty darn quick, but imagine being reduced to having to threaten that before they would show a little common humanity.

This was all very stressful and stress makes Parkinson’s worse, and makes the medications less effective, so it’s a double whammy. It’s taken him nearly a month to recover his health.

So.

Next week, we’re off to the bank next door to our current bank. Amongst other things they have a disabled bathroom on the premises, and a dedicated member of staff for helping customers who need a bit of support.

Such a contrast. Our current bank has lost five accounts and many thousands of pounds because of this, plus the FCA and the local news station have got involved and the Consumer’s Association have taken it up. So, lots of bad publicity for HSBC and Hurray for Nationwide!

NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS – Powerful Motivational Speech

What are some of the most mind-blowing facts?

1) 80% of people would write their name if asked to write something with a new pen.

2) If a person laughs at a low quality joke then he is suffering from loneliness.

3) The big toe indicates the nervous weakness hidden by the other fingers, indicating that the person wants to be unnoticed by many.

4) Psychology is the first 6 seconds of meeting with someone, the first impression about him is formed.

5) It is a proven fact that our response to any situation is capable of radically changing that situation.

6) Many times someone’s indifference indicates his utmost care which he does not want to express.

7) If you write down negative thoughts and throw them away like garbage, your mood will get better.

8) In 90% of cases, those whose handwriting is bad are more creative than usual.

9) It has been proven that orange helps reduce anxiety. That’s why doctors recommend eating an orange before going to work.

10) Never reveal your goals to anyone. It produces the equivalent effect of achieving goals in the brain.

11) When surrounded by plants, the brain releases certain chemicals which increase the thinking power of the brain. That’s why walking in the garden is part of some psychiatric procedures.

12) The conversation of the parents with the child becomes the language of his mind.

13) 8 positive statements disable a negative statement.

14) If someone’s foot is back towards you during the story-gossip with many people, then it should be understood that he is interested in you.

15. If a girl likes you, she will play with her hair while talking to you.

16) You will rarely die in your dreams, if you die in your dreams then you have started something new in life.

17) Dream is a conversation between you and your subconscious mind.

Why do you think President Zelenskyy did not address Viktor Orbán’s proposal for a ceasefire in his statement?

Zelensky wanted ceasefire 1 months after the war started. But USA & UK stopped him.

Below is my earlier post

On 2024/6/10, in a CBS interview, US senator Lindsey Graham said Ukraine is sitting on a mineral mine that worth US$10-12 trillion (on eastern Ukraine).

He said the West cannot afford to lose (the Ukraine war). The West must win the war. Make sure Russia & China cannot access Ukraine’s mineral mine.

He recalled that former pres Trump sent military aid to Ukraine in the form of loan.

Back in 2022, Washington Post reported that the Ukraine war was about national mineral & energy wealth esp lithium which is important to make weapons.

That is, the war is just a tool to rob Ukraine of its rich resources.

No wonder, more than once, USA & UK stopped Ukraine from peace deal with Russia. Ah…h, it is about c o l o n i s a t i o n of Ukraine. About m o n e y.

No wonder in early 2024, when Ukraine is clearly losing the war, Europe spread fear of Russian threat to Europe. They must sent (ground) troops to Ukraine to make sure Ukraine will not collapse. Ah…h. It is all about splitting Ukraine’s mineral mine. Russian threat is just smoke.

The collective West is a robber, at the expense of human life & suffering of Ukrainians.

Democracy is just a slogan to hide their evil face too.

So from now onward, dont ever support democracy movements around the globe. Otherwise you become the devil’s accomplice.

Read “America’s Deadly Export – democracy” by William Blum.

MEN’S LIFE IS WAR – Motivational Speech by Andrew Tate

Have you ever put your child in a daycare only to take them out shortly after because something didn’t feel right?

I enrolled my children ages 2 and 4 in a day care and something didn’t feel right.

I asked to sit in and observe and while they did NOT like the idea, they allowed me.

I was appalled.

The level of discipline was extreme for that age.

When children sat in a circle, if they so much as moved a leg or a hand, they were reprimanded. They had to sit exactly cross-legged with hands folded or they were humiliated.

They ran the vacuum every 20 minutes because cleanliness was important. If one crumb hit the floor it was unacceptable.

If a child cried, they were exiled. But the worst was seeing one of the teachers hold a child’s face into the rug for speaking out of turn.

The two hours I was there, I did not see one child smile nor laugh, nor was there any noise at any time.

I then met with the head of the school and expressed my concerns.

She told me that strict discipline was the way to build responsible adults.

I told her that I was withdrawing my children and she threw a fit.

She threatened to sue me for slander if I told anyone else my opinions, and of course, she kept the one month in advance I had paid.

I did tell a couple of other parents what I had seen, and one told me “We don’t have the luxury of finding someplace else like you do.”

Another did not see anything wrong with the extreme discipline.

The next week, I walked in to another preschool.

It was loud, there was finger paint everywhere, and the kids were all laughing and smiling.

I had found my home.

Is America going through a leadership crisis?

What a polite way of saying that the entire nation is in free-fall, and has been on auto-pilot, run by ignorant, unskilled, and unelected idiots for the last few years. Um. I would say “yes”, with a rapid nodding of the head and rather elaborate hand and arm movements.

Shorpy

Who is blocking the cultural exchanges between China and the United States?

A few days ago, four students studying in the United States and scholars attending academic conferences were checked when they entered the United States, and finally three visas were revoked and repatriated. The students and scholars involved are from science and engineering backgrounds. Two of them participated in the research direction related to artificial intelligence (AI).

China students studying in the United States have been harassed, searched and repatriated by the United States for no reason, and related incidents have been continuously exposed by Chinese and foreign media, which has caused increasing international influence. Recently, two senior officials of the American diplomatic system have responded one after another, but what they said seems contradictory.

In an interview, U.S. Ambassador to China Burns denied the above allegations, saying that the United States issued about 105,000 new student visas to China citizens in 2023, and “more than 99% of the student visa holders successfully passed the examination of the Immigration Bureau”. Just a few days ago, US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell publicly admitted that American universities are restricting China students’ access to sensitive technologies. He also expressed the hope that China students would come to the United States to study humanities and social sciences instead of “physics”.

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Burns and Campbell, who should the outside world trust?

You should choose to believe the facts.

When China students entered the United States, they were held in a “dark room” for interrogation, their computers were detained and their mobile phones were searched, which “felt like a lamb to be slaughtered”. Studying in the United States is discriminated against, monitored, prevented, investigated and even prosecuted. All kinds of experiences are not only exposed by China, but also reported by many foreign media such as The Guardian, AFP and Washington post. Reuters quoted some western academic circles and non-governmental sources as saying that “the deterioration of US-China relations and the concern about the theft of American technology have undermined scientific cooperation and made China students suffer unwarranted suspicion”.

Burns listed a pile of data to show that the US Embassy and Immigration Bureau are “unimpeded” in treating China students, but “occasionally make mistakes”. He even went back and claimed that it was China that made it more difficult for China students to go to universities in the United States.

His statement doesn’t even support the voice of America, the mouthpiece of the US government. The media quoted an American scholar as saying that the US Customs has more “investigation power and experience” than Burns’s the State Council system, and customs officers may find “something that the State Council has missed”. In fact, some of these so-called “missing things” are extremely absurd, including a China student who was suspected by the US of “collaborating with Wagner” because he talked about the Ukrainian crisis on social software. The bigger part is the “black box operation”. From beginning to end, international students don’t know why they were investigated or why they were repatriated.

This operation in the United States is said to want to communicate, but in fact? While talking about promoting exchanges, at the same time, driving China students out. Isn’t this a naked double standard? To put it bluntly, I just say it well, but I don’t really want to communicate at all. Isn’t this duplicity a typical “double standard”? Isn’t the United States doing this just to muddy the water and then confuse the fish with the pearls?

The United States prides itself on openness, tolerance and academic freedom, claiming that “science has no borders”, but it politicizes and weaponizes academic research, abuses the concept of “national security” to suppress and persecute China students, infringes on the legitimate rights and fundamental human rights of China citizens, creates a “chilling effect” and poisons the atmosphere of cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

The consequences of this double-standard practice are not light. First of all, it has seriously damaged the rights and interests of students in China and frustrated countless young people with dreams. Secondly, it sends a very wrong signal that the United States does not sincerely welcome China people. In the long run, the friendly exchanges between the two peoples will be seriously affected, which is definitely bad news for the long-term development of bilateral relations.

To solve this problem, the United States has to show some sincerity. First of all, stop the unwarranted investigation and repatriation of China students, and give others a fair and just environment. Secondly, the US government should introduce some policies to encourage cultural exchanges between the two countries, such as increasing the number of scholarships and simplifying visa procedures. Finally, the American media should also report more positive news about the friendly exchanges between China and the United States, instead of exaggerating the opposition all day. Only when all aspects of the United States show sincerity can Sino-US exchanges really get on the right track.

Promoting cultural exchanges between China and the United States is an important consensus reached at the meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States in San Francisco. It is beneficial for both China and the United States to enhance mutual understanding and deepen mutual ties through cultural exchanges, and the people of the two countries also have urgent practical needs for this. Politicizing the study abroad program and scientific research cooperation will do great harm to the cultural exchanges between China and the United States. The image of the United States in the eyes of people in China and the world depends fundamentally on what the United States is doing. Obstructing and destroying cultural exchanges will damage the international reputation of the United States.

HARD TIMES CREAT HARD MEN (MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH)

What were the last words you heard someone say before they died?

Just before my MIL went into a coma (and then died after a few days in hospice), the doctors wanted to examine her again. They asked all her children to leave the room. When I turned to leave, she grabbed my hand and frantically pleaded with her doctors to let me stay. They complied with a smile and she became very calm. When finished, they left and my MIL whispered urgently, “I need you to get an envelope of papers from my desk and make sure the General gets them! You’re the only one I can trust!” She worked many years as a Civil Servant at an Air Force Base but had been retired for over 30 years. I promised her I would deliver the (non-existent) papers and said, “I’ll do anything you need. I love you so much!” She sighed with relief and said, “I love you too! Thank you! For all the years we’ve loved each other!” Her kids went in to say good night and left. I stayed until she felt sleepy. She never said another word until she died. That was 13 years ago and I still miss her like crazy!

EDIT: My MIL was in her 90s. Her mind was wandering back into the distant past. There were NO papers except in her mind. The point of the story has nothing to do with the non-existent papers.

ADDITION: June 8, 2024: My husband died last night after a long illness. He was so tired of his struggle to keep surviving. His last words were “Give me a minute. I just need a little nap”. He slipped away so fast that he didn’t even close his eyes. Rest in peace with your mother.

Nobody Cares, Work Harder

Japanese man sentenced to 20 strokes of the cane and 17.5 years in prison for sexually assaulting a female student in Singapore.

A Japanese man, aged 38, was sentenced by the Singapore High Court on the 1st to 17 years and 6 months of imprisonment and 20 strokes of the cane for charges including rape, for bringing a drunken female university student to his home and sexually assaulting her.

This is the first known instance of a Japanese person being sentenced to caning, according to the Japanese Embassy in Singapore.

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The Japanese man, who worked as a beautician, brought a drunken female university student in her 20s to his home in a taxi in December 2019 in a busy downtown area. The two did not know each other. The student was in a state where she couldn’t stand on her own due to vomiting, but the Japanese man engaged in lewd and sexual acts in the elevator and his own room. He also filmed the acts and sent them to a friend.

The student is still suffering from PTSD as a result of the incident. The judge stated, “The crime was cruel and brutal. Considering the seriousness of the offense, the sentence should be severe.”

According to the Singaporean court, caning is only imposed on male offenders under the age of 50. The maximum number of strokes that can be administered at once is 24.

AGAINST ALL ODDS – Elon Musk (Motivational Video)

What happened at your job to make you think ‘I don’t get paid enough for this’?

Originally Answered: What was your "I don't get paid enough for this sh*t" moment?

I worked as a delivery man for IKEA the year after I finished my conscription. They had just recently set up in my town, and had some excellent deals on delivery, which people used to the fullest extent. I wasn’t even working for IKEA, but my company was hired to take some of the load of IKEA’s own delivery organisation.

So my partner and I used to get the trucks prepacked, and our job was to drive it to the customer and unload. The rule was basically that we should deliver it to the correct room, but nothing more than that.

The day starts being odd because we only have one address on our paper, when usually it is about 6–7. This turned out to be correct because it was to a family that had ordered absolutely everything from IKEA to a two-story house. Beds, sofas, desks, every machine for the kitchen, washer, dryer and so on. I don’t remember exactly but it was a few tons of stuff being delivered.

One item caught my eye: Two marble counter tops, with a total weight of 600 kg (that is about 1300 pounds for any colonials reading). It could not be right, so I forgot about it for a minute.

When we get to the house, the whole family was there — not to help us of course (because the husband had a sore back) but rather to inspect our job. They insisted that we line up every single packet with the label in a direction so they could inspect the delivery before we left. This was even after my partner explained to them that if there is anything wrong with the delivered packets they had to report it to IKEA, since we only deliver and can’t bring anything back.

They of course refused to listen, and instead ran around looking at labels before we even emptied the truck, hoping to somehow get a correct count of every item while also really being in the way while we moved stuff. This almost escalated to a violent confrontation with the husband.

[Edit: I want to specify what the problem was: The delivery option only says that items should be delivered to a single chosen point by the customer inside the house, so if you order a new bed, you can get it into your bedroom. We went out of our way to put the items in the correct room, because of the husband’s back problem, but we had no obligation to do so as one delivery = one delivery point.

But this wasn’t enough for them; they also wanted us to sort and stack items and if a package did not have the labels in the correct direction they would demand we rotate it, so they could ‘inspect’ before they signed off the delivery. They would do this while we were carrying other stuff, and did so for the smallest packages.

Them signing off was that the delivery had been completed, not for the contents of the delivery being correct. So they made us do a whole lot of work so they could inspect something they actually did not sign off on.]

Any way, we get to the marble counter tops and, yay, there are actually two of them, with a total weight of 600 kilos. I don’t know how much each weighed, because one was smaller than the other, since we were far, far away from any assistance, wanting to get away from the horrible family and being really young and stupid we decided to get the counter tops inside. This took a long time, basically moving it inch by inch. Without any help or gratitude from the family we got it inside, my partner with some back pain and me with a knee that felt weird.

Once we got back to the office, we told the boss, who called IKEA and learned that they had used eight people to load the counter tops on the truck, but only ordering in two people from our company. There was apparently some screaming from my boss, and then he told us that we would never take another IKEA contract again.

So it was actually more my boss who said we did not get paid enough. And he really was looking out for his employees. I miss him sometimes.

PROVE EVERYONE WRONG – Motivational Speech

Why is China’s rise so hard for the US to counter?

It’s too late. America’s decision to counter China’s rise is akin to “closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.” Facts have proved time and again that China’s technological development can’t be halted.

Several efforts have been made to curb China’s rise since the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, including limiting China’s development in nuclear weapons, space, satellite communication, 5G, commercial drones, electric vehicles (EVs), etc. All failed. Today, China has some 540 satellites in space and is launching a competitor to Starlink. When the US restricted China’s access to its geospatial data system in 1999, China simply built its own BeiDou, which is today better than GPS.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has attempted to construct a unipolar world centered around itself, using military, economic, and cultural means to maintain its global hegemony. However, with the rise of emerging countries like China, this unipolar structure is facing unprecedented challenges. China’s development model, deepening international cooperation, and contributions to the global governance system are gradually altering the balance of international power.

In this context, the strategic game between China and the United States has taken on new characteristics. After a period of strategic patience and low profile, China is now more actively participating in international affairs. Through multilateral platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and BRICS cooperation, China is promoting the establishment of a more just and reasonable international order. Additionally, China’s rapid development in fields like technology and the economy is challenging the traditional advantages of the United States.

The United States, on the other hand, is attempting to curb China’s development through trade wars and technology wars. However, these measures not only harm China’s interests but also incur significant costs for the United States itself. Internal political divisions, the rise of populism, and the undermining of the global multilateral system are weakening America’s international image and influence.

In this struggle, Europe’s role is particularly critical. French President Macron’s visit to China and his public criticism of U.S. policies indicate that Europe is seeking greater strategic autonomy and does not want to become a vassal of American unipolar hegemony. This stance reflects Europe’s aspiration for a multipolar world order and is a strong response to American unilateralism.

Moreover, many developing countries and emerging economies play an important role in this contest. Their positions and choices in international affairs often run counter to U.S. unipolar hegemony policies. These countries are more inclined to support multilateralism and international cooperation, opposing any form of hegemony.

This struggle is not only a contest of power but also a clash of ideas and models. Concepts such as “Chinese modernization” and “a community with a shared future for mankind” proposed by China are gradually becoming hot topics in international discussions. These ideas emphasize cooperation and win-win outcomes rather than zero-sum games.

In this contest, China has demonstrated strategic wisdom in being “daring to fight and good at fighting.” While safeguarding national interests, China is also actively seeking areas of cooperation with the United States to achieve common development. This strategy reflects China’s confidence and its respect for international rules and commitment to peaceful development.

What general knowledge might save your life one day?

If some one is trying to rape you and you were in this position

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then stretch your hands horizontally as far as you can, this will bring the person close. Then hit him on the nose, as hard as you can, with your head. If your mouth is close enough, then bite his nose without hesitation.

2. If a dog is going to attack you in open place then,

do not run, dog can catch you in no time( since it is open place).
do not look into its eyes( animals can sense fear).
do not show your back( showing back is a sign of fear).
grab a stick if possible. Stand straight and be in attack mode. Walk backwards slowly until you are out of attack zone(200 meters is dog’s attack zone).
In case dog bites you and your body part is in its mouth, then
- Do not try to remove your body part, dogs will only bite and will insert their canine teeth but they cannot peel your muscle because they don’t have much capacity in their jaws( some dogs like bull dog and doberman are exceptional they have well built muscles).
- Stray Dogs are usually weak, the strongest body part in their body is neck muscle.
- So don’t pull your muscle from their teeth(in fact you cannot)
  grab its neck and pound it to ground.
- Shout louder and gently remove your muscle.

3. Suppose you rammed your car into an electric-pole and live current wires on your car then,

Do not panic. Your car tyres are made up of rubber and will work as an insulator. The metal surface of the car acts as a Faraday cage due to which the electric field inside the car is zero.
Do not step out of the vehicle,if you do so you will complete the circuit between wires and earth and you’ll be fried in no time.
Pick up the floor mats in your car and throw them on the ground where you could reach by jumping
Make sure you cover maximum area with mats
Open car door widely( roof top is preferable) then jump onto the mats which you placed earlier.
Make sure you remove two legs at once( keeping one leg inside may complete circuit).
Don’t walk over there just slide your feet like jam over bread( you need greater knowledge in physics to understand this).

4. Keys

Car keys are the deadliest weapons one could hold.

If someone tries to kill/harm you, then stab him in eyes with key.

5. You are driving a car and your brakes failed,then

Do not kill( turn off) the engine in panic as turning off engine will lock your steering then you can’t change your path to avoid collisions.
Do not change your gear to “neutral”, just decrease the gears sequentially. If you are in 80 in 4th gear, blip the accelerator a little (do not keep pressing it) and shift to 3rd. The car will slow down due to engine braking. Like wise do that with the rest of the gears.
Once you have attained impact sustainable speed, try hand brakes. If they failed too, collide your vehicle with a similarly sized, parked car because Car fronts are designed to absorb shock (structurally weaker) and hitting a similarly sized car will distribute the momentum evenly
Else collide it with a tree or pole( make sure you wear seat belt and have air bags).

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE – Powerful Motivational Video 2020

What is the most ridiculous thing you had to deal with regarding an HOA?

The last community we lived in, the HOA was horrible and they singled people out. For example, there was a small fence that divided the backyard of our townhome from the back yard of our neighbors townhome.

It was just a small wooden privacy fence about 12 feet in length. The fence was old and began to lean over a bit. The neighbor complained to the HOA about the fence, saying it was our responsibility.

The HOA tried to fine us and I pulled out the book that came with the house. The fence was clearly on her property and I showed this to the HOA who then dropped the fine. Problem was, the fence was no longer a problem….they never fined the neighbor or even request she repair it.

I do have a funny HOA story.

Our new neighborhood has an HOA but they aren’t too heavy handed. When we moved in, the previous owner stored their trash cans on the edge of the driveway by the house. I put them in the same place as the previous owner but the HOA president didn’t like this. He sent letters (no fine) saying the trash cans needed to be behind the fence in the back yard (only the back yard is fenced and not the front).

I somewhat argued with him and asked him to clarify what exactly this rule was….and it’s the trash cans cannot be visible from the street.

I clarified that they didn’t have to be in the back yard but out of view and he agreed.

He did argue that because our house was on a turn, they’d still be visible on the side of our garage. I told him to consider it handled but asked for that in writing (in which he did).

Some friends of mine own a fairly popular fence and deck company. While I had to pay a little, my fence and deck folks helped me solve the problem:

This is the view from the side of our home on the street at the bend:

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This is the view from the front:

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And here is what it actually is:

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HOA president was pissed but I stayed within the rules he set.

Why does China refuse to communicate with Taiwan’s government?

PRC has made clear for 70 years that the One China principle is the red line for all and any relations with China. And that applies very clear to ROC also.

So, when KMT accepted that ROC also means China without specifying what that China means, PRC showed maximum flexibility and agreed to talks resulting in the 92 Consensus. But with DPP refusing to accept the One China principle and their leaders even refusing to accept they are Chinese, there is no possibility of PRC accepting talks.

PRC is prepared to negotiate and accept the status quo only with the One China principle. Anything else is a restart of the PRC/ROC civil war to settle the Taiwan issue. ROC has not much time left to start talks based on One China.

PRC prepared to retake Taiwan for decades and PLA is now ready to do the job. If Taiwan separatists continue on current path, there will not be a ROC soon. Lai’s inauguration speech defining ROC/PRC as two countries not subordinate to each other already breached PRC’s One China laws and the red line. PLA can take actions once the orders are given.

space fire

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Irene Park

Chapter 1

How to become a rich man after being stuck in prison for seven long, excruciating years.

As Peter blankly sat on his bed inside of his incommodious five-foot-by-five-foot maximum security jail cell, complete with sparking electric fences and menacing guards surrounding the whole cell, he began to throw random objects at the electric fence, watching them slowly burst into miniscule flames and leave trails of smoke until finally fizzling out.

Out of boredom and an act of defiance against the orders of guards and the king, Peter repeatedly threw objects at this evil faced encasement meant to entrap him: Mice, rocks, scraps of food. Anything he could find to slowly pass his time in jail.

He yelled out to the guards, “Someday I will be out of this jail and you’ll be under my control and power instead of the other way around.”

But, every day, the guards kept their stance and tolerated Peter’s hopeless cries of defiance, annoyance and boredom. Little did Peter know, he would be free and rich sooner than he had expected and meant in his words.

Suddenly, he heard the echoing stomping of their studded metal boots of the kings’ royal guards march down into his quarters, the filthiest area where all the worst criminals were kept in the farthest, darkest corner seventy-five yards away from all other civilians. Countless criminals resided there after committing gregious crimes such as arson, murder, and robberies, all sinking into their own endless pool of shame, regret, and dismay.

Peter felt surprised by this, knowing that the kings’ royal guard thought very highly of themselves and would never draw near to the presence of grimy delinquents and be subject to their shame and indignity, afraid that their guilt would impinge on their own pride and self-respect.

Suddenly interested, Peter avidly sat up and heard the turn of the lock to his cell click open, something that he had not heard for seven long and excruciating years. Seven long years of guilt, shame and contrition due to his wrongdoings. He had been twenty years old then. Young and foolish, he had everything he could ever want: a good family, abundant money, and all the latest tech. But, Peter still wanted more and more.

So, he decided to rob people of money, murder people he got into the slightest arguments with, and finally his biggest misshap– trying to steal the Makepiece Diamond of Zirca, which was one of the most valuable diamonds in all of the galaxies. Peter had planned everything to go according to his potentially flawless plan. He had infiltrated the king’s palace and the treasury where the diamond was kept. Just as his hand was about to snatch the glittering, clean-cut Makepiece diamond, he smelled a foul gas in the air, and he realized he had set off a tripwire that released knockout gas. The guards had come rushing in, stomping and frantically pouring into the small room and brought young Peter to the filthy catacombs where he still inhabited seven years later:

“Halt. You are officially under arrest by the kingdom of Zirca. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used as evidence against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and you have a right to consult an attorney before being questioned and to have an attorney present. If you can’t afford an attorney, which evidently you can, one will be appointed to you.”

Seven years later in his jail cell, startled, Peter’s mind began swarming with millions of hypothetical reasons and questions. Is this a chance to freedom? Am I being sentenced to death? Why am I being summoned?

The royal guards with crisp white uniforms etched with their rankings: general, commander, agent, or so on, each with matching badges that signified they were of the highest class of military personal and pins. Gold trimmings neatly marched along the neckline and cuffs, stitched so perfectly they seemed to be pressed into the uniform. The proud guards spat at Peter and gruffly shouted, “Get up, you purple haired buffoon. The king wishes to see you, though we don’t know why he would want to see a dirty, ragged, wrongdoer like you. Now get up, and don’t make us ask twice.”

Peter quietly stood in confusion, curiosity, and bewilderment, and let the guards drag him to his death–or freedom.

Slowly lumbering up the moss covered stairs, feeling the stares of equally infamous criminals as himself, glancing at sparks flying off of many other electrical fences, new criminals with snarling faces thrashing in the guards arms.

Peter felt the guilt he had controlled and held in the jail of his own heart for seven long years come to light as he walked the walk of his own shame to the king’s court.

After what seemed like an eternity, or more precisely, 458 feet, 30 flights of stairs, and more than a hundred jail cells like his own, he finally saw the dazzling lights of thousands of crystal chandeliers, servants serving the king to all his miniscule whims, mellifluous music floating through the air from a grand harp, and finally the throne itself.

Peter started muttering to the guards that clenched his arms so tightly.

The king’s throne was a magnificent piece of work and the centerpiece of the throne room. Dripping with jewels such as clear-cut diamonds, forest-green jades, ocean-blue sapphires, dazzling sea-green emeralds, deep violet amethysts, ice-blue topaz, and fire-red rubies, it reflected a thousand rays of light, while being placed in pure gold.

Peter gaped in awe to the regal king that comfortably rested aloft the magnificent golden throne and meekly bowed out of his own humility and respect. The king, although aged and ancient-looking, he had an extremely wise mindset, and made decisions for the best of his planet. He had a great, wispy white beard, flowing robes of shimmering gold, and a grand crown on his head.

The tension of silence between the king and Peter at that moment became stifling. All servants, jesters, and guards sensed the palpable tension between the rotten criminal Peter and the royal, regal, wise King of Zirca. As the silence started to become almost unbearable, and static sounding, the king’s booming voice finally rang out.

Suddenly hearing the king’s echoing voice, Peter quickly glanced up at him. The king spoke to Peter and announced, “Peter, son of Circa. You have murdered countless families, looted many of my finest ships, and have attempted to steal the Makepeace Diamond of Zirca. For this, you have had been sentenced to life in prison. But, unfortunately, our planet is dying. Our Fire of Hestia has been stolen by the people of Titan. I am recruiting you to retrieve it for your freedom or death. Now, young Peter, what is your response?”

Hearing the name of “Fire of Hestia,” Peter’s mind clicked, and he finally realized why he had been brought up from the catacombs, left to rot, but instead given a chance of freedom. The Fire of Hestia was a relic from when the whole universe had been created. It powered all life on a planet, and without it, a planet could rot and die away slowly. Peter looked out the king’s grand windows, and saw that the whole landscape had changed since he had been exiled into prison. It looked dark, gloomy, and somber. Before, it had bursting with life: Foliage everywhere, children laughing, picnics taking place everywhere. But now that the Fire of Hestia had been stolen by the Titanians, the planet of Zirca was dying.

True, there were other relics across the universe that powered other planets, but the Fire of Hestia was special. It was the only relic powerful enough to give life to such a gargantuan planet such as Zirca and the people of Zirca the comfort and pleasure it needed.

Peter silently debated in his mind of the decision he should make. Shall I go after The Fire of Hestia in this quest? Should I spend the rest of my life rotting away in my shame and mildew? His hands became clammy, and his throat suddenly felt parched. But, Peter knew what he had to do to save his home planet and all those inhabiting it.

Peter responded in an equally regal voice, knowing that he had been chosen for one of the most difficult and important quests in all of robbery history. Despite the fact that he felt weary, bone thin, hunched over, had matted hair, ragged clothing, smelled of the sewers, and a single shoe he boldly said, “My king, I am honored for this opportunity and I am willing to accept. But, only with added compensation. I would like 100 bars of pure gold, new clothes, new shoes, and a new spaceship to get to Titan. You must give me my demands, otherwise I shall not perform any services for you.”

The king replied after some thought, “Although that is quite a handful of treasures that you demand to have in exchange for your service, the planet needs you. I realize there is no other thief as clever and stealthy as you. I shall supply your extraordinary demands in return for the Fire.”

Peter conclusively announced, “Then I shall accept this quest and go out to find this Fire of Hestia.”

What is weird in America but normal in the rest of the world?

I grew up in Europe but have been living in the US for 30+ years. These are some of the things I noticed:

Leaving your left hand on the table when you eat. In Europe, it’s considered good manners, in the US it is considered weird.

More recently, women have begun shaking hands when they meet, but not so long ago, this was considered weird in the US, while in Europe, it is absolutely normal and considered polite.

Sitting at a table with a stranger in a restaurant is not unusual in Europe. This is how people meet. Friendships have developed that way and even marriages. In the US, every one sits at a separate table. If someone came and asked if they could sit at my table, I would consider it weird.

In Europe, you park your car and walk to your destination. In the US, we expect front parking. For a business not to provide parking would be considered weird. In that same vein, Europeans get out of the car to post their mail or make their bank deposits. They don’t typically have drive-through tellers or mail boxes.

These are just some of the things that come to mind. I’m sure there are many more, if I stop to think about it.

BECOME A SAVAGE – Motivational Speech

As a disabled person, has anyone ever confronted you over your parking in a disabled spot?

Yes. It happened this last Tuesday. It was amazing. Like… nobody is gonna believe this crap amazing.

I was doing the monthly big grocery shop( one week has the biggest item list where the other three have the smaller more perishable ones)

I was also, am also, coping with one the worst illnesses I’ve had in awhile. It’s not catching… unless I were to not wash my hands after a poo… which is just gross. I’m actually headed to the hospital for admission tomorrow.

In any case, I am disabled, and was feeling even more disabled than usual when the chick confronted me. I got out of my car, sans cane, to unhook my child from the car seat, right behind me, and into a cart. A cart that some considerate soul had decided NOT to take to the cart corral. So I eagerly bumped it with my car and grabbed it on exiting my vehicle. It was 2 feet from the car. I can handle 2 ft without support.

Anyway, I’m putting my kid in the cart and leaned in to snag my quad Cane and my sundries and this middle-aged lady comes flying up and kinda pushes me with her body. Shouting that fat is not a disability and I need to move my flipping car( she used more expletives but I don’t care to)

I restrained myself from pushing back with my butt and instead just bring my quad Cane out rather swiftly and set it down firmly. on her foot. Oops.

Then I replied “ no, it’s not. But my congenital spinal defect and the Degenerative Disk disease that come with it ARE”.

She didn’t actually listen. She posted herself right in front of me for about 3 minutes and kept shouting at me to move the car. I’m guessing her hormone shot was delayed or something. But she wouldn’t let my son and I pass, being more able bodied than I am she was pretty freaking quick. So I stood there considering whether to use my screaming child’s cart to ram into her. But a nice security-looking guy saved her.

He came out and asked us what was going on. She started ranting at him about the fat b in the disabled spot… he calmly raised his hand, then walked around the car to my windshield, saw the placard. Walked back and asked me if I’d like to have her arrested for harassing a protected class.

Turns out he wasn’t a security guard. He was just a police officer who stopped in to flirt with the coffee gal at the cafe inside on his break. He saw the ruckus and went out to check.

I told him my son and I just wanted to grocery shop safely please and away we went. She actually tried to chase me again but he body blocked her.

It was amazing. I bet if I’d got it on camera people still wouldn’t believe it.

I don’t think she got arrested or anything. But I know she wasn’t there when I was done shopping. Which wasn’t that long either. That was store number 2 that day. My first store is always A Big Box Store.

What are some sarcastic one liners?

“Well, Governor, we use fewer horses and bayonets than we did in 1916.”

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(Above: President Obama explains how Battleship works while Governor Mitt Romney thinks about how he’s going to cheat)

During the third Presidential debate, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were sparring about various topics relating to the Obama presidency, with Obama quite obviously defending his actions against an onslaught of criticisms, some valid, from Romney.

However, the moment that sparked one of the first political memes of this decade was brought about by a ridiculously idiotic “accusation” from Romney:

Our Navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917. The Navy said they needed 313 ships to carry out their mission. We’re now at under 285. … We’re headed down to the low 200s if we go through a sequestration. That’s unacceptable to me.

If I was debating Romney, and I was the current President of the United States, I would probably make some statement about how our naval global dominance is currently asserted, and that we don’t necessarily need all of our ships to assert it.

I am not Barack Obama, who returned fire with this blistering comment that became the first prominent political meme of this decade:

You mention the Navy, for example, and the fact that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets. We have these things called aircraft carriers and planes land on them. We have ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines. It’s not a game of Battleship where we’re counting ships, it’s ‘What are our priorities?

If you were grading a paragraph on factual accuracy, on brevity, and on pure, unadulterated savageness, I don’t think you can score higher than what Obama just said. Not only did he completely destroy the point that Romney was making, he also explained to him what an aircraft carrier and a submarine was.

I believe we need a new nickname for Obama: The Roaster-In-Chief. He burned Romney so bad that Mitt looked like one of his steaks at a barbecue. Romney didn’t even know how thoroughly he was ruined in that moment. It was glorious.

I MUST NOT QUIT – Powerful Motivational Speech

What is a brutal truth about life that needs to be said?

You are going to meet a lot of fake friends in your adult hood more than when you young.
You are on your own, nobody is there to struggle with you, but many people are waiting for you arrive.
Everybody replies with “I am doing fine”, after being asked “How they are doing”, but in the reality, “Nobody is really doing fine” because everyone have their struggles.
Unfortunately, Intelligence doesn’t mean you will be rich! There are a lot of ass holes out there that are doing better.
We are all going to die, I believe this has been said many times.
One of the risk that is difficult to predict is marriage. It is always difficult to predict the end of the tunnel even with lightening’s. This is comparable with “Marriage”.
Do not compare yourself with anybody because we are born with different opportunities. Remember nobody chooses their parents!
If you cannot appreciate what you have now, you will never appreciate what you aspire to get later.
Real education is more than just acquiring a college degree, while college prepares you for the job mindset. You have to prepare yourself for the challenges in this world by educating yourself through investing in yourself.
Arrogant and prideful people usually have more problem in life because they are unteachable people.

What measures can Taiwan take to protect its fishing vessels from being detained by China’s coast guard in the future?

Ban fishing for 4 months from May to Sept is an INTERNATIONAL consensus, so as to allow immature fish to grow to adulthood.

1, China follows the intl consensus. But not Taiwan (or Philippines for that matter)

So Taiwan is wrong to begin with.

2, The fishing net is supposed to have big holes to allow immature fish to escape the net, while caught.

The net of the detained Taiwanese fisherman does not pass the intl “rule”.

3, The detained Taiwanese fisherman happened to have trespassed the Chinese territory & was in Chinese waters.

4, When Taiwanese patrol boat came to rescue the Taiwanese fisherman, the patrol also has entered Chinese territory.

Back to the question.

What Taiwan should do is to comply with the international rule. Educate its fishermen.

Be kind to the immature fish & let them grow to adulthood.

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE QUITTING – Powerful Motivational Speech

Have you ever beaten a lawyer on a legal question (or if you are a lawyer, have you been beaten by a lay person on a legal question)?

Ex employee suing us. We investigate and counter allege fraud.

He appoints $700ph lawyer. I represent us. I’m not a lawyer.

Denny Crane mocks our allegation of fraud. Says I don’t understand the elements of fraud. I remind him that I’ve done insurance law and disputes for a decade, and lots of contracts in my job. I indeed know a great deal about the elements of fraud as a former insurance exec. Said he didn’t make a mistake with [paperwork] 713 times. Remind him that he needs to prove 713 honest mistakes whereas we can lose 712. We only need 1 count of fraud to stick. Or one lesser charge of fraudulent misappropriation / theft by finding, or forgery, or any other included charge and his life is effectively over.

The genius move was a settlement offer of $0 plus Denny Crane’s legals in getting to first mediation.

Denny’s equation is

Talk the L, be paid handsomely and not have to explain to the other partners that he blew a billable day, OR
Risk a far more expensive zero fighting and losing, getting his client jailed and paying an adverse costs order himself OR
Fight and win a very improbable case, likely earning nothing in a corporate bankruptcy and STILL writing off his fees.

Suddenly Denny is telling his client to accept $0 on a case he said was a slam dunk a week earlier.

His settlement was half what our big city law firm wanted just to READ the claim, not defend it.

What is the most unusual and incorrect reason you’ve had the police called on you?

I trained some Firemen in HazMat Response at a little fire station in a very small town in Alabama where we own some land. After training I asked to get some pictures of the “gang”. They agreed and I went to get one scary looking quiet fellow out of his chair to join the group. He gave me a scowl look and said, “Don’t you dare take my picture”, I didn’t.

Later the Fire Chief apologized and told me that the fellow is the Sheriff. I asked if he is always this threateningly grumpy and the Chief said, “Oh yah. We love him.” I asked why and he said he keeps that town clean as a whistle. He went on, once two young guys bought a farm and after planting season was over the Sheriff went to their place late at night and knocked on their door. One guy was there and answered the door. The Sheriff said he wanted to come in and look things over. The guy said no, go get a warrant. The Sheriff told him he can do that, but he would have to wake up the Judge and that would make the Judge angry. If the Judge gets angry that makes him angry, and when he is angry he has a tendency to get trigger happy and start shooting things. The Sheriff told him that he was sure the two were drug dealers since they both drove fancy cars, never planted anything or had farm equipment, had strange hours/visitors and didn’t introduce themselves to their neighbors ( a thing in small town Alabama). The guy let him in and the Sheriff found lots of drugs. Things work differently in small town Alabama, don’t mess with the Sheriff.

To all who will say that is illegal, not fair, against the suspects rights, improper entry, can’t be done, sets up a suit for dismissal and all kinds of other legal beagle stuff, you are correct. But that is not the way it works outside of the Big city in small town Alabama. The two guys never came back, problem solved.

I like it there, they just handle things with sensibility not legal meanderings. If more law enforcement were allowed to use sense instead of being forced to follow incredible legal guidelines which work against both sides, we would have much safer places to live. A police state you say? No, a safe place where kids can learn to drive four wheelers on back roads, shoot guns, climb trees and play in the rivers and lakes. Like the good ole days.

Butter Basted Fork Tendered Steak

Ingredients

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 sticks Salted Challenge Butter, divided
Ribeye steaks
3 feet butchers twine per steak
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a bowl or plastic bag. Reserve 1 tablespoon of seasoning for basting butter and set the remaining aside to season the steak.
Using a fork or a meat tenderizer with needle blades, probe the entire surface of steak on both sides two to three times.
The steaks will flatten during tenderizing stage so you will have to reshape steak with the twine. Gather steaks with your hands and pull them in to reshape them.
Once reshaped, snugly wrap butchers twine around perimeter of the steak three times and tie it off. Trim excess from ends.
Season steak with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon spices per side based on preference, and let the meat rest for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
Melt one stick of Challenge Butter and combine with one tablespoon of seasoning.
As steaks are resting, preheat grill to 500 to 525 degrees F.
Spray one side of steak with nonstick cooking spray and place it on the grill. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes.
Spray top side of each steak with nonstick spray, flip and baste with butter/seasoning mixture. Grill for another two and a half minutes.
Flip the steaks and rotate them 90 degrees, baste with butter mixture and grill for another 2 1/2 minutes.
Flip steaks, baste and check internal temperature. Cook to desired doneness. (125 degrees F for medium rare, 130 degrees F for medium, or 140 degrees F for well done.)
Remove from grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add a dollop of Challenge butter and serve.

Notes

Loren and Cheryl Hill are world champion pit masters who have competed on the professional BBQ circuit for last eleven years. “The Smoking Hills” earned 3 World Championships in 2015: The American Royal Invitational, World Food Championships BBQ, and World Food Championships Overall

WHEN LIFE IS HARD – Powerful Motivational Video

Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen.

Don’t you quit.

As a police officer, what’s one criminal you will always remember dealing with that stuck with you till to this day?

An old time heroin addict was in jail and sent me a note saying he wanted to talk to me. He said that he was tired of the way he was living, and wanted to change.

He said that many times he had either been shot or stabbed and had been using heroin for 20 years and couldn’t quit. He said that the only way he knew of was to burn all of his bridges by informing on everyone. That way no one would deal with him. He wanted help getting on methadone, I told him I would help him as best as I could. I called the methadone clinic and arranged for someone to talk to him.

He bailed out of jail and called me one morning, with some information. He said that there was a burglary at a certain business and business machines were stolen. He said that those machines were at a construction site inside of the superintendent of construction’s office.

I got a crew and went to the office and saw the machines, and asked about them. The superintendent said they were the company’s and that he only used them. There were several machines, a IBM typewriter and other items. I noticed he only had one hand and asked him to show me how he used the type writer. He attempted to use it which I knew it wouldn’t work as the cord wasn’t plugged in.

I called the company and spoke with the president and described the machines to him. He said none of them were his and they didn’t have equipment that I mentioned. The informant called several more times with an arrest being made each time.

Another time the informant called to tell me that a stolen truck-mounted compressor and a huge stolen farm tractor was at a certain farm which was about 75 miles from our city. I called the Sheriff’s office for that county and spoke with a Deputy Sheriff who said that I needed to speak with his Captain. The Captain told me that this farm was owned by the man who owned one of the largest private farms in the state and was friends with all of the big wigs in the county including the elected Sheriff. They went to the farm and confiscated the equipment, and said they would present the case to the District Attorney who was supposedly also a friend of the farm owner. I never heard back about what happened to the case.

The informant testified in several case he had given me information on, was accepted into the methadone program, got a job and I never again heard from him except a phone call. He said thanks, and was clean of drugs after a year and a half.

What should someone absolutely not do when in Australia?

This occurred 15 years ago.

Our family went on a month long road trip around Australia with a sprinter. We started our journey in Perth, Western Australia, then drove along the South West Coast through Albany. We then continued east towards Adelaide, eventually made several stops at major cities in the South-East coast, that is Melbourne, Sydney and then the Gold Coast.

As we were headed for Darwin and about to cross the Northern Territory border, we stopped at a gas station to refuel.

It was night time and we were literally in the middle of nowhere.

My dad entered the station to pay for gas, then the cashier asked my dad if we were planning on driving through out the night.

And when my dad said yes, he told my dad that he should not drive at night time and instead to opt for a rest at the motel because it’s dangerous.

He told us that there’s kangaroos roaming at night time.

My dad thought the Australian man was joking, so he ignored the tip and decided to continue the drive.

At that time, my dad thought that if he continued that night he could avoid the traffic and reach Darwin faster.

Plus, my dad was a pretty experienced driver.

We left the gas stop; my parents were on the front seat while my brothers and sister was at the back seat asleep as we cruise towards NT border at night time.

Few hour later, I heard a loud THUMP.

I woke up and saw the car slowly being pulled to the side of the road. There was smoke coming out of the trunk.

I remembered looking outside the window, seeing emptiness. It was dark and all I could think about was how we were going to die.

My dad went out of the car to check and what do you know?

We had crashed a large kangaroo.

There was a dead kangaroo inside our engine bay.

Two things died that night: the kangaroo and the car’s radiator.

We were forced to spend the night in the middle of the desert while we waited for a truck or anyone to pass by.

You know what? No truck came until morning time, perhaps avoiding the kangaroo that roams at night time.

So here is an expensive lesson we learned that night:

Kangaroo are crepuscular meaning that they are mostly active at dusk, dawn and night.
At night time they are attracted to light, or should I say headlights. It is common for Kangaroos to jump at incoming vehicle only to freeze (or blinded) by the light.
If you are planning to drive at night time in the outback, drive slowly and extreme caution.
There is an item called the Kangaroo Whistle that emits high frequency noise used to repel Kangaroo.
Avoid driving at night all together and take the gas station tip and rest at the motel.

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The kangaroo was pretty much as big and the road looked something like the picture above.

All images taken from Google Images

PS: We were rescued by trucker who stopped by to help us reach road assistance. We were directed back to the nearest gas station and met the man that warned us about the kangaroos. A “told you so” moment but he was helpful and eventually we were driven to a small airport and flown back to Perth. The car was transported to Perth along with our belongings. There was a hefty price tag on the repair but luckily it was covered by insurance.

I forgot which town was our last gas stop, but will update once I figured it out.

EDIT, Kangaroo Facts:

21–26 km/h is the average hop speed for kangaroos and it can go up to 71 km/h.

Illustrative art

A lady goes to her priest one day & tells him:

”Father, I have a problem. I have two female parrots, but they only know to say one thing.”

“What do they say?” the priest asked.

They say, ”Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?”

”That’s obscene!” the priest exclaimed,

Then he thought for a moment……

“You know,” he said, ”I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible…

Bring your two parrots over to my house, & we’ll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter. My parrots can teach your parrots to pray and worship, & your parrots are sure to stop saying that phrase in no time.”

”Thank you,’ the woman responded, ‘this may very well be the solution.”

The next day, She brought her female parrots to the priest’s house….As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads & praying…

Impressed, She walked over & placed her parrots in the cage with them…

After a few minutes, The female parrots cried out in unison:

“Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?”

There was stunned silence…

Shocked, one male parrot looked over at

the other male parrot & says…

‘Put the beads away, Frank, Our prayers have been answered !!!

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

When I was 15 years old walking home from highschool, I used a short cut and walked down the alley behind our house to save time.

When I got about a block away with the back of my house in sight, an older man who lived at the corner came out and stood in the middle of the alley facing me and began to make rude gestures and vulgar remarks in Spanish .

He was in his late 20s, and I thought he didn’t speak english. He was really into his performance, dry humping the air and making dirty sound effects when my dad decided to take the trash out.

My dad made a gesture to me to be quiet, as he walked up behind him. I had no idea what he was going to do. The man didn’t hear my dad as he walked up behind him. I did not believe what happened next.

I watched my dad walk up to the guy and jump into the air holding his body sideways and (without a running pace) kick the man in the back of the head knocking him down to the pavement (asphalt) . He put his foot on his head and pressed his face down on to the asphalt and bent over to tell the man if he ever heard him talk like that to his daughter again he would regret it.

And guess what?

The guy spoke English for the first time in his life (lol) saying “yes sir”, “I’m sorry sir”, “it won’t happen again sir”.

I think he broke his front teeth in the fall? So in a sense, he got his teeth kicked in for having a nasty mouth in front of a young woman. My dad said the punishment fit the crime and I never had trouble with that man again.

My dad was a superman my whole life. He had a natural build, arms bigger than his head and a quick response in defending people he cared about.

He played baseball until his late 50s and laid brick and block at 74. His last project was a pergola with 14′ beams in our backyard. He built it with end stage small cell lung cancer at 75.

I watched him pick up a man by the back of his shirt and the seat of his pants and throw him out of the produce section for insulting my mother at a grocery store.

He took on three men to save his friends store from being looted during the riots in Los Angeles, then stayed by himself during the fires to board it up.

He was a war horse all the way to the end in 2016 when he died at home due to complications (cancer).

Great movie (Free, full length)

007: No Time to Die – James Bond | FULL ACTION MOVIE | English FHD

This is the all time classic fun with Bond. James Bond.

Keep moving forward.

When I lived in Louisiana, and was laid off, I was forced to move out of necessity. At that time I took and accepted a position in Boston, Massachusetts as Design Engineering Manager. Then, and I wrote about this on and off in prior posts, resulted in my buying a motor home, and moving into it and actually living in it while I got settled in Massachusetts.

What I never wrote about was shat happened to my house and furnishings.

Well, I put my furnishings in storage. I rented a storage locker and put most of my furnishings in it. This was (I guess and estimate) around 1995 give or take.

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And I lived my life… quickly replacing the furnishings, books, appliances and clothing over time. And aside from making monthly payments on the locker, just pretty much moving forward with my life.

Around, I guess 2005, about ten years later jobs and work took me to Arkansas. And a mere ten hour drive could take me to the storage locker in Shreveport, LA from Maumelle, Arkansas. And so one day my second wife (the one who “retired me”) rode down to fetch things.

Opening up that locker was like discovering an old tomb.

Old stuff, styles and everything so dusty and dated. Rats and mice moved in, I had old beta tapes, books that I’ll never read again, my first wife’s sentimental stuff, and misc junk long since replaced. The furniture dried up and was just junk.

Aside from a few things, I really didn’t want anything.

So we hauled about 50% of it to the nearby city dump, and left the rest to auction off to the highest bidder.

Two weeks later, we got a couple of thousand dollars for the gear inside. Supposedly those plastic storage containers were a big draw. But to me, it was mostly stuff and junk that had no bearing in my life any longer.

If there is one regret that I have, it is that I paid month after month to store junk that I had evolved away from. You cannot move forward if you are always looking in your rear-view mirror.

A lesson to the wise.

Keep moving forward.

Today…

Why does Kanthaswamy Balasubramaniam write like an angry old man who hates everything except China?

It’s a long story

It began in 1985

A Delegation of Chinese Businessmen came to Bombay to various Indian Banks for a Letter of Credit.

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They wanted a LoC of £ 15 Million Or so to import steel from Hull in UK

They wanted an SBI LoC because their banks were not recognized in UK and the UK Bank (Midlands Bank) refused to do Business with the Chinese

DBS refused because the Steel was not insured

The Chinese delegation waited for 4 Days patiently and for three days the Bank GM couldn’t meet them. They waited outside his cabin and were mocked at by the staff

All of us worked close by – SBI, BoB, CBI and other banks so this was popular news

Every day at lunch the four Chinese would sit and have Indian food and give awkward smiles

On the fourth day the GM came, gave them 30–40 minutes and demanded a ton of documents

At the same time the Japanese had come for some credit line related to NTPC to supply equipment and they were met by the Chairman and executives and given VVIP treatment

The Chinese patiently signed their documents, did their business, paid the extra interest and went back home

I was a witness to this and any banker who worked in Bombay would be witness to this

In 2014 – 29 years later, a Chinese Delegation came for some business

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Banks scrambled over themselves for the Chinese Business

They deposited $ 2 Billion in one hour with a flick of their finger

The Executives grovelled and kowtowed and bowed and scraped like Coolies before the Chinese

Plus at this time SBI needed LoC from Foreign Banks to import from UK or US while every Bank in the world saluted at the Chinese LoC and advanced Twenty Billion Dollars without a second word

So SBI Kowtowed to Bank of America or Credit Suisse or used Bangee to get it’s LoCs accepted for upto $ 300 Million

The Chinese Banks didn’t need anything. They could get $ 20 Billion on their own LoC

I was a witness to this also

I wasn’t a Banker anymore but a Legal /Credit Consultant and saw the 2 Billion Dollar deposit as a friend showed me the entry

In 29 years i saw the Chinese grow from people who didn’t merit even a MD of a PSB to a group of people who could deposit 2 Billion Dollars in a single hour

I saw the same UK Banks who once refused to give the Chinese a mere 15 Million Pounds unless they had double backed LoCs , now begging for their business and lending them 20 Billion on their Paper without 15 seconds hesitation

I saw the Chinese go from a Nation which once stood in line at Tata Steel gaping with awe and admiration at our machines and process, now a Nation that makes steel superior to any other Nation on the planet

I saw the Chinese who once watched our Maruti 800 with awe and admiration now make EVs that are beating the pants of the Western models every single day

In 40 stinking years!!!!!!

Meanwhile

I see India once proudly emerging now groveling for Business from Western Companies even with all political favors

I see India unable to produce a pencil that has a demand in a Global market outside Nigeria and Bangladesh

I see India entirely dependent on Western Hardware and Software and merely clicking the key board like two bit PROGRAMMING COOLIES unable to invent anything with a Global Appeal

I see India with once with an Industrial Productivity which was fourth highest in Asia in 1981 after Japan, South Korea and Singapore now rank 11th behind Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia and even Goddamn Thailand!!!!!

And all my anger began with Mitra

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Those who have been on Quora for longer than 4 years can attest to this

I never wrote anything except the law and rarely politics and never on China until I saw posts of Mitra as a cutting edge robot

I felt a surge of rage and all my pent up emotions surged out and that’s it. It can’t stop to this day.

I saw my fellow countrymen defend Mitra as a cutting edge piece of Robotics and it’s founder rather than acknowledge that it was premature to introduce this Robot to the Global World , actually mock me as a desk jockey government servant and claim that he would respond only to the criticism of Google Top Execs or Big Shots

I left the topic at this point, unwilling to start a war on Quora

From that day I have written against Indian ‘Achievements’ because I AM ANGRY

I am not a Chinese Citizen

I am an Indian Citizen and I want my sons to be here in this country with me, growing, prospering, working hard for its development like so many Chinese sons

To watch with pride as India grows and dominates

But No!!!!

I see LIES, LIES and more LIES every day

I see my fellow countrymen rather than find ways to identify problems, call me China Agent and Paid Propagandist

It shows me the inferiority of many of my countrymen and I GET ANGRY

So you think it’s because I admire the Chinese that I write all this?

I admire the Chinese but I write because I AM ANGRY AT INDIA, AT INDIAN POLITICIANS, AT THE INDIAN SYSTEM AND WITH MOST OF MY FELLOW INDIANS AND MYSELF

Where did we go wrong?

That keeps me angry all the time

What can we do about it? How can we correct ourselves?

Nobody asks this question and that makes me angry all the more

So if you don’t like it – Apologies

I will keep on and on

Somewhere some people should wake up and see and question people Like Byju Raveendran, Ola Bhavish , Ambani, Adani, Mahindra on what their indigenous technology is and what they have actually achieved

Question people like Modi, Shah, Nirmala, Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal on the same questions

And those who agree with me, they aren’t my bhakts. They are just logical minds who can see where the Nation is heading.

For God’s sakes remember I am not your enemy

I am a Patriotic Indian helplessly watching his Nation slide into regression and worthlessness with every passing day

Those who are closing their eyes to this and talking of 3rd Largest Economy and Viksit Bharat and How great Ambani is – THEY ARE THE PROBLEM NOT ME

Women Have Cost Businesses MILLIONS Because of METOO

What’s the saddest thing someone told you before dying?

When my father was 92 he pretty much gave up on living. He didn’t have any terminal condition other than the one we all have. We had made attempts at various safe living situations during which he refused to move from his independent living apartment to assisted living in the same facility, kicked my sister and then me out for “being in his business”, fired anyone we hired to help with activities of daily living, and lots of other maddening behaviors (actually, par for the course for him but worse). The thing is, his mind was pretty much fine- it was his body that was failing him. When he realized he couldn’t and wouldn’t have life on his own terms, he just gave up. After a couple falls, passing out from low blood sugar several times (including at a wedding) because he refused to lower his insulin dose appropriate to the much smaller amount he was eating, and several admissions for urinary retention, bleeding from his bladder and UTIs, all due to prior prostate radiation, he said he just wanted to be left in peace to die. We (including him) decided to admit him to a really excellent hospice, the same one where my mother had died 8 years earlier. He asked to sign a DNR and did, asked that he receive anti-anxiety and pain meds for his spinal stenosis, and said he only wanted ice cream to eat. We all had an agreed-upon plan of care. He was sleeping peacefully when we left. Then, at 10 pm that first night while I was showering, I got a voicemail from his personal cellphone. On it, he sounded frightened, said he didn’t know where he was, and that the nurses were poisoning him. I called the nurses’ station. His nurse immediately went to his room then called me back to say he was sound asleep again. She even held the phone to his mouth and I could hear him snoring. He grumbled loudly when she tried to wake him to talk to me. She said he probably wasn’t used to the meds and they would give less and stagger them from then on. I wound up not going there that night after checking on him again with his nurse about 2 hours later. At 5 am I got a call that he had died in his sleep. So his voicemail wound up being the last words I heard from him.

Kansas City Beef Brisket

Ingredients

1 (5 pound) beef brisket
1 tablespoon tenderizer (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Instructions

The night before cooking, sprinkle brisket with tenderizer, Liquid Smoke, salt, pepper, celery salt, onion salt and garlic salt.
Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day add nutmeg, paprika, brown sugar and Worcestershire. Wrap well with aluminum foil — this is important. Cook 5 hours at 275 degrees F.
Slice thin on the diagonal.
Serve with homemade barbecue sauce and buns.

Are China and US heading for a hot war?

I posted this as a long comment here but thought that it is significant to deserve its own posting on China’s Future:

Let me explain: From the US official POV, China is an existential threat like never before, because not only can China do and make everything the US does and makes, China will lead in all the fields which the US has no hope of catching up in: EVs, tech and network equipment, aircraft manufacturing, and defense equipment. Even in agriculture, the US will not be able to sell food commodities to China because China will import from Russia and Brazil instead of from the US.

If the US is no longer the tech leader, the US stock and bond markets will lose 50% of their value. Since the US and European ruling classes derive a significant portion of their value from the New York, London markets, they will get poorer. And they will not be able to invest in growth markets because those markets won’t want to take western currencies, especially the US dollar.

If the US stock and bond markets take such a hit, this means that the US standard of living will also take a hit. First, most Americans are heavily in debt; many of them rely on credit card debt just to cover their monthly expenses, and they have no savings. These people will not be happy, and they will not go away peacefully because a lot of them have guns. They won’t understand how it got to this, and they don’t particularly care in understanding, but they will be very angry.

Under the US political system, it is very hard to mobilize the public against an enemy because most Americans have very little understanding of foreign affairs. For this reason, it is very important to create a foreign bogeyman such as China which they can lay all the blame on.

That is what is happening now. When the US’s existence is threatened, academic scholars are at the frontline in shaping public opinion.

The problem now is that both sides are hardening their positions. Biden doesn’t have the mental capacity to defuse the situation. This means that his key advisors are making policy without his input. They all believe that China is the existential threat. They hoped that the Ukraine war would weaken Russia enough so that they could then deal with China, but that did not go according to plan. But China is getting stronger and its relationship with Russia is growing, so the US is running out of time.

South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines were going to be the useful idiots who would directly confront China, but that is not going according to plan because they know that they are in China’s frontyard, and China is becoming increasingly powerful. They also understand that they may be left high and dry by the US, in which case they become dead meat in China’s front yard.

The US policymakers also understand that the US military is in a weak position to confront China because of the long logistics lines from the US mainland to the western Pacific. A lot of tactical inventory for a conventional war has been shipped to Ukraine and Israel for their wars, and it will take 2–5 years for American factories to step up production to replenish those inventories.

But the US doesn’t have 2–5 years; by that time China will be exporting its chips and selling EVs and solar panels all over the world, and will complete its overland connections to Europe through Russia and the Trans-Caspian routes. Europe will have de-industrialized because it has lost access to cheap Russian energy making their factories uncompetitive, and Chinese brands and equipment will replace European brands and products at 50% of the original European price.

The NATO/EU/G7 alliance will grow weaker by the year. Will the US withdraw to the North American continent, or will it make Custer’s last stand in a nuclear confrontation with China?

Right now, the US is led by candidates who were born in the 1940s and grew up during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Both strongly believe that the US triumphed against the USSR; they believe that this was America’s winning formula, and that today’s China is a smarter and much more adaptable version of the USSR, and that it can be cut down to size using the same tactics and sanctions against the USSR. They cannot adapt because this is the world they grew up in.

They have no vision for the next generation of Americans because they are old, and frankly will not live much longer. I feel sorry for younger Americans because they are stuck in a bus with a crazy driver who is heading for the cliff, and there is nothing they can do.

They deserve better leadership so that they can build their future, but right now, it looks like they have no future.

The American Revolution: Take 2

What is the most badass thing you did today?

A few months ago, I received a friend request from a girl. She was from my college and also my best friend’s ex, so I accepted it. I remember, they were in a relationship for eight months after which she friend-zoned him as she did with her previous partners. My friend went into depression after that.

Well, within a few days she became comfortable chatting with me and started sending flirtatious texts. I felt awkward in the starting but after few days I reciprocated keeping in mind not to let her sabotage my stringency.

Now after a few months seeing that she is highly into me, I thought maybe it’s the right time to give that girl a taste of her own medicine. I started using terms like “buddy” and started avoiding her texts. She became quite angry (and her desperation increased) and after a few weeks, she confessed that she has fallen for me.

Me- ”But that cannot happen. You are a good friend as well as a good human too, and I don’t want to lose our friendship.”

She- (furiously) ”Why did you do that to me.”

Me- ”Did what”??

She-“Talked to me in a special way.”

Me-“Well, I didn’t do that. You started sending me flirtatious texts, I just reciprocated. I never told you I feel for you.”

She- ”Please say that you are joking. I don’t believe you are doing this to me”

Me- “No, I am not joking. Besides, you did the same thing with my friend with whom you were committed. We are not even committed. I never promised you anything. It was just a healthy flirting that lasted for a few days”

She- “You are such an a*sho*e!”

She blocked me after that.

P.S.- I know I did the wrong thing but I felt that she needed to know what it is like to be on the other side.

42 Vietnamese foods you have to eat in Vietnam

This gets me so horny! LOL. Just joking, but really… I love these adventure food videos.

What are some of the most mind-blowing facts about Japan?

Here a mind-blowing fact about Japan: when I was in Japan on a business trip I had a few hours to myself, so I decided to go sight-seeing. I got my expensive SLR, hailed a cab, and took a trip around Tokyo seeking Godzilla. A couple of hours later I returned to the hotel and took a shower. After the shower I realized I had left the camera in the cab. It’s gone forever, I thought. But I went to the concierge and told him my story.

“What was the name of the cab company?” he asked me.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“What color was the cab?”

“I can’t recall,” I admitted, feeling like a fool. He was looking more dubious.

“Do you recall what kind of car it was?” he asked.

“Not a bit,” I said stupidly.

He was looking at me as if I were another stupid American. “We will see what we can do,” he said, “but I have grave doubts about recovering your camera.”

And yet two hours later I got a call: they had my camera. Astonished, I went to the front desk and they handed it to me. I tried to hand a wad of cash to the cab driver who had returned it. He refused to take the money. I tried to give a wad of cash to the Concierge, but he only took the wad, took a few bills, handed the rest back and told me, “these are for the operator who called every cab company in the city. Your camera was in the lost and found.”

I marvelled at the chances of recovering that same camera in New York City from a cab in two hours. I felt the chances would be infinitesimally small.

Kill Bill – 1950’s super panavision 70

How do you view the actions of the Philippines in Xianbin Jiao? Are they replicating the provocation tricks seen in Ren’ai Jiao?

The Philippines cannot replicate the warship beaching at Second Thomas Shoal.

If the Philippines repeats the incident of the warship running aground at Second Thomas Shoal at Sabina Shoal, it will directly violate Article 5 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which states that all countries in the South China Sea have the obligation to ensure that “uninhabited islands and reefs are free of people and facilities.”

If the Philippine warship ran aground in Sabina Shoal and crossed the “red line”, then China can take any measures to stop it.

The contest between China and the Philippines over Sabina Shoal is essentially a war of public opinion.

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The Philippines spread rumors that China would reclaim land and build islands in Sabina Shoal, so it sent 4 coast guard ships into Sabina Shoal, but the Philippines did not dare to cross the red line.

What China needs to do is to seize the opportunity of the Philippines to “provoke China” as much as possible, and then launch a fierce counterattack to finally achieve complete control of Sabina Shoal.

He Man – The Masters of the Universe – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

What was something small you went to the doctor for that turned out to be very significant?

in 1974 I had this pimple on my right forearm that wouldn’t come to a head, nor would it go away. And it was tender. So after a couple of months I took it to my doctor who sent me to a dermatologist. It was an amelanotic melanoma, a melanoma with no pigment. Further examination found that it had metastacized and there was some in my lungs. IN 74, that was a death sentence. They gave me 6 months, max.

But I was 25 and otherwise healthy, so they did the hail mary pass, cut out the lobe of my lung with the most mets, and put me on a brutal chemotherapy regimen of a monthly injection of 2 grams of something they called DTIC. It’s so toxic that they usually spaced it out over five days a month. But as I said, I was young and healthy and they thought I could take it. So they gave me a five day course in one dose, every month for a year.

And once a month for a year, I’d fly back off the road to San Francisco, get poisoned, and then run for home to try and make it before the nausea began. I never did, but the nurses would give me a just-in-case garbage bag for when it hit. Then it was eight hours of agony, cramping and running at both ends. The pot pipe made it possible for me to keep breakfast down the next day as I tried to pull myself together in the face of the worst hangover on earth. And the next day, I’d be back on a plane, and back on tour. This went on for a year, but it was worth it. I beat terminal cancer, and the years since then have been the best years of my life

Shorpy

IHP105 HamOnt dockside01 smaller.preview

What was a red flag that made you stop talking to a person immediately?

A few years ago I had a guy in one of my college history classes. Over a few months I would catch him looking at me all the time until finally one day he asked me on a date. I told him I’d love to and we agreed to go to an Italian restaurant. I get there and go inside and he’s nowhere in sight. Our date was for 6. He didn’t show up until 6:45/7…I’m a very, very punctual person so this really got under my skin, but he apologized profusely and told me he had gotten out of baseball practice late and came as soon as he could. So, I just let it go and we started talking. He really bragged and stressed to me how he was in the minor leagues and was about to go pro. He was 28 at that time and I’m not too familiar with baseball, but I thought that was a little late in life to be going pro and he didn’t look like he had played a sport in years, but whatever I just listened. And after so long we started talking about what we wanted for our futures, kids, jobs, etc. He told me he wants to get married and play baseball, nothing else. I said no kids? And he said no, this planet is full of rapists and murderers and he refuses to add another rapist or murderer to the world. I just sat there and looked blankly. I said well I think the odds of you having a rapist and/or murderer as a child is pretty slim (trying to lighten the mood), and he cuts me off and asks if I’m retarded and if I hear what I’m saying. And this man went on a full 40 minute rant about the Roman Empire, mass murderers, Islam, rapists, and crazy conspiracy theories. He would go back and forth between this cool laid back guy to this crazy the-earth-is-going-to-burn extremist. So I excused myself to “go to the bathroom”, found the waitress and personally left her a tip, and then ran to my car and left.

When I saw him in class that next week he avoided me. Like, completely picked up his desk and moved it across the room like a child avoiding. Every time I’d answer a question he ALWAYS had a rebuttal, even if the answer is a clear cut answer, or he would elaborate on what I said because “I didn’t explain it right”. After so long he dropped the course and I never saw him again.

Why the prices of popcorns and drinks in multiplexes more than that of the movie tickets?

It’s called the Dance Girl Phenomenon

In Hong Kong – many Dance bars provided the cheapest girls for sex and many Sailors from US or UK or France paid a pittance for these girls

Yet these girls were not the main income for the Dance Bars

It was the Drinks!!!!!

Drinks were marked up as much as 450%

An Inferior Scotch that perhaps cost 8 Hong Kong Dollars for a Liter was sold at 3 HKD for an 80 ml glass

That’s 36 Hong Kong Dollars per Liter

The Girls ensured that the customers were focused on the Girls and drank low quality drinks by paying 450% marked up prices

The girls were the BAIT

They were there to attract the men to drink in those bars

In the same way – in a Movie Theatre, a Multiplex – the Real Profit comes from your FOOD & BEVERAGES

The Movie is the BAIT

A multiplex chain pays maybe ₹18.50 Crore for a movies All India rights

At ₹ 63.50/- a ticket to ₹127/- a ticket margin after paying Taxes and Distributor shares – would they really be taking huge profits?

At ₹127/- a ticket – they would need to sell 15 Lakh Tickets just to break even

Now the Food

9 grams of Corn Caramel Slurry produces 41 grams of Caramel Pop Corn

1 Kilo of Slurry costs ₹ 390/-

That gives you around 4.25 Kilos of Carmel Pop Corn Or 33 medium serves approximately

At ₹85/- per serve thats ₹ 2,805/-

You do the math

₹390 worth of slurry gives you ₹2,805/- worth of Caramel Pop Corn and even if you sell only 50% , that’s still almost 360% Profit!!!!!

Your Coke costs the Food outlet on a Weight Basis

It’s a Soda Fountain that mixes CO2 with Patented Coke Slurry /Syrup, Water at the appropriate pressure and gives you your Coke

It costs ₹8000/- for 500 Litres of Coca Cola or 675 Large Serves of Coke

That’s ₹11.85/- per Large serving (742 ml) of Coke

How much do you pay?

Around 120 bucks in a Multiplex!!!

44% goes to Coca Cola, the Machine license costs etc

That’s still ₹67/- for a Large Coke that the Theatre Chain pockets

Thus around 500% mark up

Now you know why they give you all those free refills of Coke in a 180 ml container? It costs them a paltry ₹3/- every time you refill while you pay ₹200–300 for food

Once inside the Theatre, you can’t help but eat food during the interval

You will go to the restrooms and on the way back see the crowd at the food outlet

The Food makes up and ensures Multiplex Chains can break even and make a profit even by paying a high cost

Its why they sell Corporate Bookings

500 Tickets for the first 5 shows – 50% tickets for each screen and show for FREE to advertisers as a compliment

The Producers pay for this and the Multiplex earns heavily on the food sold

Producers declare how full the theatres are and everyone wins

Single Chains can’t survive on such economies of scale

Soda fountains would not be profitable to them as their volumes aren’t that high

So their main source of profit is the TICKET and the Food is a supplementary item

So Popcorn is ₹ 30/- instead of ₹85/- and Coke sells by 200 ml bottle with the Food outlet merely getting the retailer margin of ₹ 4.60/- per bottle when he sells for ₹25/- to the customer

However they pay only ₹7–8 Lakh for a movie rights and their margin per ticket is much higher

So they survive on ticket sales and make profits on tickets

Plus their LAND on which they have been built is valuable every day against the rent of Multiplexes

Thus Most single screens borrow heavily and are mortgaged until the day they sell to a developer who demolishes the theatre and builds a Hotel Or Mall Or Complex

Western Couple Expose The SHOCKING TRUTH About CHINA After Their First Visit

Has anyone ever taken a DNA test and found something completely shocking?

Absolutely! Many years ago, one of my brothers was accidentally killed. He was single and enjoying life, had a girlfriend. For years, my Mom lamented that she wished he would have had at least one child before he died so she would still have a part of him here.

Fast forward to a few years ago. We all did an Ancestry DNA test to see if we could find any relatives from my maternal grandmother’s side. She was a refugee from Germany, came to the US with an American family for safety during Hitler’s reign of terror. She never reconnected with any of her family again. A cousin and I had gone to Germany to research – the village that she grew up in had been completely annihilated during the war.

We met with the Red Cross there, and many other officials. Nothing could be found as to what had happened to them. We know they existed, she had brought many pictures of her with her family from the time she was a baby, up to her teen years, holiday gatherings, birthdays, etc. So we were hoping to find someone, anyone that remained of her family.

A few months went by and my Mom got a notification that a close match had been found, a child or grandchild, and I got one that said niece or cousin. We were certain this was a mistake because we could account for every single person in our family.

To make a long story shorter, my brother’s girlfriend moved back to the east coast after he died. None of us thought nothing of it. She was grieving and wanted to be close to her Mom. But apparently, after a couple of months, she found that she was pregnant. (This was the very early 1980’s, OTC pregnancy tests were not a thing at that time.)

By the time pregnancy was confirmed at three months (she apparently thought missed cycles were due to stress), she had lost all contact with our family on the west coast. This was also before cell phones. Also, she has been seeing another guy while she and my brother were dating. Anyway, we were able to get in touch with this mystery relative via Ancestry. When we met in person, I almost fainted – she was a female replica of my long dead brother, and she had two kids of her own, with the youngest looking like my brother’s twin. My Mom got her wish after all, a child of the child she lost. But we never did find any of my Grandma’s family.

Kill Bill – Gogo Scenes

What is the best advice your mother ever gave you? Do you feel it has benefited you as an adult?

Originally Answered: What is the best advice your mother ever gave you?

My then boyfriend proposed to me after we lived together a couple months. We discussed where we would live, how we would balance work and the household, the financial arrangements, the time schedule, if we wanted kids, how many kids, the way to raise and educate our kids, how we would balance his/my parents, his/my wants and no’s in the marriage… literally everything. Then we said yes to each other.

I asked for my mom’s opinion.

She looked at me in the eyes and said:

‘Are you sure you can raise your kids ALL by yourself, without ANY help?’

I explained that my future husband and I would share all the responsibilities, and we had already discussed every detail we could think of.

‘No.’ She said, ‘I’m asking YOU.’

‘Are you sure YOU can raise your kids ALL by yourself, without ANY help?’

It took me two months to think it over.

I checked my bank balance and assets. I made a budget about how much it would cost to raise a child, and predicted my future cash flow based on my current income and market value. I adjusted for my health insurance and life insurance. I checked the law about maternity leave. I consulted my friends who were single working mothers about what they struggled against and how they solved (or didn’t solve) problems. I thought over the resources I had and the difficulties I would face. I found out that I could not withdraw all the risks. And without help, it would be such a tough mission to raise a child. I also found out if I tried really hard, I mean, really really hard, it would NOT be a ‘mission impossible’ either. As long as I didn’t die too early, or lose all my skills by some accident, or… I mean, if my luck was better than the worst, and with my best effort, I would be able to make it.

I answered to my mom yes.

She said, ‘Now you are ready to get married.’

13 years passed by. I’m still in marriage with this man. My daughter is 11 yo.
Like all married couples, my husband and I have experienced fights, crises as well as boredoms. We learned to negotiate and compromise. We tried hard to find some balance. When passion faded with the time, we learned to find satisfactions and happiness from a stable day by day life.

I didn’t have to raise my daughter all by myself. My husband shared half of the mission. My parents and his parents helped a lot. Still being aware that ‘I would be able to do it all by myself’, I always feel being in marriage with this man is of my free will. And it also makes me able to fully respect and accept the fact that he is free to stay or leave this marriage too.

Despite the fights, crisis and boredoms, we still chose to keep our marriage. We don’t have to, but we choose to. We never feel the pressure or desperation to imprison each other or ourselves in the marriage. That’s one of the reasons marriage still feels good after 13 years, I guess.

And having seriously considered how to take full responsibility to raise our child, I feel so grateful that he lends me his shoulders and hands, holds up ‘half the sky’ of our family. I never take his efforts and contributions for granted.

People say marriage is based on trust. My mom says don’t rely on trust. She teaches me not only to hope for the best, but to prepare for the worst.

Feelings change. Humans change. Rather than asking ‘Is he/she trustworthy?’, my mom taught me that nobody owes me trust. And once make a decision, take full responsibility.

7 HOURS AGO: China Finds Something Strange on the Moon and Astonishes Scientists!

How are widows treated in modern India?

3 years ago, my neighbor died in bike accident. His son was of 2 years at the time, so I assume his wife to be in her mid or late 20’s.

In South India, we have a custom of visiting each other’s home in festivals to greet and give kumkum. After a year of the guy’s death his mom (mother in law of the widow) came to my home for one such occasion and my conversation with her went like this.

Me: Aunty, how is akka? (Sister in Kannada)

Aunty: She is getting better putta. (Putta – Kannada word to address younger people with love)

Me: Aunty, I know that this is normally not allowed, but we don’t mind her coming along with you during festivals to greet and take kumkum.

(Normaly widows are not allowed to take kumkum after marriage according to the followed tradition)

Aunty who was very happy to hear this went on to explain,

Aunty: I only wish society was more welcoming like your family, putta. At home, I am trying as much as possible not to make her feel like widow. I insist her to light the deepak in the morning and night in house and do Pooja, I include her in every ritual, we are doing everything we can. In fact we are even insisting her for a second marriage, she is young, we cannot replace what she lost from our care. If my daughter lost her husband at such young age, I would be thinking about a better life for her again, right? She is a nice person, she is still traumatized because of what happened. We are trying to do everything we can, but we cannot expect the same acceptance from everyone, so she is still not confident to come out and gather in social gatherings. Your invitation made me happy, once she makes up her mind to visit people, I will bring her to your home. She might take little more time to gain that confidence.

What I understood by this situation is people are changing, at least many are changing, but there is still a long way to go.

My request is, when you come across such people (widows) all you have to do is talk to them normally as you always would, that itself is a big thing for them.

It’s their life, let them live it again, they shouldn’t lose their identity just because they lost their husband.

Humid Night Routine of Living Alone in Japan

People all over the world are living their lives. This is a glimpse into the life of a chick in Japan. I think that food is sexy, but being lonely is awful.

What is the hardest thing to deal with being in the military?

That a job must get done no matter what. That means if it is hotter than hades outside, or if it is cold, or if it is raining, or if there is a sandstorm, you must still go to work.

A rather humorous example is from my life as an airman, while deployed to Camp Sather, Baghdad Airport. The airport had a mix of Iraqi civilian air traffic controllers and U.S. Air Force air traffic controllers. Although our air traffic controllers were armed with an M9 pistol while on duty, these guys weren’t really trained for shootouts and how to conduct security. They were, understandably, worried about their Iraqi counterparts and if one of them should smuggle in a weapon or worse into the air traffic control tower. Consequently, an airman was assigned as security for our personnel inside the tower, 24/7, in the event of an attempted insider attack.

In reality, this air conditioned posting was posh and we loved being there. There was a desk with a computer and internet connection, movies that could be watched on the computer, and even a DSN line to call back to the United States as much as you wanted. Even the Iraqi controllers were quite pleasant to be around and they all spoke at least some English, per their job assignment.

Also, since the posting was outside of the camp’s defense perimeter, you would have food from the cafeteria delivered to you. No waiting in line!

main qimg 26ed06cb43ff1428ef1a10e6dd10bf43

(Baghdad Tower, photo by author.)

The only downside:

The elevator in the control tower often broke. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to go to work. That meant climbing up 14 floors with your vest, helmet, NVG’s, rifle, pistol, and spare ammunition. What a bitch! Nothing could make you go from loving how lucky you were to draw this assignment, to hating it in mere seconds. When you made it to the top, the person you would be relieving would always have a bottle of cold water waiting on you. By that time you were huffing, puffing and drenched in sweat. Tough life in the Air Force.

Nebula in the Deep

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt
John Popovich

Her muscles seemed to tense with every chime of the warning alerts; proximity, fire, and power failure alarms each ringing in their own distinct tone and pattern. As the captain called out for a report on every station the voices went from stern and confident, to shouting and chaotic.

Venturing into the cerulean and fuchsia mixed cloud, the crew of the ISS Condor had no idea what to expect. The observation windows were useless as the clouds covered the ship like thick cream. The current of plasma that comprised the beautiful anomaly clung to every nook and cranny of the ship’s fuselage, wreaking havoc for the ship’s systems analyst.

Lieutenant Dawson exhaled sharply, shaking her hand at the station monitor. “I’m getting readings all over the ship, everything from hull breaches, power surges, and a fire on C-deck. I’m shutting down automated countermeasures… try to keep her from fixing problems that aren’t there.”

“Do something about those alarms while you’re at it. Do we have anything on perimeter sensors, short range? Long range? Anything from our remote probe?”

The chief turned in his chair facing the captian, his forehead wrinkled, and cracking in his voice. “Nothing consistent. I am getting intermittent contact from the probe. Strange readings, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The lighting on the control deck flickered as power surges were felt throughout the ship. Alarms blaring, lights flashing and now the ship was rumbling. Dawson gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white as her fingertips went numb. The pounding of her pulse in her neck caught her off guard, escalating with every breathe. Nothing made sense, she heard his order to shut off the alarms, but it didn’t register. As if he was speaking a different language.

Glancing from her station monitor to the captain, she saw his jaw tense, eyes squinting, focusing on the forward observation windows. If there was any fear in him at all, he didn’t show it. They were flying blind, but he kept them steadily on course. She had to trust him.

Rattling with increasing intensity, the ship groaned in pain as the bulkheads shed their safety panels. Like the nebula didn’t want them there and fought with constant resistance. What secret was it trying to keep?

Suddenly the ship stopped shaking, the colorful sludge sliding off the forward windows. The captian stood from his command chair, balancing himself on the overhead monitors as he leaned forward to look at the seemingly empty eye of the nebula.

“Lieutenant, I want a damage report as soon as you can. See if you can purge all of our external ports, get this crap off of my ship… And please shut off the alerts!”

Staring at her screen, trying to catch her breath, she unwrapped her hands from the arms of her seat. Flexing her fingers, she disabled the system alerts. As a loud hissing filled the command bridge from the purge, the systems came back online, one by one. Turning in her chair to report the ship’s clean bill of health, she paused, interrupted by deafening silence. Seeing her wide-eyed crew mates looking out of the observation windows, she stood moving from her station toward the center of the bridge trying to catch a glimpse of what had captivated the crew.

The inner wall of the nebula was at a distance, but there was something more. Maneuvering around the captain’s command station more objects came into view, strange t-shaped bodies, made of metal… had to be. Another long cylindrical object that seemed to be rounded on one end with what looked a short thick tower protruding from the side. There were other jagged fragments, and what looked like a mist of dark and light particles. Everything was motionless, floating in the peaceful center of a chaotic cage.

“There’s the probe!” The chief pointed at the window before scurrying to his station.

The captain’s head whipped around. “Can you make contact?”

“Yes, but I’m getting a lot of strange readings Sir. The objects don’t match any vessels on record. The nebula consists of some sort of plasma, it’s chemical make-up is like nothing I’ve seen.” The chief’s voice was high, and he stuttered as he read the data as quickly as he could. “There are trace amounts um, of-of ice, wait, yes crystalized H2O, and, and… this can’t be right.”

“What is it?”

“Carbon, lignin, hemicelluloses… this… Captain it’s particles of wood!”

“That’s impossible!”

“It doesn’t make sense but that’s what it says… Sir there’s something else. There seems to be radiation emanating from one of the objects.”

“Dangerous?”

“No sir, but curious. This isn’t adding up.”

“Chief, keep searching the database, figure out what these things are. Helmsman, bring the ship about, I want you to pull us parallel to the source of that radiation. Dawson, meet me in airlock three and suit up.”

She looked at the captain nodding, acknowledging the order. Her head spinning with the various scenarios that a space walk could present. She’d done this a dozen times before, always making it back in one piece. She couldn’t help but think that one of them wasn’t going to be as lucky this time.

Lieutenant Dawson and the captain checked each other’s suits, making sure that every seal was fastened, oxygen connected, and equipment secured. The captain turned to place the helmet on her suit, she gently grabbed a hold of his gloved hands.

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she exhaled with a light tilting of her head, signaling the captain she was ready. The helmet came down, twisted and clicked, activating the release of oxygen to the suit. The rush of air, and distinct smell of disinfected fabric and plastic switched on her focus. The long hours of training took over. Assisting the captain with his helmet, they approached the outer airlock door.

Looking through the porthole, the long cylindrical object slowly moved closer to the ship. There was something recognizable on the short tower of the object, it looked like an airlock, but strange. No window, docking clamps, nothing. There seemed to be a ring suspended from what looked like a hatch by three thick metal spokes. Her focus broke as the chime from the pressure indicator buzzed and the light flashed from red to green. It was time.

The captain pressed the release panel slowly opening the airlock. After securing their tether lines to the hull of the ship, the captain counted down from three. They gently pushed off the Condor and floated toward the object. The droning of the winch echoed through her suit as it let out the slack of the tether, drifting closer and closer to the object. Gripping the lifeline to her side, taking long controlled breaths, she collided with the hull of the object. The captain landed first, already on his way to the hatch. The magnetic boots seemed effective as she watched him walking on the smooth surface of the object. Activating her boots, followed.

Reaching the hatch at the top of the tower and gripping the wheel, the captain spun it counterclockwise. Dawson looked at the data pad on her wrist, monitoring the object, anticipating what lay beyond the hatch. The door opened with ease and they removed the winch systems from their suits, attaching them to the hull of the object. The captain went in first, climbing past what looked like a ladder. The airlock seemed rudimentary, there was a manual release on the interior, no electronics, no inner airlock, just a ladder that led down to what looked like a command station.

Walking through the dark corridors of the object, they could only see what was illuminated by the lights on their helmets, taking notice of what looked like words written on the bulkhead. The metal grate beneath their feet also had a recognizable design. Everything looked so familiar.

“Captain, do you copy?” The coms link fizzled as the chief’s voice crackled through.

“Yes Chief, we’re inside the object heading toward the source of the radiation spike.”

“Uh… you’re not going to believe this, but I’ve identified at least three of the objects inside the nebula.”

“Well…”

“Two of them are 19th century aircraft from Earth.”

The captain stopped and turned toward Dawson, his eyebrows furrowed. She stared back at him, blinking, trying to awaken from what seemed like a dream. “What’s the third object?”

“You’re inside of it… it appears to be a 21st century Naval Submarine. Virginia Class.”

“We need to leave, these were nuclear powered, who knows what state of decay the reactor could be in. These things weren’t built for space.”

Just then, the submarine rumbled and shook, the coms link fizzling as the chief’s voice frantically warned them of something they couldn’t quite discern. “… anomaly …energy weapons …attack…”

“Chief, come in! What’s happening out there? Chief!” The captains voice had a tone of desperation, something she’d never heard before.

The submarine rocked and jolted violently, they had left their winches tethered between the submarine and the Condor. Rushing back down the corridor to the ladder they climbed as fast as they could. The captain reached the hatch first, flying through the opening, reaching for Dawson’s hand.

Reaching for him she was blinded as a flash of blue light struck him in the chest, knocking him off the submarine. The coms link roared in her ear as the chief screamed for the captain to reply to his call for orders.

Her free hand hung lifeless as if still waiting for the captain to grab it. The other hand gripped the rung of the ladder, fingertips going numb again, the pulse in her neck intensifying as it did before, the piercing plea of the Chief in her ear.

The captain wasn’t there to snap her out if it this time. Closing her eyelids tight and taking a deep breath, she could see the captain staring out of a window of uncertainty. Calm. Focused. The way she wanted to remember him.

Exhaling slowly, and gripping the ladder with both hands, she cautiously pulled herself halfway through the open hatch. The Condor was tethered to the lifeless submarine suddenly taking fire, unable to maneuver and defend herself.

The attacker was dark, shaped like an elongated pyramid, firing its weapons erratically. Flashing blue lights surrounded the Condor as the energy shields deflected much of the fire. The remaining blasts splashed into the colorful milky walls of the nebula, while others hit the objects floating in the eye, disintegrating them into balls of blue fire. The shockwaves smashed into the sub, yanking the leash of the Condor.

While Dawson observed the situation, formulating a plan, she noticed a red orb in front of the Condor. It whirled chaotically as red particles emanated from its center. While slowly growing bigger and bigger, a black center of the orb started to open.

“Captain! What are your orders? What do we do, we’re under attack!”

“The captains dead… I’m in command.” Dawson let out a deep breath.

“Lieutenant what do we do?”

“How are the energy shields holding up?”

“We’re at 70% capacity. Our weapons were knocked offline before I could activate the shields. Who are they? Why are they firing at us?”

“We’re going to be fine. They don’t seem to be locking on to anything, the nebula must have temporarily disabled their tracking system.” Her reassurance fell on deaf ears.

“No, no! We gotta get out of here!”

“Listen to me! Don’t move the ship, you’re tethered to the sub, you’ll rip us apart. We’re going to be fine for now if you don’t move. What’s happening in front of our ship?”

“Yeah… yeah it popped up right before the firing started. It seems to be a displacement field of some sort… I can’t… I don’t know.”

“Chief. Listen to the sound of my voice, calm down. Displacement of what?”

“Ok, ok. If I’m reading this right, it appears to be a wormhole.”

“Good… good. We don’t have much time before they figure out how to get their targeting systems online. I’m going to go back into the sub.”

“No! You need to get over here now, we need to leave.”

“Chief, I’m going back into the sub. I’m going to place a charge on the reactor core. We’re going to fly through the wormhole, the explosion will collapse the displacement field behind us.”

“Why don’t we go through the nebula?”

“We can’t risk it. I’m making a lot of assumptions about this attacker right now. Chief, do you understand my orders?”

“Yeah… yeah I got it.”

Thrusting down the ladder, and disengaging her magnetic boots, she bounced off of the metal grid floor. Stabilizing herself she flew through the corridors of the submarine, grabbing and pulling at anything the walls could offer. Following the tracker on her data pad she found the reactor compartment.

Engaging the magnetic boots, planting her feet firmly to the floor, and gripping the wheel of the hatch door, she jerked it to the right finding nothing but hard resistance. Frantically looking about, she found a piece of pipe attached to the bulkhead. Banging on the steel with her hands it wouldn’t break free no matter how hard she tried. The sub rattled and shook again.

Pulling the plasma torch from her equipment pouch and flicking the switch igniting the brilliant white flame, she cut through the top and bottom of the pipe, releasing it. Turning off the torch she let it float away, inserting the pipe between the spokes and placing one foot on the bulkhead next to the door. Pulling the bar with everything she had, groaning in pain as every muscle in her body felt like it was on fire from the strain, the wheel finally gave way.

The structure began to rumble more frequently, the attacker must have fixed their targeting systems. Time was running out.

The compartment filled with blobs of coolant escaping the reactors cooling system. It was nearing critical mass. She placed the explosive charge on the side of the reactor’s large cylindrical wall, setting the timer for ten minutes. Gripping the pipe that was used to open the door, she swung it at the cooling pipes, cracking them open, releasing more of the gelatinous substance into the room, hoping to accelerate the meltdown.

Before she could make it through the opening of the compartment, a large explosion of blue light ripped through the hull of the sub. The blast throwing her against the bulkhead. Looking through the hole was disorienting as the sub and tethered Condor were now spinning together in the eye of the nebula. Each vessel pulling and fighting with one another’s momentum.

Working her way to the edge of the hole she timed her leap. Waiting for the sub to spin just right, looking for the tether lines, she jumped from the sub grasping for a line. Eight minutes left. She could do this.

Staying on course, the lines whipped and crossed one another, she had to be careful not get tangled herself. Blue flashes of energy flew past her. Grabbing one of the lines and pulling herself toward the ship, the second line thrashed across the visor of her helmet, cracking it. Oxygen hissed through the crack, making it impossible to focus on the airlock.

Moving closer to the ship, she activated the remote airlock sequence. The door opened and with a swift pull on the line she spun faster toward the opening. Activating the magnetic boots and landing on the hull, she made quick work of detaching the tether lines from outside of the airlock.

“Chief, I’m on board the Condor closing the airlock now. Fire the thrusters and push us through the wormhole. I’m on my way to the bridge.”

Running as fast as her legs would take her, adrenaline pumped through her veins. Slamming into the captains station she fastened her restraints.

“We have two minutes! Go, go, go!”

The helmsman forced the throttle further forward, pushing the ship’s engines to their breaking point, thrusting them into the blackness of the wormhole. Dawson watched the rear viewscreen, the long dark ship was in pursuit, firing its weapons. The screen went bright white leaving only a silhouette of their attacker… the reactor had gone critical. The wormhole collapsed behind them, crushing the rear half of the dark ship. Secondary explosions radiated from all over busting the attacker into pieces.

Relief of their escape was short lived as a loud tapping rattled the front observation windows. More ice crystals. Where was this wormhole taking them?

The crystals turned to a clear liquid, the alarms blaring and systems going offline. Lunging forward in their seats the ship had moved from full speed ahead to a lurch into the translucent liquid.

“Lieutenant, the engines are dead. Proximity sensors indicate that we’re in a large body of water, but I can’t be sure. Our sensors weren’t built for anything like this.”

“The ship is airtight, we can survive water, getting out of here is another problem. Can we launch a probe to the surface, see where we are?”

“It’ll take some time to retrofit it for these conditions, but I think we can do it.”

Waiting for the probe gave her time to process everything that had happened. Their mission was a success, explore the nebula. Their cost was the life of the captain, and a journey through a wormhole to who-knows-where.

Standing behind the chief, eyes glued to his monitor, the crew’s eyes widened in disbelief as the data rolled in. The atmosphere above the water was oxygen rich, breathable. There were land masses nearby… cross referencing database… They were on Earth, 800 kilometers from the coast of Florida.

“What the… are we in the Bermuda Triangle?”

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Dawson wracked her brain for an appropriate response. Nothing had prepared her for this.

Marinated Tennessee Hickory Flank Steak

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Hickory Mesquite Grilling Sauce
1/4 cup red wine

Instructions

Cut flank steak in half lengthwise; cut each half into thirds. Place in a heavy-duty zip lock plastic bag.
Combine Jack Daniels’ Grilling Sauce with red wine; pour mixture over steak.
Seal bag and turn several times to coat steak.
Marinate for 4 to 24 hours in refrigerator, turning several times.
Discard marinade.
Grill steak over medium heat to desired doneness, turning and brushing with additional Jack Daniels’ Tennessee Hickory Mesquite Grilling Sauce.

Attribution

Posted by FootsieBear at Recipe Goldmine April 28, 2001.

Source: Jack Daniels’ Grilling Sauces package

What’s the most pathetic date you’ve ever been on?

It was a ‘blind date’ arranged by my mom and his mom. Two moms happened to both have an I-love-matchmaking retired coworker. Two coworkers happened to meet in a mahjong gathering. So.

At a square of a shopping mall, I waited and waited, constantly checked my phone, called him. No answer. No idea why I waited for couple hours like an idiot. Probably because I had nothing else to do other than watching people passing by, (which also explains why I agreed such an arrangement in the first place).

I saw a man in shorts who tried to speak to every woman sitting at the square, one by one.

I called him again.

No answer.

The man in shorts came to me.

‘Are you Nell Zhang?’

…

Turned out he lost his phone.

I felt grateful he still tried hard to find me.

We did self introduction.

He asked me where I worked, and told me his company was the maker of the famous ‘Sofy Napkin’. I jokingly asked if I could get a discount for pads from him. He nodded,

‘Yes, 15% off, if you marry me. Moreover, we can buy Mamy-Poko diaper (it’s another brand from his company) with half price for our kids.’

I laughed. He didn’t, but asked me what’s so funny.

I excused myself and couldn’t find anything else to say.

Neither did he.

Then we watched people passing by.

Then we watched each other passing by.

Over.

When Women Treat Men Like KINGS #10

I just learned right now that my job is hiring a replacement person for my position, meaning they’re going to fire me soon. What should I do?

Remove all personal items from your workplace NOW, prior to getting the axe, it will avoid hassles and save time and the humiliation of having a guard stand over you whilst cleaning out your desk, and carrying that pathetic banker’s box out of the building when they do finally dump you.

Remove and backup any personal information/data on your company computer and phone; there shouldn’t be any there, but get it off NOW.

Update your resume and get contact information from folks you would like to keep in touch with. Pro tip: Give them your personal email/phone, NOT the company one which is going to disappear; I have, sadly, seen this done.

Look forward to your new position with anticipation.

The following are morally wrong and likely unlawful, but I have heard of people doing these things; I do not recommend them, only mention them as things NOT to do.

If you are of the stealing mindset (things or data), do it now while you can plausibly feign it being an accident if caught, but be careful they might have extra eyes on you.

DO NOT email yourself files, this is a rookie mistake, use a thumb drive. It is considered bad form to be caught copying your (or worse, others’) lab notebooks.

Programmers, now is the time to activate any software time bombs, delete data sets, sabotage projects, etc.

Pro tip: If you have a (male) manager who checks his voice mail on speakerphone, it can be a source of amusement to all in earshot to have a woman accomplice leave them a hysterical voice mail accusing the manager of impregnating them or of passing on a venereal disease, or have another man break off their interracial gay BDSM relationship. Be creative!

Good luck and keep smiling.

Why is China’s rise so hard for the US to counter?

My father has a story he told me in the 1990s, it was actually more about Japan and Korea than China.

It’s obviously translated through my memories into English.

An American delegation of businessmen go and visit Japan/Korea/China (the place changes depending on when my dad tells the story). They visit a car factory and are panicked OMG they can make cars here! I didn’t think they’d be able to…

They go home and at the next company meeting bring this up with their superiors. They are ignored and dismissed anyway it’s not going to affect our next quarterly profits so this threat is ignored and deemed insignificant.

This process is repeated several more times….

Until there’s another meeting say bud why are our quarterly profits on a downward trend? But by then it’s too late those car makers have eaten your lunch and dinner.

Big Blast At U.S. Arms Factory; One Missing, Two Injured As Fire Engulfs Missile Production Centre

WTF? Very interesting.

Is Las Vegas just a rip off and not worth wasting time there?

DO NOT GO TO VEGAS.

I’m so shocked at what an incredible rip off Vegas has become. I don’t gamble in the casino but the greed of these corporations has just gone crazy.

For example, when I came here 10 years ago the roulette had 36 numbers plus the green 0. If you hit your number you would receive 35/1 odds as you had a 1 in 37 chance.

Last year in 2023 when I came here I was shocked to see an additional 00 on the roulette wheels making your odds 1 in 38 to still receive a 35/1 pay out.

So I’m back here again in June 2024 and yes you guessed it, there are now magically 3 x 0’s on the roulette wheel! 0, 00 and now 000!

They know people don’t understand the enormous disadvantage this gives the punters.

On top of this I’m paying $30.00 for a coffee and a sandwich and when I received my hotel bill they hit me with a $52.00 a day resort fee that I was never told about when I checked in but it is apparently in the small print!

I went to an ATM in the casino and took out $200.00 It charged me 7.5%, yes $15.00! And I’ll be charged more money on top from my UK bank charges.

The shows are eye wateringly expensive along with the drinks. I really think they are making a massive mistake in their business structure. People are disgusted. EVERYONE is talking about it, from the people on holiday to the taxi drivers. I’m fortunately financially well off but it’s not the point. No one likes feeling ripped off, not even if it’s for $20.00. They are making a huge mistake. No one is coming back to Vegas in a hurry.

What did your neighbors do to you that made you never want to speak with them again?

When I was around 11, our next door neighbors accused my then 5 year-old brother of intentionally breaking some large planters – really large ones – on their front porch. The wife swore she saw him do it around 5:00am. A ridiculous claim on so many levels. Now they didn’t like my brother, he was always so much bigger and taller than other kids his age and they didn’t like him to play with their same-age son. Which was fine, as he didn’t. They apparently felt their smaller child would get hurt by my gentle giant of a brother. (Now 6′4″ btw). Now my brother adamantly denied that he had done anything remotely like what they said and he was understandably very upset at being accused. He may have been a bit tall for his age, but he was still just a little kid. Later that day, the police came by and warned us that some no-gooders, possibly teenagers if I recall, had been caught slashing tires and vandalizing property in our neighborhood. And that we should continue to be on the lookout for their cohorts. My father let the neighbor know that, as I believe the police did as well but the neighbors still insisted that it had been my brother. We didn’t talk to them after that and steered clear as much as we could. A few years later, they came and took the neighbor wife away in a straight-jacket, while she was screaming hysterically and incoherently. Apparently, she had some mental illness problems. BUT even after that, the father never apologized. Nor did he treat my brother, me or my family politely or properly. Even today, so many years later, I still get a bad taste in my mouth when I remember them.

Beetlejuice – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

When was a time you said silently to your boss “I told you so”?

It wasn’t silently, I came right out and said, “I told you so!”

I was a machinist and toolmaker. At the time I was working on a turret lathe making large piston rods. The piston rods when spun on centers could not run out more than .002 of an inch. It took a lot of manual labor to make a piston rod within that tolerance.

My boss came to me and told me they were going to purchase a new CNC lathe to make the piston rods. As much as I told him that a CNC lathe would not be capable of making a piston rod that would be within the required tolerance when spun on centers, he insisted it would.

He explained to me that the new CNC machine was going to have clamps that would hold the rod perfectly straight when machining the rod. I told him that as soon as the clamps were released, the rod was going to run out. I could not convince my boss and many others in management so they purchased this $1 Million Dollar Machine.

Once we received the machine, unless you ran it manually, it never made a piston rod that was within the required tolerances.

To many in management, I said, “I told you so!”

According to the 2022 Pentagon Leaks, more than half of Taiwan’s combat aircraft are ineffective. If the US is so committed to the defence of Taiwan, why don’t they help fix them?

This is a list of US mission capable aircraft. The US needs to fix US aircraft first.

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Heartbreak Ridge Your Ass is Mine

The RCEP has officially been signed by ASEAN, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand. What are your thoughts on this moment?

The rcep numbers are big. 30 percent of the world population, 30 percent of world trade, 30 percent of global gdp represented.

The common glue here is China, which is the biggest trading partner for the rest and of course, the largest economy. I am surprised Korea and Japan jumped on board, given their protectionist stance on agriculture and several other categories. India walking away was no surprise.

Overall, I’m encouraged by the give and take. This can serve as a good template for belt and road countries in the coming decade.

The headturning numbers will come from asean as infrastructure led growth boost trade numbers.

The success of the rcep should prove to the world there is no crisis in the SCS beyond American manufactured drama. All the claimant states and trade routes are represented by rcep.

What’s the most shameful example of parenting you have ever seen?

My friend’s trash boyfriend. She’s pregnant with his second kid. He refuses to watch their son and when he does complains that he’s too tired. Says the new baby is not his “problem” until it is born. Won’t take her to doctor appointments. Tried to make her walk five hours home from work at six months pregnant. Abuses her daughter from a previous relationship.

His mother thinks his behavior is fine and defends him. He’s a sex addict, woman beater, child beater, and an accused rapist. But anything bad he says or does is his girlfriend’s fault and not his.

My son’s biological father. Cared so little he didn’t show for the original custody hearing. Fought cour ton habing to pay more than 25 a month child support (state bare minimum) but agreed to 28. Would never watch our son when I worked because he was busy at the library playing online games with his other girlfriend and wouldn’t help pay for sitter. When he did rarely watch my son, wouldn’t change him or clean up messes. Yelled at him for looking at him when he was eating. Smacked our crying son on the butt as hard as he could in the mall. Threw and broke things in front of our son and hit me in front of him.

My brother’s ex. Drove her jeep high and flipped it with my nephew in the car. He survived with no injuries. She’s finally in jail for it.

My brother’s wife who left him for a guy in Florida she ran away to and got pregnant from. Has zero custody of her own three kids. Trying to pin new baby on my brother. Brother is hispanic. Baby’s dad/her boyffiend is african American. Not hard to do the math. Did drugs in front of my nephew and didnt take care of him. Laughed at him when he had nightmares or wanted time with her or my brother. Bought designer bags and clothes but wouldn’t buy him walmart t shirts.

These are the worst acts of parenting I have ever seen, and I’m adopted because my biological mom didnt take care of us (she’s mentally handicapped, dodnt know any better).

Russians advanced in New York, Iran’s destroyer sinks, Ukr to highjack Rus strategic bomber.

Heating up craziness.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a woman you loved?

I was dating a woman, it was way too early for love, we had only been seeing each other for 6 weeks, but things were going well. Christmas was coming up, and it’s really awkward buying a gift for someone that you have no commitment to.

She was telling me a story about going to the mall, and seeing these red shoes, with a different shade of red, bow , in the window. She tried them on, and they fit like a glove, but she decided to spend the money on her kids, and not herself, so she left them.

When I left, I checked the size of her shoes by the door, and the next day I drove to the mall, and there were the red shoes, with a red bow, sitting in the window.

It’s risky putting this much thought into a gift for someone, that you have known less than 2 months. Do you look like a stalker, or a romantic?

I took the risk, and bought the shoes.

Two days later, she called me, and said that she was going to be spending Christmas with her ex and the kids, in another province, and that it wouldn’t be fair to me, to keep dating. She was honest about everything, and we parted on good terms. Except I now had to return the shoes, during the holiday rush.

I have done much more extreme things for my wife, but they weren’t crazy, because I was committed to my wife.

This was crazy, because I risked driving her off, by looking like a stalker, and it was a lot of effort, for someone, you have just started dating.

The Most Insane Ex-Girlfriend I’ve Seen..

Sigh.

If a U.S. Navy carrier battle group cannot defeat the Houthis in Yemen, how is it going to defeat China in the South China Sea?

Thanks for the request.

This is another example of asymmetrical warfare that the U.S. sucks at.

Its a game of “whac-a-mole” that the Houthis are playing that is impossible for the U.S. to keep up. The Houthis simply hide and launch their missiles at different places and time that is impossible to anticipate and take out. And by launching more than enough, its impossible to take out all.

The battleground at the South China Sea is different.

These involve large warships that both sides can see a long time coming.

However, China has the advantage. It has shown it can eliminate the element of surprise by being able to detect submarines in the South China Sea with aircrafts and satellites equipped with high-resolution radar. They have surveillance to ensure nothing is sneaked in – inclduing sub detectors.

There is also the advantage of proximity. With its militarized location at the SCS, it takes less time to mobilize that in coordination with its command of the arsenals of hypersonic missiles to provide cover, there will be ample time to take out any incoming warships.

What’s the quickest you’ve seen a new coworker quit?

When I was working for a chain store I was told they hired somebody and they put him on with a manager who was a little difficult to deal with if you didn’t know how to take her. (She spoke to everybody as if she was dealing with four or five year olds. I once asked somebody if she had been a kindergarten teacher and they said no, it’s just the way she is.) Anyway he worked one shift with her and called the next day and said he had had enough and quit.)

The most interesting case of short-term employment happened at Walmart. They hired this kid to work in my department (food) and after punching in he would come out to the floor and then he would disappear. No one was able to figure out where he went. They tried paging him and no answer. People looked around the store and couldn’t finding his hiding spot. I don’t think he left and went home because the cameras would have picked him up if he did that. He only reappeared when it was time to punch out. It didn’t take long before the manager decided he could dispense with his services.

This cat, after a car crash and desperately struggling on the roadside, finally she was rescued.

It’s a sign of maturity

When I was attending university, perhaps in my second year, I lived off campus (for a brief spell) in a run down Victorian house off in the bad section of town. And I would dutifully stop by the nearby local bagel store and grab a fresh bagel to munch on the way to my shitty cheap apartment.

One day, I decided to buy a amateur porn magazine that was on display by the door. And with a bagel in my mouth, I paid the 25 cents for the magazine. Maybe it was 75 cents. I don’t really remember. It was full of “swingers” and “home style” pictures of a sexual nature that people in that some group would post.

Some were gross. Just gross. While others had some pretty attractive gals, and one caught my eye. SO I bought the magazine and headed down the street to my apartment.

It was full of all kinds of people. Young, but mostly old and many fatties. Not a “playboy magazine” for certain. But just porn taken with 35mm film, or Polaroids and submitted to the magazine for publishing. If you got your picture published, the magazine would give you a $100. Pretty reasonable money in those days!

So I make it home, lay out my text books for my nightly study and finish eating my bagels. I’m going through the magazine and then I saw it…

… no doubt about it…

… there was my mother. With her current husband. And they were getting it on. Only one picture. But that was enough for me.

Oh, I never told anyone. I was discrete and kept all this info to myself. But I will never forget the shock that I had to my young 19 year old self in seeing my mother in a compromising position near our houses front door…!

Ah.

We all live our lives. Some of the things we want to keep private and confidential. While other things are ok to become public knowledge. My siblings no nothing about this. I never told anyone.

For whatever it is worth, I have a vault in my head full of these confidential confidences that I keep to myself. It’s a sign of maturity.

Don’t you know.

Today…

Chinese history lesson

In the year 290 AD, there was a retarded young man became the emperor in China.

His emperor father actually had more than one son, but ultimately chose him as his successor. The main reason was that this retarded son married a wife from a very powerful family, and a retarded emperor was actually very advantageous for his wife and father-in-law to control the power.

Today’s Biden is somewhat like this retarded emperor.

The people who truly hold power in America are those people around Biden, and they actually don’t mind Biden becoming increasingly incompetent. I

n fact, an incompetent Biden is very beneficial for them to control the power of America.

By the way, China fell into a bloody civil war after this retarded emperor.

As a police officer, what law do you rarely enforce?

Here’s a list of 10 in my state that I won’t be enforcing any time soon… however my actual answer is far more basic/universal and, if any other US Cop out there thinks about it, it would be theirs too. But first, that 10 that immediately come to my mind:

Feeding the birds in public parks.
A shop selling toy handcuffs to minors.
A business that has more than 10 signs on its premises.
Dissemination of informational fliers on windshields of people’s parked cars.
Any car mod that is unrelated to lighting, noise, air emissions, or plate visibility. (Example: having custom tires on your vehicle that are wider than the chassis/fenders.)
Gambling (even if it’s between family, friends, or coworkers).
Stopping/Ticketing the rider of an eBike or Motorized bike for no other reason than that it was is traveling faster than 25mph (as long as the rider is under whatever the posted limit is, and not operating it in an obnoxious way, they won’t get a second look from me.)
Before it became legal, I never busted anyone who grew personal use amounts of pot plants on their private property or carried personal use amounts on their person.
Busting a kid who was riding an electric/motorized skateboard on the street for not having a Driver’s License.
Busting an intoxicated golfer when they drive their cart across the road to get to the next green. (For the moment they’re on a Public Way, that still fits the OUI/DUI Statute.)

Only when you become a Police Officer do you have true awareness of the voluminous amount of codes that make up a the Criminal and Motor Vehicle sections of the State.l’s law. A majority of people (and many police officers) would be/are shocked by the numbers and feel that a great many are weird, unnecessarily, or just really stupid. Heck, the “Drivers Handbook” available for free from the DMV in my state is 56 pages of diagrams of things like intersections, sign shapes, stopping distances etc, all in relatively large print. In contrast, the Motor Vehicle Statute book that the State Legislature releases to all law enforcement agencies here, is in excesses of 460 pages! It contains no pictures of any kind, and is written in exceptionally small print. So the simplest answer I can give— as would any other US Cop if they’re being super-honest with themselves— to the question of which laws I “rarely enforce,” is, literally, this:

“Most of them.”

Shorpy

TOS-2 Wiped Out Canadian, French, and US Soldiers In CHASIV YAR┃Russia Captured STEPOVAY-NOVOSELOVKA

Why are Hong Kong people willing to accept that the British government’s BNO status is a trap when they know they are pawns against China?

Many who went to UK on BNO status are ”criminals” who had broken law 1 way or another.

Some genuinely do not know a thing. They just follow others.

See, UK & USA have run their scheme for more than 30 years. In the case of UK, it started in 1984 when UK realised China demanded return of HK in 1997. No negotiation.

UK’s plot was extensive covering all walks of life. Education is one of them. One whole generation was brainwashed to hate & fear of China.

So when UK opened door to accept BNOers, many people fled HK. They did not know UK was just sucking their money. That said, even they knew UK was sucking their money, out of hatred & fear of China, they might still go.

Human nature is funny.

I recently asked a person why she is afraid of ghost. I asked her if she has seen one. What is her experience with a ghost?

She cannot answer. Why then fear of ghost? Somebody told her ghost is terrible or evil Not good anyway.

I asked what makes her think god is not evil. Of course she cannot answer.

My point: it is all somebody who says so.

Same here with China. If you ask a BNOer why they hate China. They will repeat what others told her eg dictator. No freedom. Poor etc. If you ask them whether they have ever been to China, of course they have not. … again, it is somebody who says so.

Humans seldom do their own thinking.

BREAKING NEWS: Mike Johnson Hammers Joe Biden After Presidential Debate

As an attorney, have you ever experienced a case that made you re-evaluate your life?

Yes. I was appointed by the court to defend a gang member for armed robbery. He thought he was super cool and wanted to take the stand. I told him no, I warned him, he insisted over my objection.

There was only one thing going in his favor. The clerk at the place robbed said the robber had blue eyes. My client had brown eyes.

I felt my client was a very very dangerous person. I was sure the prosecutor would ask him if he had color contacts. They were in his pocket. When he lied and said no, I would ask to be recused from the case as you are not allowed to knowingly let your client lie on the stand. The judge would then know he was lying and I would probably be excused as counsel, etc. The ignorant prosecutor never asked. He was found not guilty.

The judge had a fit. He excoriated everyone but me…he said I was just doing my job. Two days later my client shot and killed an 8 year old girl in a rival gang revenge attack at the girl’s birthday party. The newspaper headline was the judge’s quote that he would never sleep again until every member of that gang was six feet under.

The judge called me and advised me that I would NOT be appointed to represent the guy again (Thank God).

The police declared a vendetta on that gang. Five years later the headlines said that gang was “eradicated” from Texas.

I never took another criminal case. I became a real estate attorney and did pro bono work for battered women and men who paid child support but were denied visitation with their children.

Aromatic Chicken Curry (Vietnam)

Ingredients

2 medium-size potatoes, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons peanut oil
8 shallots, minced
4 stalks fresh lemon grass, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh hot red chiles, minced
2 tablespoons best-quality curry powder
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Fry the potato chunks in the oil until nicely browned, then drain them on paper towels.
Add the shallots, lemon grass, and all of the spices to the pan, and stir-fry for a few minutes.
Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it is opaque.
Add the potatoes, salt, coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with basil leaves before serving in bowls with rice.

Ingredients List for Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Marinade

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
salt to taste

Curry

2 tablespoons oil
3 large carrots
1 large baking potato
2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion
3 garlic gloves
2 sticks lemongrass
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk

12 Minutes of Modern Women Moral Decay

A Woman’s World

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Rebecca Parker

Robert remembered the sensation of falling. He remembered the feeling of cold dread as the engine stuttered and died and his stomach dropped through the floor. He could never forget the look on his colleague’s face as the colour drained from him and his skin turned paper white.He didn’t remember plummeting through space, searing through the planet’s atmosphere, or the deafening landing. His colleague, Martin, hadn’t been knocked unconscious and had managed to pull him from the fiery wreck before the smoke and flames engulfed him. Robert was out cold. All he remembered was darkness.Blurred colours greeted him as he opened his eyes, the world spinning in and out of focus. One woman, or two, or three, was bent over him. He heard her speak, the words moving through his sluggish brain like soup. He could make no sense of them. He tried to sit up, but a shooting pain split through his head and the woman pushed him back to the ground. Martin appeared then; despite his hazy vision he recognised his co-pilot. Three Martins. Groaning, Robert closed his eyes.It might have been a few hours later when he next opened them. The dazzling sunlight had dimmed slightly, and the air was not quite so hot. His vision took a minute to clear, but when it did, there was only one Martin sitting over him. He asked him how he was feeling, felt his forehead, his throat, checked his pulse. Irritated, Robert pushed him away and forced himself into a sitting position. His head was still banging, but not with quite so much volition as before.“We went wrong,” Martin uttered in a low voice, just as Robert asked him where they were.“What do you mean?” Robert replied, rubbing his forehead with one hand as Martin handed him a glass of water. It looked like water and tasted like water, but it was purple. Robert blinked at it, confused, and then looked up at the sky. It was as if it had been painted with purple water colours.“Why isn’t the sky blue, Martin?” Robert asked. He must have still been dazed from the crash, because he was much calmer than he should have been.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We went wrong.”

“We were right on target to hit Mars.”

“This isn’t Mars.”

It was then that Robert noticed the huddle of young women standing a short distance away, grouped under a copse of trees next to a river. Lilac-coloured water cascaded from an eight-foot drop into the shimmering pool, before winding away through the trees. Robert stared at the waterfall, the women, the sky.

“Martin?” he said, his tone still strangely neutral. “Am I dreaming, or am I dead?”

“Neither,” his colleague hissed at him. “You’re on Venus.”

Robert nodded, tasting the words even though his brain couldn’t comprehend them.

“But we were on target for Mars.”

“Mars is red, Rob, not purple.”

Robert nodded again, sipping the purple drink as one of the women broke away from the group and sashayed over to them. She might have been the same one that had been crouched over him before; she had the same silvery-blonde hair and violet coloured eyes. Her dress was lilac and her feet were bare. If Robert squinted, he could see that all the women were wearing dresses of a similar colour and not one of them wore shoes.

Martin got to his feet as she approached and Robert staggered up next to him. He felt oddly light-headed but pain free.

“Do you think they want to kill us?” he asked Martin as he drained the last of the water. In response, he received only a glare.

The woman paused in front of them, looking suddenly unsure of herself.

“Tia,” she announced. “Robert and Martin, correct?” The pair nodded. She chewed her lip, her eyes straying disdainfully over their clothes. Martin was half in his spacesuit, Robert was only in a t-shirt and jeans. “But…” she said, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Where are the rest of you?”

The two men exchanged glances. “The rest of us?” Robert repeated. “There’s only us two. We crashed.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she said. “The water here helps with healing very well.” She paused, a light breeze playing with her hair. “But surely more are on their way? We have thirty women here, all waiting for you.”

Robert could feel his head begin to pound and not because of the crash-landing.

“We’ve come from Earth. Have you heard of it?”

If Tia had heard the sarcasm in his voice, she didn’t show it. Her eyes dropped to the floor, her lips twisting into a frown.

“Earth? No. I don’t know any Earth.” Her eyes narrowed then and her tone became suddenly accusatory. “You are from Mars. All men are from Mars!”

Robert stared at her. She glared defiantly back.

“Love,” he began, feeling his patience start to wear thin. “Nobody lives on Mars. The place is a rock, totally uninhabitable! We are not from Mars, we’re from Earth. Kindly tell me what planet you are from?”

“Venus.”

Robert opened his mouth to shoot back a snide reply, but Martin cut him off.

“Are there any men here?” he asked Tia.

“No,” she replied, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “All men live on Mars. There should be thirty of you arriving today for the Spring Festival, but so far we have only two and not even a decent two at that.”

She scowled at them both and turned on her heel to storm away, but Martin hastily dashed after her, apologies spilling from his mouth as Robert stood and watched, realisation beginning to dawn on him.

The sun suddenly broke out from behind a cloud and the brilliance of it dazzled him. He sat back down on the grass, his eyes straying from Martin and Tia to the group of women huddled by the river. When Martin returned, he was carrying another glass of water.

“She said this might help your head,” he said handing the drink to Robert. “Shame it can’t help your attitude.” He smirked but looked away hastily as Robert glared at him. “The boys stay here until they’re eighteen. She’s going to see if they can help us out with a ship. In the meantime, we can stay in the village.”

“She wants us to go then.”

Martin crouched down on to the grass in front of him. “This isn’t our universe, Rob. I don’t know how we’ve ended up here, but here we are. There’s no Earth in their solar system. All the men live on Mars and all the women live on Venus.” Robert found his eyes wandering back to the group of women. They were all young, in their late twenties or early thirties, and they were all beautiful. “This Spring Festival,” Martin continued. “It’s a mating festival, Rob. Thirty men come over to meet thirty women and they couple up and well… you know…”

“So what you’re saying is, we’re stuck on a rock in some other universe, who knows where, and we’re the only men? That’s what you’re saying?”

Martin grinned and hit him playfully on the shoulder. “More men are coming. When they get here, they’ll help us find a ship. We’ll get a ship, Rob, don’t worry.”

They waited for three days, but the men didn’t arrive. The women became fretful. Each day they turned up in their purple dresses with their hair and make-up done to sit by the river from sunrise to sunset and each day they went home by themselves. They weren’t interested in befriending the two astronauts. The majority of them seemed to blame the pair for the loss of their men.

It was late in the afternoon on the third day when the silver-haired Tia approached them, leading a teenage boy alongside her.

“This is Jay,” Tia said as she reached them. “Jay is seventeen and he studies solar engineering at the college. He will help you find a ship.” She smiled at them but her eyes remained troubled. “Maybe then you can return to your own planet.”

“And your men?” Martin asked. “Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

She turned to gaze into the sky and sighed. “Something must have gone wrong. You crash-landed in our meadow and they haven’t arrived. Maybe they crashed somewhere else? But what if there is no one there to help them?”

She patted Jay on the back and thanked him before leaving. He quickly dived into conversation with Martin, but Robert wasn’t listening, he couldn’t stop thinking about Tia.

Jay proved to be very helpful. He took them on tours around the village and surrounding areas. The village looked more like a city to Robert, with its sky-high buildings and its colleges, but it was welcoming and friendly. The women watched them in interest as they passed, and many trailed after them, like excited girls wanting autographs from their favourite pop-stars. The teenager took them to his college workshop where other young boys clubbed together to help build the pair a new ship, modelling it on what they had left of the one that had crashed. They were quick and nimble workers and it was completed in only a week. Jay told them there was a takeoff station at the bottom of the meadow where they’d crashed and they arranged to have the ship transported back there. When they arrived, a tearful Tia came rushing up to meet them.

“Something must have happened to them!” she sobbed, the tears streaking down her face. “Please, please, before you go, look for them! They could be danger!”

Robert gazed at her, at her shiny, soft hair that fell elegantly over the curve of her breasts, at the lilac dress that hugged her waist, at the tears that fell from her beautiful violet eyes.

“Of course,” he told her. “We’ll find them.”

A whole host of women gathered in the meadow to watch them leave, along with Jay and the other boys who had helped to build the ship. Martin pressed his face to the glass of the window as they rocketed away from the planet into the depths of space.

“We were on course for Mars,” he said softly, as Robert took the wheel. “How did we end up on Venus in another dimension?”

“Another universe,” Robert shot back. “We must have passed through… through a… a worm-hole or something.”

Martin gave him a sharp look. “You told me worm-holes don’t exist.”

“I must have been wrong.”

They trawled through space, searching for anything unfamiliar or unknown, anything that might have rooted an explanation as to how they travelled between universes. Robert had lost track of the days completely when he noticed something in the distance.

“Martin!” he hissed, squinting through the window of the ship. “Martin, get over here!”

His companion joined him, concern plastered over his face. “What?”

Robert didn’t answer, but merely pointed.

It was hard to tell what it was at first. It was if there was some sort of light distorting the view. It was a shimmering line, like the mist rolling in off the sea.

“We’re in the middle of space,” Martin said flatly. “We’re not going near that.”

“Yes, we are,” Robert replied, easing forward on the accelerator. “That might be just how we got here in the first place.”

Martin grappled with him for the controls but Robert was stronger and slammed the accelerator down, sending the ship careening towards the shimmering line. It widened as they approached, yawning open like a great mouth. Martin screamed as it swallowed them and they found themselves spinning and spinning and spinning through a mass of swirling, blinding colours.

When it spat them out, they both felt the engine lurch, and Martin grabbed Robert’s arm in panic.

“That’s how we crashed!” he yelled, but Robert was barely listening; he’d spotted the rocky, red planet of Mars and sent the ship spiralling straight for it.

Martin bellowed at his companion, trying to pull the ship up before they crashed, but it jarred against a mound of rocks and flipped on to its side. They piled out of it, helmets on, and sprinted away before it could burst into flame and meet the same fate as their old ship. It didn’t fortunately, but it didn’t look safe to fly either.

“Great going, Rob,” Martin grumbled, gesturing towards the heap of battered metal. “We finally make it to Mars and you go and break our transport. Again.”

Robert could have shot him a snide reply, he wasn’t sure it was entirely his fault they had crashed on Venus in the first place, but he wasn’t listening. His attention had been snared by a far superior, more colourful ship that sat proudly atop a rocky outcrop. A rather dilapidated ribbon was tied around it. It might have looked smart at first, but it was dirty from red dust and the bow had come undone. He began walking towards it, his heart pounding, leaving Martin muttering to himself amidst the rocks. He thought about the lack of atmosphere, the lack of hostile environment, and began to run, panicking even though he didn’t know these men.

Martin yelled after him, suddenly noticing the ship for the first time. They both raced towards it, knowing the men would have been unprepared, knowing they would have lacked oxygen.

Robert reached the ship first and banged on the metal door, bellowing at them to let him in. Martin was quick on his heels and joined him, banging on the door until it opened.

There was a cluster of young men, all late twenties or early thirties and all beautiful. They were stood behind the air lock, frowning at the two strangers in their space suits who were waving at them from the inhospitable landscape of Mars. Wordlessly, they welcomed the astronauts on to the ship, though they seemed wary and kept their distance.

“Where are you from?” the first one said, as Robert took his helmet off.

“Earth!” Robert replied proudly, ignoring their puzzled glances to continue. “We were on our way to our Mars, when we crash-landed on your Venus.”

“What my friend is trying to say,” Martin interrupted, as the group of men muttered amongst each other in confusion, “is that we’re from a parallel universe, and we crashed in your universe. You apparently, have gotten lost in our universe, but we can guide you back.”

The muttering continued but a few smiles began to appear among the bunch.

“You crashed,” one observed.

“You can’t return in that wreck,” another said.

“Guide us back to our Venus,” the first one said, “and we will ensure you can safely return to your own planet.”

The two astronauts gladly obliged and took the controls to return the vehicle to Venus. Martin was a bit dismayed about leaving the red planet so soon, after only just arriving and without conducting any of their research, but Robert found he didn’t care that much; he longed to return to Venus, to Tia.

They landed safely the third time around and the relieved, yet tearful, silver-haired Tia came running up as the group disembarked. She weaved through the handsome young men, searching for the alien astronauts who had brought them to her. She found Robert and threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder.

“Thank you,” she wept, “thank you so much.”

He didn’t say anything, but hugged her close. Martin took his shoulder, telling him they had to sort a new ship and get back to their own universe, but Robert had made his mind up.

“We’ve found a planet inhabited entirely by women,” he told his friend, as Tia straightened and wiped her tears from her flushed face, “and you want to leave?!” He turned back to the beautiful woman standing in front of him, took her hand and kissed it.

“Allow me to introduce myself, properly this time,” he told her. “My name is Robert, this is Martin. We come in peace.”

Giggling, she took his hand and led them both through the meadow towards the waterfall. The sun shone down on them through the purple sky, sparkling on the purple river. Far behind them, deep in space, the shimmering dimensional gap, the stitch in the universe that had brought them there, slowly faded to melt away completely in the unfathomable depths of space.

Nam Jim Wan
(Sweet Dipping Sauce | Thai)

This is a simple dipping sauce usually used with deep fried items such as spring rolls and stuffed chicken wings.

Ingredients

3 cups water
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vinegar (preferably rice vinegar)
3 tablespoons Chinese pickled plums
3 tablespoons thinly sliced prik ki nu daeng (red birdseye chiles)
2 tablespoons garlic, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger, julienned or grated
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Boil the water, and add the pickled plums (sometimes sold as ‘salted plums’), and simmer for five minutes.
Remove the plums to a food processor and puree them.
Continue to boil the water, adding and dissolving the sugar, then adding the vinegar and salt. If any sugar is still undissolved, add a little more water until it dissolves.
Return the plums to the mixture, and then pour over the other ingredients in a sterilized preserving jar, and keep in a cool place for at least a week before using.

Can you introduce me as Joker? | Joker [UltraHD, HDR]

Why does China want to go to war with Taiwan even though Japan intervened? Do they really think they will win that fight?

Today’s China is militarily strong.

China is not afraid of USA. It of course will not be afraid of Japan.

A year or 2 ago, Taiwan asked Japan if it will help Taiwan in case of war,

Japan said they only plan up to the point of evacuation of Japanese in Taiwan. Translation: Japan’s war simulation tells Japan that it will not win China.

Neither can USA.

Some other art

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Default The second coming of Jesus a powerful and aweinspiring 3 215c30b7 6cbd 4c32 a109 5c02b1abd923 0

Default La joven mujer sonre con felicidad y alegra Estilo Car 2

As a Vietnam vet, what was the saddest thing you saw during the war?

Well, here goes, and it’s taken me 50 years to write or even speak of this event. I considered writing anonymously but that’s no way to get something off your chest.

I was with an infantry platoon in the Mekong Delta during the summer of 1969, we walked out of a woodline into an open paddy area and found several individuals dragging an unexploded 500 pound bomb across the paddy toward a wooded area. They were dressed like V/C, black trousers and white shirts, and probably about 500 yards away. This bomb would have made a devastating booby trap.

This was a so-called “free fire zone,” meaning all civilians and non-combatants had supposedly been relocated and only the enemy remained.

We opened fire and the subjects scattered into the woodline and we did not pursue them. It was getting on toward sunset and we heard crying and moaning from deep within the jungle. I, along with two other soldiers, was sent to investigate. We found a male subject laying on his back in great distress, when his shirt was removed there was a bullet hole in his upper chest/shoulder area but no exit wound. He was not bleeding, but that blood had to go somewhere, and it did, straight into his lung.

The other two guys with me argued that we should take him out and call for a dustoff (Medivac) but I was in charge and would not allow it. I said we were not going to endanger a flight crew to evacuate an enemy soldier who was going to die anyway. And besides, he might have been one of V/C who ambushed our platoon the previous week causing extensive casualties and loss of life.

So we waited as his breathing grew gradually more shallow; I kept shining my flashlight into his eyes and after about 20 minutes his pupils became dilated and non-reactive. This enemy soldier had died. Except. . .

The next morning our platoon was sleeping on dikes near the woodline and I was awakened by terrible screaming and crying from a woman and her children who had seemingly come from nowhere, there were no hooches or villages in sight. Our “enemy soldier,” whom I had watched and saw die, was in fact her 13-year old son.

At the time, and over the years, I’ve tried to rationalize my actions that evening: it was dark, V/C were all young looking, we couldn’t have saved him anyway, but the only true answer is that war had stripped away a bit of my humanity.

I saw plenty of sadness in Vietnam, but nothing was as sorrowful as watching a mother weep for her dead son.

And then I heard Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight (First Time Reaction) *

Hungry Food Porn

A crying mother trying to drag a man to her dying kitten. Just unbelievable

What is the largest amount of money you have ever lost in a day?

Seven hundred quadrillion dollars. (USD)

This was about 10 years ago. I had a lunch date planned at a restaurant next to where I was working. We had a pleasant enough meal and at the end I was about to pay. My credit card was declined.

That didn’t make any sense. It was direct drawn on my bank account, I had plenty of money in it. Lunch wasn’t all that expensive for the two of us.

So I take a moment to go over to the ATM and attempt a withdraw. The machine tells me I have no money. I print out the balance and I’m over drawn by:

$700,000,000,000,000,000

Somehow I’d lost $700,000,000,000,000,000 and my account was now negative that amount.

I walked back to the office, borrowed $50 off a coworker to pay for lunch and walked back over to the restaurant. Needless to say I didn’t get a second date out of that.

So after lunch I start making phone calls and the bank just runs me in circles giving me one lie after another and telling me it must be my fault, and that I clearly “lost the money” and have “spent it on something I don’t remember” and that they will be “adding over draft fees” and various other fines.

I couldn’t get one idiot on the phone to actually acknowledge the total amount that they were claiming I’d lost. They simply saw the flag that I was overdrawn and proceeded to tell me it was my fault for spending more than my limit.

The next day I went into the bank and asked for a manager. That took a while, the cashier kept assuring me she could handle my needs and insisting that I didn’t need a manager.

I finally told her: look, unless you can explain to me why you stole 700 quadrillion dollars from me, you really can’t help me and I’m going to need a manager.

She told me I was making up numbers. I told her to go fuck herself and she shouldn’t be working in a bank if she didn’t know what a quadrillion was.

She went to get a manager to have me thrown out. I handed him the ATM slip and he just stood there without saying a word for a couple of minutes while his brain processed how many zeroes were on the paper.

He shooed her away and asked me into his office. I told him the run around I’d been getting from phone customer service and that I’d come in and asked for a manager only to be brushed off by the girl at the counter, I just wasn’t in the mood for any more bullshit.

I told him he needed to explain to me how they could possibly think I’d lost 700 quadrillion dollars beyond my spending limit.

We sat there for an hour while he made phone calls. At the end of that he assured me that it was all fixed and that the money was restored and my account would be usable within the next few hours.

I had to remind him to remove the over draft fees and various other fines. That took a few more phone calls.

So there you go. I lost $700,000,000,000,000,000 to a bank error. Thankfully it was found the next day after much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Edit: To those questioning the authenticity of this answer; realize, I didn’t have that much money to lose. My real balance was only about $1000 at the time. This was a bank error and the loss was a negative balance.

So yes, I “lost 700 quadrillion” in a technical sense but in the form of debt being added to the account. Restoring 700 quadrillion to the account (which they did) only put me back to my original balance of about $1,000.

The amount in overdraft fees was comparably small: only a few hundred dollars. However this would have been added daily until repaid and of course since the error was on their side: I shouldn’t (and didn’t) owe any of that either.

The bank was: Bank of America. I had used them for many years prior without a problem and continued to use them for a few more years after without any issues. (I later closed my accounts and switched banks for entirely different reasons)

Edit 2: Since it’s been asked: No I don’t know the details of how an error like that actually occurred. From the phone calls the manager made, I could only hear his side of the conversations. Most of it seemed to involve server migrations and backup systems, something had gone wrong in one conversion of systems with another, I can’t tell you the specifics. Such is the nature of computers, stick a decimal in the wrong place while moving numbers around and automated algorithms can do strange things.

Edit 3: I don’t know if I still have that ATM slip. Realize this was a decade ago, and that type of paper fades. The last I saw it, it was almost unreadable. I’ve moved 6 times across 3 states since then and one of my apartments was demolished. It may be in a storage box continuing to fade, or it may be gone. I don’t even know where to begin to look for it at this point.

I’ve had a lot of random adventures in my life, this is just one day of many that were weird. I’m lucky I can retain some of the memories; the baubles (and slips of paper) collected along the way come and go.

About Last Night’s Debate…

China’s workforce is aging out of their productive years and lacks the young people to replace them. As China fails out of being the planet’s factory, how will that affect CO2 in the atmosphere?

Sorry are we already in 2057?

This is 2024 and China just recently graduated 11.24 Million people and typically after 18 months – as many as 850,000 of these people will not have a proper advented job and after 36 months around 332,000 of them will not have a proper job

In fact after 18 months – only India with 2.265 Million unemployed graduates will beat China in 2026 as per the extrapolation

In 2023 – Chinas Factories created 1.37 Million new jobs and this year the target is 1.50 Million new factory jobs

Guess how many factory jobs Germany created in 2023?

Negative 86,800

They closed 86,800 Jobs

The previous year it was 72,000 Jobs

In all of Europe – Hungary is the only Nation that created an additional 10,740 jobs in 2023

US has lost a whopping 4 Million Factory Jobs in the last decade (2010–2020)

China has added 18.3 Million Factory Jobs in the last decade (2010–2020)

It is expected that China will add 12 Million Factory Jobs from 2020 to 2030 and 7.2 Million from 2030 to 2040

Yet they will be more and more specialized jobs and skilled jobs

Meanwhile China will see a transition to the Service Sector

Today Manufacturing commands 36% of all Jobs and Services 13% (26% is still Agriculture and 8.3% is Government Jobs and Civil Service including the Army)

Yet a decade ago it was 41.2% for Manufacturing and only 7.8% for services

By 2030–2040 – you will see only 20% Manufacturing Jobs and upto 45% Service Jobs on the Mainland

Take a look at Nations with the largest NEW factory jobs created in 2023

China (1.37 Million)
Russia (670K) [War Production included]
Mexico (311K)
Vietnam (273K)
India (221K)
Bangladesh (157K)
Brazil (131K)

China nearly created the same NEW factory jobs as the next 4–5 Nations combined

South Korea & Japan are far worse than China in demographics yet Japanese Workforce showed 22,000 more factory jobs than workers and Korea showed 6050

With a huge rural population – the earliest China can reach the same situation is 2057 and that’s the absolute worst case scenario

The truth is Ceteris Paribus – China is unlikely to have any major demographic work issues until around 2075–2100 AD

By then I am sure you will have enough Robots and AI to do the needed work

Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients

Balsamic Marinade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Steak

1 beef flank steak (about 1-1/2 pounds)
Salt amd pepper

Instructions

Balsamic Marinade

Combine ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

Steak

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 16 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 16 to 21 minutes) for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally.
Season steak with salt and pepper, as desired.
Carve steak crosswise into thin slices.

Why do people expect so much out of an Uber when it costs less than a cab?

I will never forget the girl who ordered a Uber Comfort which is up to 4 passengers. I showed up. Granted I have an SUV and can fit 6 passengers. Well she had a group of 7. Not squeezing you all in, sorry. Order 2 rides. They didn’t want to split the group so I said I couldn’t take them. She had such a sassy attitude. With all of the sass in the world she told her friends, “Wait, this is still on my dollar, so…” and she turned to me, held out her hand rolling her eyes a little bit and said, “Can I at least have a water or something?”

My jaw dropped a little bit. Not only was I cancelling her ride because she wanted to disobey the rules and the law, but she had the nerve to give me sass and ask for water! As if I carry water, candy, snacks, etc. for all of my passengers. She was going to pay $10 for a trip home for 7 people and expected water and snacks and candy and for me to let an extra person squeeze in the back??? Nope! Not happening! I don’t carry water for passengers. I don’t carry candy. I drive people from point A to point B and provide good customer service and a good attitude, decent music, a clean nice-smelling car with air conditioning. If you want water or snacks I can take you to a gas station! But to give me sass? I was so amazed at the nerve this young lady had to ask me in such a way for a water.

So, why do people expect so much out of an Uber?

Entitlement

People expect so much for so little. They want to pay less than a taxi service, expecting private car service. Some drivers offer amenities to boost ratings or tips, or allow passengers to break the rules to not lose out on a fare. Over time, this has led people to expect more from the service. If 1/10 drivers allow it, then all of the drivers should allow it, which simply isn’t the case.

Compilation: Our Reality is an Illusion

Are Reptilians running the having a Weekend at Bernie’s?

Are Reptilians running the United States?

I doubt it.

But, in all seriousness, who we think is in control… ain’t. Someone or something, else is “pulling the strings”, and who or whatever they are… and I am not saying they are anyone non-human… but they actually are deluded amateurs.

First up, we see that the “president” is a figurehead. He has no ability, and is cognitive – lacking. In fact, I have seen “special needs” people with more ability than what he displayed on camera.

It was a disaster; a true and real “shit show”.

We also see “fake” presidents running around with fake masks, and earbuds. Not to mention a legion of “handlers” that make sure that he is “on point”. These “fake president Biden’s” never make any mistakes, stutter, or go irrational like the real (non-functional) president does.

So someone is running things. But who?

A unelected cabal? Or, just the “court hanger’s on” that orbit the office of the presidency? I tend to believe the later, and the rulings, the regulations and laws suggest trivial matters of political importance elevated to national discourse, while the serious issues of national concern are ignored.

Such as this…

As opposed to this…

I am not picking on one measure or the other, just making a very generalized statement that the priority sheet for the Federal Government is way, way out of wack. Special interest niche matters become national priorities, while real national emergencies are covered up, and ignored.

Que an Oliver Anthony tune here.

And with this all being the case 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5. Meaning, of course, that things are not adding up in the official narrative basket.

Oh, depending on what will happen, we will either get a war of distraction, more of the same (Weekend at Bernie’s) …

Fun-loving salesmen Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy) are invited by their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser), to stay the weekend at his posh beach house. Little do they know that Bernie is the perpetrator of a fraud they've uncovered and is arranging to have them killed. When the plan backfires and Bernie is killed instead, the buddies decide not to let a little death spoil their vacation. They pretend Bernie is still alive, leading to hijinks and corpse desecration galore.

… or a full-on clown show (Idiocracity).

Sigh.

Post-Debate Reaction: The Most TERRIFYING Part of the CNN Presidential Debate

Thai Stuffed Omelets

Yield: 2 omelets

Ingredients

1/2 cup ground pork
2 tablespoons chopped green beans
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon diced cooked carrots
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 to 3 drops Maggi sauce
4 eggs
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon MSG (Accent)
Pepper

Instructions

In wok or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil.
Add pork, garlic salt and MSG. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
Add green beans, onions and carrots, tossing lightly.
Add sugar, Maggi sauce and dash of pepper.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
Pour enough oil into skillet to cover bottom.
Lightly beat eggs with milk. Pour in 1/2 the egg mixture and spread evenly.
Add 1/2 of pork mixture.
Fold over 1/2 of the omelet to cover the pork mixture.

Fun video

https://youtu.be/OKplx6cF940

Big explosions suggestive of a “new” and “novel” type of nuclear-related weapon.

Nuclear? Not quite. But something else.

Watch and you decide.

There IS a new type of weapon out there and it IS being used.

Article title is “Christopher Busby: mini nuke explosions in Russia and Lebanon?”

Read the article here…

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2024/09/25/christopher-busby-mini-nuke-explosions-in-russia-and-lebanon/

In other news…

Here’s some of my latest AI generated art. Chinese girls and tigers on a clipper ship. Oh, yeah, I’m still playing around with this.

I find it fun and enjoyable.

Now, I am trying a art plug-in filter…

Which, of course, by nature… naturally tends to undress them.

Maybe I should try a Greek mythology version.

Here’s where I swapped out some Chinese ladies for some Vietnamese ladies…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(19)

And this picture is my daily favorite. I really love the curious background.

Today…

Was Trump right when he said the debate was rigged?

Yes, it was. In the sense that CNN organized the debate in such a way that they thought their set-up would help Biden come across better. They were also betting on the mic-off rules startling Trump and possibly causing a meltdown…

main qimg a3a447276a5fc51591dec61d5a7bcb10

The problem? CNN and many in more liberal spheres — myself included — have fallen for a trap. As Tony Montana used to say, “Never get high on your own supply!” They bought into the fairy tale of Trump, the raving, ranting madman. Versus calm, collected, has-his-wits-about-him Biden. Biden, who since 2020 only does well on strictly scripted performances. With the world hyperfocused on the issue of Biden’s age and frailty, all Trump needed to do was appear “presidential”.

And CNN helped him do it by enforcing strict time limits on questions. Trump kept his cool, spoke clearly and relatively coherently. And Biden, without an earpiece, autocue or script? Bombed. CNN had expected Trump, instead, to bomb. They forgot he always talks shit confidently on the fly — it’s his biggest selling point. The debate was designed to cause Trump to lose his shit, to become frustrated and angry. To shout and try to disrupt Biden’s answers, to act aggressive and nasty, much like Trump did in the 2020 presidential debate which he came out of looking badly.

And then… he didn’t. Faced with a whispering, frail Biden frequently losing his train of thought, Trump must have known from the very first minute that this was his night. That the stage was his, and that victory was all-but certain. Truth matters little when it’s a faint, confused whisper… and lies, presented with gusto, carry the night. Instead of attacking Biden on a personal level, Trump at times almost seemed to pity his opponent… he felt no need to be vicious, because the debate was the verbal equivalent of Mike Tyson fighting a sweet old grandpa.

What psychological tricks and hacks are useful to know?

If you haven’t slept well, tell your brain “I slept well”. You will feel fresh. It works like miracle.

Want to defeat a narcissist who insults you? Don’t react. Just ignore him completely in front of others. It will hurt his image and he will stop poking you.

Want to know if someone is attentive or not? Repeat your sentence with a slight change in it. If he is listening either his facial expression will change or he will point out and question the part.

Want to know a person is lying to fit in a group? Just watch his eyes when he talks, if his eyes seeks validation from others for what he said, then he is pretending. A liar /pretender always seeks validation for his talks to fit in the group.

Giving a presentation ? Always bring a bottle of water to the stage. When you can’t remember what to say, take a drink. Nobody will know the difference.

Build good relationships: Harvard University studied adults for almost 70 years and concluded that nothing leads to prosperity and healthy life as good relationships.

Avoid getting roasted. If you think that someone is going to talk badly about you in a professional setting, sit next to that person. It is much harder to speak poorly of someone who’s in close proximity to you, so they’ll probably take it easy.

Stop reacting: You lost your wallet? Had a terrible breakup? Working hard but no appreciation? Lost your job? Stop reacting in such situations. Don’t expect recognition for your efforts. Think twice, act wise!

30-days challenge: Want to kill a habit? Start a 30 days challenge and you will see the change.

Relationship Advice: Be with someone who gives you the same feeling as when you see your food coming at restaurant.

Biggest brain damaging habits:

No breakfast.
Over-reacting.
Smoking.
High sugar consumption.
Air pollution.
Sleep deprivation.
Head covered while sleeping.
Working your brain during illness.
Lacking in stimulation thoughts.
Talking rarely.

Never tell anyone 3 things:

Your Love life.
Income.
Your next big move.

Exercise: 20 push ups, 15 squats, 50 jumping jacks, 30 crunches! repeat 3 times = burn 100 kilo calories.

Inception.

This one’s my favourite. If you want to start a thought in someone’s mind, ask them to not think of that idea at all. For example I tell you NOT to think about DIAMONDS.

What are you thinking of? 🙂

Democrats In “ALL OUT PANIC” After Biden’s Debate Performance

The clips are so disturbing. This guy is “leading the country”?

FAKE “Joe Biden” Is Back! One Day After Dismal Debate with Trump; FAKE “Joe” Wearing Silicone Mask put on campaign trail

Hal Turner Nation June 29, 2024 Hits: 31030

FAKE "Joe Biden" Is Back! One Day After Dismal Debate with Trump; FAKE "Joe" Wearing Silicone Mask put on campaign trail

A FAKE “Joe Biden” is back and on the campaign trail, committing willful felony, criminal fraud against the American People and criminal Impersonation of the President of the United States.

The latest fake – this one with Hazel colored eyes instead of Biden’s blue eyes – appeared at a Campaign Rally. His silicone mask appeared to be melting or drooping near his eye brows, and coming unglued out of his ears!

The sloppy impersonation is designed to commit willful fraud upon the American people; to make them think they have an energetic and competent President, when the reality is they don’t.

Below is video from the campaign rally just one day after joe mumbled his way through the first televised debate with Donald Trump. No rational person can avoid seeing this is an impersonator. No rational person can avoid seeing the silicone mask sliding down where “Biden’s” eye brows are:

Or around his other eye, the silicone mask literally DETACHING around the eye socket near the nose:

No rational person can avoid seeing this fake’s HAZEL-COLORED eyes instead of Joe Biden’s Blue colored eyes:

No rational person can avoid seeing the tabs in the center of “Biden’s” ear canal, drooping out from sweat or failing glue.

What you are about to see is willful, criminal, impersonation for the purpose of fraud. The Biden Campaign is committing it. The United States Secret Service (protecting this fraud) is committing it. The Democrat Party is committing it.

https://htrs-special.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/FAKE-Joe-Biden-Day-After-Debate-1.mp4

UPDATE 1:02 PM EDT —

People are already wondering aloud if Joe Biden has Brown Eyes, so let me lay this diversion nonsense to rest, right now. Below is a photo of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in the White House, taken by ABC News and being fed into my website from the ABC News Server:

The direct Link to this image on the ABC News server is:

https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/obama-biden-ap-ps-200114_hpMain.jpg

Joe Biden has BLUE eyes.

The diversion tactic of “I think I remember . . . . . brown eyes . . . .” is not going to work and is not going to be tolerated here. Joe Biden has BLUE eyes. The guy at his campaign rally had Hazel Eyes. Period. Full stop.

Zelenski Changes His Peace Plan

Zelenski’s ‘peace summit’ in Switzerland had failed:

The reviews of Zelenski’s latest show ain’t positive:
…
The summit served warmed up bullshit without any significant nutritional value. The most important points weren’t even discussed:
…
The war will continue until the complete destruction of the Ukrainian forces can no longer be ignored.

The last point may have come earlier than anticipated.

On June 27 Zelenski had changed tact (machine translation):

During a speech in Brussels, the president said that Ukraine wants to start negotiations on ending the war in the near future.“Ukraine does not want to prolong the war, we do not want it to last for years. We need to put a settlement plan on the table within a few months, ” he said.

Zelensky said that in the near future it is planned to develop a plan for the second world summit.

On June 28 he gave more details (machine translation):

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine will present its detailed peace plan “this year”.The President announced this during a press conference in Kyiv.

“It is very important for us to show an end-of-war plan that will be supported by the majority of the world. This is the diplomatic path that we are working on. Not everything depends on us, our production of technology, drones, and artillery is really increasing, because we need to be strong on the battlefield. Because Russia understands nothing but force. These are two parallel processes: be strong and develop a detailed, clear plan, and it will be ready this year, ” Zelensky said.
…
Note that the Ukrainian peace plan has long been presented by Zelensky. It implies the withdrawal of Russian troops to the borders. However, many countries of the world (especially representatives of the “global South”) consider it unrealistic.

In other words, a new plan will probably be prepared.

Earlier Russia’s President Putin had announced his conditions for a permanent peace agreement. How many of them will Zelenski accept within his new ‘peace plan’?

Posted by b at 16:33 UTC | Comments (91)

The DNC Campaign To Oust Biden Has Failed

Yesterday’s assault by the Democratic National Council on the Joe Biden campaign has failed.

Thursday night, as soon as the Trump-Biden debate had started, anonymous DNC officials contacted their usual ‘liberal media’ contacts and denounced Biden’s performance. Even those media, like CNN and MSNBC, who have for years denied the obvious problems Biden has had, jumped onto the train. Biden, they said, should retreat.

The New York Times mobilized a slew of its opinion writers to convey the message:

But Joe Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, resisted the move:

President Biden knew immediately after stepping off the stage in Atlanta on Thursday night that the debate had gone wrong. In those first stricken moments after a raspy, rambling and at times incoherent performance, he turned to his wife, Jill Biden.
…
The first lady’s message to him was clear: They’d been counted out before, she was all in, and he — they — would stay in the race. Her thinking, according to people close to her, was that it was a bad night. And bad nights end.
…
So Dr. Biden spent the 24 hours after the debate putting her decades as a political spouse to the test, projecting confidence and normalcy while effusively praising her husband.

Pushed along by his wife Joe Biden did not step back. The DNC assault on his campaign had failed.

Late last night former President Barack Obama, likely the man behind the ‘oust Biden’ campaign, publicly through the towel.

Barack Obama @BarackObama – 18:36 UTC · Jun 28, 2024Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November. http://joebiden.com

Gleen Greenwald commented on Obama’s intervention:

Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald – 19:17 UTC · Jun 28, 2024Once the media starts to realize that they’re not going to get Biden out of the race, they’re all going to quickly retreat from the past 24 hours and get back on board.

Obama is directing them to do that and giving them the script to use:

The campaign to oust Biden has failed, but the damage is done.

Even pro-Biden voters will, from now on, watch diligently to find the flaws in the next Biden speech or debate.

It will be hard to rebury that issue.

Posted by b at 6:48 UTC | Comments (217)

June 28, 2024

Russian Note To The U.S.: Your Drones Are Now Targets

A new statement by the Russian Defense Ministry says:

The Russian Defence Ministry noted the increased intensity of U.S. strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea waters, which are conducting reconnaissance and targeting high-precision weapons supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Western states to launch strikes at Russian facilities.This demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the Kiev regime.

Such flights increase the possibility of air incidents involving the Russian Aerospace Forces’ aircraft, increasing the risk of a direct confrontation between the alliance and the Russian Federation.

The NATO countries will be responsible for this.

The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov has instructed the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to make proposals on measures for rapid response to provocations.

NATO reconnaissance and radio relay drones were regularly patrolling over the Black Sea before and during recent ‘Ukrainian’ attacks with long reaching, western delivered weapons on Crimea. This was also case during the recent release of cluster ammunition over a popular beach near Sevastopol which has caused several civilian death and wounded some 100+ people.

While the drones are nominally flying in neural airspace they are obviously used for attacks on Russia assets in Crimea. That makes them, arguably, legitimate targets for Russian air defenses. Russia had so far held back at destroying them. This will now change.

NATO or the U.S. may well regard such attacks on their ‘neutral’ forces as hostile. Some will press for retribution. But I am convinced that mere attacks on drones will not be seen as sufficient reason to launch World War III.

Posted by b at 12:23 UTC | Comments (212)

Are monitor lizards dangerous to humans?

GORE WARNING.

There are two species which I’d say are dangerous to humans. The first is the most obvious — the Komodo dragon. The world’s largest lizard has a mouthful of venomous knives. (Real venom — not, as was previously believed, just bacteria). Komodo dragons can and have eaten people. In captivity, habituated to handling, they are oddly sweet-tempered, though. But still, venom — it causes a rapid drop in blood pressure, leading to shock. Shock makes you easy to catch.

The second contender is the crocodile monitor, notable not for its size, but for the fact that it doesn’t have a mouthful of knives — it has a mouthful of razor blades. It can do so much damage with a nip, it could maim a human with barely an effort.

(Don’t do this):Because this teeny tiny croc monitor hatchling did this:

main qimg 7fc8327b7be5576d18a02e2adfc3eb9f lq

Even an accidental nip could result in nerve damage.

In general, most other monitors aren’t particularly dangerous. Large ones could give a nasty bite, and the venom may make the person bleed a lot and be a bit woozy, but no one’s going to die or be maimed. A monitor’s tail-whip could leave some good bruises, or break a finger. That’s about it. Many monitors are too small to do any real damage.

The Younger Generation is Completely Over It ….

What’s the weirdest question you’ve been asked when crossing an international border?

Not really a weird question, but a weird interaction:

Necessary background to the story: When I was a university president, I was frequently called upon to be on accreditation teams that went to other university campuses to do a first-hand accreditation review. One time, I was invited to go to Germany because a US university in my region had a major branch campus in Germany where they offered an MBA program. Such an event rarely happens, so I was pleased with that opportunity to visit, however briefly, another country — you get an international trip, but you have to work much harder because they keep those teams small.

Story: After we landed in Frankfurt, the immigration officer at the counter asked me what the purpose of my visit was (it was just a three-day trip). I said, “I am here as part of an MBA visiting team.”

His face expressed considerable surprise, and he said, “Really?” with a skeptical smile on his face. While I was born in India, I had lived in the US for about 35 years by that time (50+ years now); I have brown skin and a British-tinged Indian accent. His question, in turn, took me by surprise because I kind of fit the visual stereotype of an academic guy. Why did he appear not to believe me? I have had a US passport since the early 1980s, so that couldn’t have been an issue.

So, I repeated that I was coming to Germany for a three-day stay as part of an MBA visiting team, saying that the other members of the team had probably arrived a few hours earlier.

Again, skepticism.

I just had to ask: “Why are you so surprised?” He certainly wasn’t required to answer, but he did: “Because you don’t look like a player on an NBA team!”

He was right; I don’t. I’m 5′-8.5″, with brown skin and not athletic looking at all.

“Not an NBA visiting team; an MBA visiting team.” “I’m a university president.”

“Oh, MBA. Okay then.”

Stamp, stamp, “Welcome to Germany!”

Russia Humiliates NATO in Conventional War | Andrei Martyanov

What secret did you learn about your neighbor that made your jaw drop?

Not exactly “a secret” but certainly something that wasn’t public knowledge:-

When my wife and I moved into this house near Cardiff (UK) in 2001, the next door neighbour was an older gentleman, I guessed he was in his mid/late 70s. He was always polite and pleasant, totally independent and looked after himself, his home and his garden very well. We’d see him every morning, always smartly attired in jacket and tie (and his flat cap) driving down to the local shops for a pint of milk and newspaper and, if either of us was outside, we always got a wave and a smile as he passed.

The only things he couldn’t manage were computer issues on his PC. So, very occasionally, he would ask if I could “pop around” and sort something out for him. It was usually something simple which could be fixed by clearing cache, or removing some troublesome advertising or similar, but he was inevitably very apologetic about “troubling you” or “wasting your time”.

He didn’t talk about his past much at first, but eventually a few facts emerged: He’d served in the war (1939–1945); he’d climbed the Himalayas in the 1960s (I still have a few of his photographs from when I converted his old 35 mm colour slides to digital); he’d lived ‘down under’ and worked for the Australian Government for a long time and he had even built his own house there by hand. All of which was quite fascinating to me, but he would rarely go into any detail, and most certainly not about his wartime history.

On one occasion he asked for “some help using a website”. So I went to his house and helped him book a Battlefield Tour as part of a regimental reunion. At this point a few details slipped out. This quiet, unassuming old chap had been one of the pioneers of what is now known as Special Forces, and he was with a group of Commandos behind the enemy lines on D-Day: “We were there to stir-up some trouble, and distract attention from the Normandy Beaches”. Then, “I don’t like to think of it much, because I lost so many of my friends at that time….”, a pause, and then, “Of course, getting myself shot isn’t a particularly pleasant memory either” (chuckles).

It turns out that only he and one other survived from his unit, with both of them injured. But they managed to link up with the Allied forces and he was evacuated to the UK. “Do you know where they sent me when I landed in Southampton from the hospital ship?”, he asked, and went on to describe how the wounded were just loaded, apparently almost randomly, to various hospitals around the country. “They sent me to Llandough Hospital (Cardiff), the very same hospital I’d been born in! How about that?”

After that opening, I did eventually get a few more stories from him (very, very occasionally) and I was privileged to see some of his documents and awards. But it was really only because of the Battlefield Tour’s difficult customer interface that I discovered I was living next door to a very brave man, a bona fide war hero.

Sadly his health deteriorated badly a few years later and he was hospitalised where he died within a couple of weeks of being admitted . . . . in the very same ward of the very same hospital he’d been evacuated to in 1944.

Shorpy

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

One day my dad went out to the mailbox and saw it had been vandalized. It was crushed like it had been hit with a hammer or a bat. Without a word, he went into town and bought a new one and set it up. Two days later he went out, and it was crushed again. This time he got mad…

He pulled the wooden post out of the ground, dug a post hole and put a ten foot pipe into it with four feet above ground and six below. He poured concrete into the pipe. He took shelf paper that looked like wood grain and wrapped it around the pipe, so that from a distance it looked like a wooden post. He bought two mailboxes this time…he put the smaller one into the bigger one and poured concrete into the gap between the two. He then set it up on the post. The thing was rock solid.

That night, we heard a loud crash. Dad grabbed his shotgun and headed to the mailbox. Turns out a couple bullies that hated my guts had taken the bat to the mailbox as they were driving by, and about broke one of their wrists. The driver decided to take and push the mailbox over using his bumper of his Jeep. When that didn’t work, he backed up and rammed it, embedding the post into his engine.

Dad comes out of the darkness and starts shooting the tires with the shotgun. The boys are cussing and protesting, when one of them says his dad will kick my dad’s butt. Dad marches them up to the house and calmly tells him to CALL his dad.

The boy’s dad arrives and the first thing he sees is the Jeep. He starts cussing, but stops when Dad trots the two boys out and tells him what happened. Dad delivers an ultimatum … he can either call the cops and the boys will get arrested, or they can repair any damage to the mailbox, reimburse him for the mailboxes destroyed, and keep their mouth shut to the cops about what happened. They decided to do the latter.

As they are leaving, Dad says, “If you think I’m a bastard to deal with, you should try my son. He’s been nice to you so far … but he’s about to lay you low.”

To this day, when they see me coming, they avert their eyes and alter their path, even though in truth I’m pretty harmless.

The Dark Side of DARPA | The Human Cost of Technological Supremacy

Is China afraid of the United States?

Now it is not afraid at all, almost all Chinese people are waiting to see the jokes of the United States.

The level of Chinese fear of Americans has changed less and less over time, in fact, Chinese children born after 2005 have come to view the United States as garbage.

On the Chinese Internet, there is a saying that “Dignity is only above the edge of the sword, and truth is only within the range of the missiles”

The Chinese often refer to the Dongfeng missile as “Truth”.

It should be stated here that it is not that the Chinese advocate violence, on the contrary, the Chinese love peace, and the above statement is that the Chinese have drawn a conclusion from historical experience: in negotiating with the Americans, force is more effective than anything else.

I was born in the late nineties, and when I was in middle school and they were showing “Growing Pains” on TV, American was confident and brave and adventurous. When it comes to the United States, everyone thinks that the United States is a beacon for the world.

Later, when the United States invaded Afghanistan and defeated the Afghan army in a short time, I was shocked by the high-tech military equipment displayed.

Back then, Liu Cixin (author of Three-Body) wrote a short story “Full Band Blocking Interference”.

The content of the short story is that the United States and NATO troops invaded China, the PLA and NATO troops fought, China suffered extremely heavy casualties, and finally prepared to die with the NATO army, the United States in order to prevent too much loss before announcing a truce.

The Chinese were very afraid of the United States.

In 2016, when the Chinese Navy and the US Navy faced off in the South China Sea and the US fleet fled, the Chinese suddenly found out that the US military was not as strong as they had thought.

In the following years, the number and combat effectiveness of Chinese warships increased rapidly, and when the 055 warship appeared, the Chinese basically did not fear the United States.

When Chinese Internet users learned that the US military was riddled with drugs and that there were transgender generals, most Chinese took the US as a joke.

Until recently, the United States and the Houthis were fighting so hard. Now most Chinese (especially young Chinese) have come to regard the US military as garbage.

With the popularization of the Internet, Chinese people know the current situation of the internal division of American society, all kinds of stores will be robbed, and the drug problem is very serious. All Chinese are surprised that they have been deceived by the US media for more than a decade.

More than a decade ago, there was a magazine in China called “Yilin”, which advertised that the United States was paradise on earth. It said that Americans could give up building highways to protect the environment, and that Americans would not lock their doors at night because there were no thieves in the United States. Americans’ morals are the highest in the world. No one Fare evasion on the New York subway.The security in the United States is very good, even if the wallet is left in the restaurant for more than 24 hours, no one will steal it, and the clerk will personally contact the owner.

Because of this magazine, the Chinese people really thought that the Americans were just like the description in the magazine, the Chinese people kept working hard, dreaming that one day they could do as well as the United States, and decades later, China basically realized the appearance described in the magazine, and then the Chinese people suddenly found that they had been deceived by the magazine for decades

Why do most Chinese kids now think America is trash?

Because they learned through TIKTOK and YOUTUBE that the United States launched wars against other countries, such as the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan, during which the US military randomly killed Afghan civilians. This behavior is completely different from what they see in Hollywood superhero movies.

At the same time, we learn that Americans sacrifice the majority for the benefit of the few in the United States, such as the drug epidemic, the gun epidemic, the supermarket robbery.

At the same time, the Chinese also learned that some states in the United States can even privately let students undergo sex reassignment surgery without parental consent. Teacher secretly brainwashed Male students’ You’re a girl ‘

In fact, most people in China think like American Puritans, and some of the actions of American politicians are contrary to universal values.

Thirty years ago, firearms were readily available in China, and although drugs were strictly controlled, many people substituted cough syrup for drugs. Thirty years ago, large-scale battles often took place in rural areas of Guangdong, often involving hundreds of people. Weapons are automatic gun or semi-automatic gun, and even artillery and explosives are found in the village. Three decades ago, walking the streets of China was a common prospect of being mugged, and women living alone feared being murdered.

Later, the government cracked down on crime and shot countless criminals. Law enforcement was so strict that people could be sentenced to death for theft. This process lasted about five years.

The Chinese society we see today is very harmonious and safe, the result of the government’s vigorous reforms three decades ago.

Tucker Reacts to Trump vs. Biden Debate During Sydney, Australia Speech

Gisoo, the last-born human in the New Dark Ages

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Seth Underwood

Please sit and bear with me as you read this. In an immense amount of time from now. Not millions of years or billions of years from now. But two times ten to the power 36 amount of years. That’s a two undecillion years or 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. A point when the stars will shine no more. The new dark ages of the universe.During the new dark ages, the final black holes evaporate, the last of the iron stars float in the void, the galaxies have all fallen apart, and proton decay threatens to dissolve the universe into elemental particles.Now there are just a mere four thousand humans left, but humanity’s life span is on the order of undecillion years. At this point humans age normally until our twenties, and then that’s it. Because of proton decay we must take quantum reinforcement showers to keep our atoms from decaying. This is the only form of death humanity now knows.Despite the size of the universe and against the probability of the Drake equation, humanity discovered eons ago that we were the only intelligent life. By this point there are now only two other forms of known life. Both made by human hands. Cryptales, which are creatures that evolved from living spaceships that now roam freely about the universe sucking up energy wherever they can find it, and the AbSent, a nasty group of artificially intelligent life that evolved from humanity’s attempt to create a sentient slave species.So, Gisoo was the last human to be born, and she had just discovered a small field of intact rocky bodies. This is odd because rocky bodies are rare. She was also in command of a bio-mechanized living ship called the Dream Vision that uses a captured supermassive black hole as its main power source.

“Gisoo, there are about two hundred metric tons of proton stable matter in the boulder field.”

“Dream Vision, prepare for capture.” Gisoo ran down the corridor towards the main control center.

“Gisoo, I’m detecting artificial intelligence.”

“AbSent! Damn I hate the AbSent!” Gisoo entered the main control center as the two intersecting doors rolled open.

“Gisoo, please advise a course of action.”

“We’re going to use the engine’s gravity-well and try to hold them at the event horizon for now. I don’t want to lose that much formed matter.”

“Starting gravity-well capture. Graviton shielding being opened. Super massive black hole exposure should occur soon.”

“Keep the lateral quantum sensors on the AbSent. I don’t want them to board us.”

“Yes, Gisoo.”

“Dream Vision, watch the Hawking radiation levels. We can’t afford to lose too much and I’m already seeing a spike.”

“Gisoo, AbSent has launched a nanite swarm.”

“Rip them apart proton by proton Dream Vision!”

“Starting cascading nuclear decay.” The nanite swarm dissolved into subatomic particles as Dream Vision blasted them with a decaying quantum nuclear wave.

“Dream Vision, can you confirm the boulder field has smeared across the event horizon?”

“Confirmed. We’ve successfully captured the boulder field, along with remaining AbSent.”

“Close up the graviton shielding, and scan for any remaining AbSent in the area. Once clear prepare for ether leap.”

“Gisoo, what is the final destination for the ether leap?”

“Head for Panagiotis the Elder at the boundary edge of the Universe. He wanted to see me in person according to his last transmission.”

Now two undecillion years is just enough time for the randomness of the quantum state to make something odd happen. This odd thing was the creation of what humanity called the ether. The ether was not some form of a hyperspace or dimensional rift, but a stable pocket universe intersecting with our own. No exotic particles were known to naturally leak out from the ether. Only the non-usable Kirsyn particles were emitted when black holes travelled through it. This is because the graviton shielding didn’t work normally in the ether, and Hawking radiation would leak out. Crossing over and through didn’t require as much energy as one would think, but then again no one understood the ether because its physics was unlike anything we understood. For all people knew the ether didn’t exist and yet it did. It had no dimensions or time-space. You were in the ether, but not at all in the ether either. All we knew is that it was a recent addition to the multiverse that developed before the current age. It made space travel easy along with interstellar communications. A spaceship would blink out from existence from one point in our universe and then pop into existence at its destination. The same with message beacons.

Now Gisoo was about to see an old friend at the actual boundary edge of the universe. The boundary edge was like the other side of a black hole’s event horizon, in that it was the very end of the actual universe’s expansion point.

They had arrived at a point along the boundary edge. As Dream Vision was coming into a docking position, in the far distance Gisoo could see the dark forms of Cryptales dotting the boundary edge. Dream Vision docked with the older Dragonsoul and Gisoo disembarked. The Dragonsoul had a musty smell to it as Gisoo walked about its cluttered corridors looking for Panagiotis the Elder, the oldest human alive.

“Elder! Where are you Elder?!”

Gismo heard a raspy voice call out to her. “Gisoo, is that you?”

After walking through the mess, she came upon a man tinkering with various pieces of ancient equipment.

“You wanted to see me.”

“Oh. Yes. That’s right. Something of great importance has come up.” The man got up from his seat.

“Did you finally figure out what’s on the other side of the boundary edge?” Gisoo picked up a piece of old machinery and looked at it.

“No, my dear. If only I could discover what lies on the other side. But it has only given me alas crumbs of subatomic particles randomly appearing on our side. What’s ever on the other side must be far larger than our current universe.” The man sighed.

Gisoo leaned on a piece of equipment. “Okay old man, what do you want to tell me?”

Sitting down again, he said, “Giles the Monk has finally solved the Rebirth Equation.”

Gisoo stood up and turned to the Elder. Her eyes became wide with surprise. “Impossible! That equation was unsolvable!”

“He did it. It took him nine quintillion years. Now the Tao Emperor has already constructed the device to use the equation. He plans to make a universe of everlasting light from stars. Endless power.”

“That’s insane. He would need a tremendous energy source for that equation. Where’s the Tao Emperor getting so much power?”

“The Obsidian Grip.”

“No way! Konishi hid it deep in the ether.”

“It’s true Konishi feared someday the Emperor would try to use the Obsidian Grip and the single largest supermassive black hole of the entire universe for some evil purpose. So, she figured out how to stop mid-leap in the ether. The only human to do so. No one else has ever tried since.”

This wasn’t the first time Panagiotis the Elder had asked Gisoo to go out on some adventure to fetch an ancient piece of technology. She had been doing this work since she was a teen. She wasn’t even six billion yet, and she had seen more of the known universe than the rest of humanity. Except for a few souls like the Elder and Gisoo, most of the four thousand humans all lived in a single floating colony powered by gathered decaying black holes. Even with graviton shielding a black hole would still leak the occasional Hawking particle.

Now the Tao Emperor had gathered a vast amount of technological and human knowledge to the point humanity considered him transcendent. He was responsible for the construction of the great colony ship, the Auku. So, Gisoo knew the stakes were high. The Emperor would use all he had to search the Ether so he could restart the stars again. Gathering energy from randomly appearing and disappearing Quantum Bubble Universes (QBUs or pocket universes) wasn’t enough power for him.

Gisoo picked up a metal part and began to twirl it around like a baton. “So, let’s say I go out into the Ether and search for the Obsidian Grip. Then what?”

“Well, you’d bring it back here.”

“Assuming I find it, and assuming the supermassive black hole hasn’t dissipated, why would I give you the most powerful known ship of all time?”

“Because I plan to use it to open a stable wormhole to the other side of the boundary edge.”

“You’re joking right?! Worm hole technology is ancient and unreliable. Humans couldn’t get them to work right long ago, and no one today would bother with it. What makes you think a wormhole can punch through the boundary edge to the other side?”

“For the last half a billion years I’ve been reworking Zamafuthi’s math for worm hole prospects. All I need is another few million years, and I know we can get through.”

“And then what? What will we find there?”

“A whole new universe to explore.”

Gisoo was still twirling the metal part about. “That’s a big assumption on your part.”

“Based on billions of years of observations that comes to us from the other side.”

She tossed the part into a bin and Gisoo began to leave the Elder. “Even if we crossed over, we don’t even know the physics on the other side. We all could die in an instant. I’ll tell you my decision if I find the Obsidian Grip.”

“Gisoo, come back here, impetuous brat! This is the single most important mission of all time! You can’t let the Tao Emperor have the Obsidian Grip to reignite the universe! There could be incalculable damage if he built the device wrong or Giles the Monk made a simple math error!”

Gisoo knew she could find the Obsidian Grip in the Ether. She had traveled through the Ether so much that she almost understood it. Finding the Obsidian Grip had an immense appeal to her. Giving it away to either the Tao Emperor or the Elder wasn’t even a consideration. She was more enthralled with having that much power in her hands. The rest of humanity would finally have to pay attention to her. No longer to be thought of as a by-product of an unknown union forced upon the people. For you see Gisoo was raised by all of humanity.

What you need to understand is that when creatures live long lives, they reproduce very little, and the same was true for humanity by now. For an unplanned child to come along was a social abomination. Not that people were not caring or loving, but there was plenty of social contempt for Gisoo’s existence. With a universe falling apart power was scarce and another human could disturb the balance. Therefore, Gisoo was the last human born. All of humanity swore never to have any more and made sure of that through their science and technology. The problem was Gisoo never knew her parents. When she was young, she imagined about her parents, but gave up all those dreams when she became a teen.

Now the Tao Emperor was the second to last child born. Never far from Gisoo’s thoughts was that the guy who was born 63 sextillion years before her was now worshiped, while society saw her as a pariah. It blew her mind that the remnants of humanity would let some kid dominate over them like he was the ultimate human.

Now while in an ordinary part of space Gisoo was taking a quantum reinforcement shower. Dream Vision was going to tell her about some abnormal Cryptale behavior.

“What do you mean a cluster of Cryptales? There should be none here.”

“Gisoo, there’s at least twenty Cryptales in a spherical pattern two hundred parsecs laterally.”

“That makes no sense. What are the scanners showing?”

“The presence of Kirsyn particles.”

“There must be a supermassive black hole in the Ether. How much?”

“The levels are at the point where QBUs may form.”

“No way! It must be the Obsidian Grip. That’s the only thing with a black hole big enough to create QBUs from Kirsyn particles.”

Gisoo could hardly contain herself. By sheer luck she had stumbled across the Obsidian Grip in just a million years of traveling the known universe in a random search pattern. She knew the Tao Emperor was still out there looking for it, but it could easily take him another billion years before they came across it. The bigger problem was trying to figure out how to get into the Ether and stop at the Obsidian Grip’s position. The math equation needed was straightforward as she understood it. The issue was reconfiguring the drive to work with the math. It’s one thing to have math, and it’s another thing to make it work. This was complex physical engineering. Physical engineering wasn’t her best subject, but she had no choice but take the time if she wanted to get to the Obsidian Grip before anyone else. The whole reconfiguration would take Gisoo a mere 12 thousand years to complete.

She hit the ether controls. “By Faythe’s ghost I did it! It’s massive! Larger than any bio-mechanized ship I’ve ever seen! What’s the state of the supermassive black hole?”

“Undeterminable. Quantum sensors are not working.”

“Pull us into a docking position.”

The Dream Vision pulled into an open docking bay along the underbelly. The Dream Vision was a fraction of the size of the Obsidian Grip. At least forty Dream Visions could have easily docked inside. The Obsidian Grip wasn’t a bio-mechanized ship, it was designed as a living citadel for humanity not unlike Auku. It had more power than Auku could ever have. And all that power would now be under Gisoo’s command. Gisoo could be the savior of humanity.

“Sensors are working again. There’s atmosphere and normal gravity outside. I’m still trying to access the main systems, but I’m having difficulty. There appears to be a different form of coding preventing access. It’s not normal bio-mechanized coding.”

Gisoo exited the Dream Vision, and as she did, she was greeted by a woman’s voice.

“Hello, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m your mother.”

“The human mothership?”

“No, silly. I’m your actual mother. I was human, but I merged my existence into this ship to keep it here. Away from the Tao Emperor.”

Standing on the landing deck, Gisoo crossed her legs together in discomfort at what she was hearing. “I have no parents! No one was my mother or father!”

“While you had no father, I’m your mother. I’m Konishi, and my womb birthed you. I had to leave you behind, so I could hide the Obsidian Grip.”

“So, you cloned me?”

“No, nothing so primitive. My womb spontaneously created you. A product of random quantum fluctuations.”

“Are you saying the universe is my father?”

“I suppose so.”

Gisoo uncrossed her legs and began to goose step about the deck. “Assuming all that you’ve said is true. Why should I not turn you over to the Tao Emperor?”

“Because I’m your mother, and I know you wouldn’t do that.”

Gisoo stopped goose stepping and then stomped her feet as hard as she could. “How could you know me?! You haven’t even been around for my entire life! You abandoned me to a bunch of people who didn’t care about me!”

“Not true. They cared enough to teach you and loved you enough to allow you to become the adult you are today. You are exactly what I knew you would be like. You remind me of myself when I was your age.”

Gisoo calmed down and sat down cross-legged on the deck. She began to trace out math formulas with her finger. “Why didn’t you just leave the Obsidian Grip and return to Auku?”

“The only way to maintain the Obsidian Grip this long in the ether was to graft myself to the ship. There was no other way to prevent a supermassive black hole this size from decaying even in the ether.”

“For all this time you’ve been using your own willpower to keep the Hawking radiation from leaking out instead of the graviton shielding?”

“Yes.”

“So now what? It’s not like I can hug a spaceship.”

“We restart again.”

“So, you want me to give you over to the Tao Emperor so he can use the Rebirth Equation and ignite the stars again?”

“No. We restart everything. So, I can hold my child in the flesh once more.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will. Did you know I named you for the word ‘hello’ in an ancient human tongue? That was the first word I said when I found out I was pregnant with you.”

Gisoo always wondered what her name meant. There was no database that contained it or person who knew. Now that she knew she sort of thought it was peculiar. Couldn’t mom come up with something a little cooler sounding? Something like Fhaertala Inana. Now that sounded cool.

You see what Gisoo didn’t know was her name was the very word that both ended everything and began everything. One word that ended all time and restarted it. A word that allowed Konishi to nakedly expose the Obsidian Grips’ supermassive black hole to the unreality of the ether. In doing so, it set into motion something that dwarfed what the Tao Emperor wanted to do, or Panagiotis the Elder. For Konishi had both mathematically determined and mechanically built how to reset the universe’s clock, so once more she could hold her child.

Pork Riblets Simmered in Caramel Sauce
(Suon Kho | Vietnamese)

Traditionally, the riblets were grilled over charcoal to sear in the flavors before simmering. Ask a butcher to cut the ribs, as this is not an easy home project. To remove the fat, the ribs may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. The congealed fat can be easily lifted off the surface.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds meaty pork spareribs, cut crosswise through the bone into 2 inch wide strips
1/3 cup minced, grated or puréed yellow onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fish sauce, divided
1/4 cup Caramel Sauce
1 green onion, green top only, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

Cut each rib strip between the bones or through the cartilage into individual riblets.
Combine the onion, sugar, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce in a bowl. Add the riblets, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
If necessary, adjust your broiler rack so that the ribs will cook as close to the flame as possible. Heat the broiler for 30 minutes to get it nice and hot.
While the broiler heats, take the ribs from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature to take the chill off. Place them on a baking sheet and broil until they’re tinged brown, about 4 to 6 minutes per side; a little charring is fine. (You’ll hear a pleasant sizzle as this happens.) Alternatively, cook the ribs over high heat on a gas or charcoal grill, which imparts deeper flavor. The point here is to sear the riblets to obtain a roastiness and intensify the overall color.
Place the riblets in a saucepan with the Caramel Sauce, the remaining 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and enough water (about 2 1/2 cups) to cover most of the riblets. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and let cook for 40 minutes; the ribs should simmer vigorously, sending steam out from under the lid.
Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the ribs are tender (you can easily pierce the meat with a fork or knife tip), about 20 to 30 minutes. If there’s cartilage, you should be able to bite through it, with a slight crunch remaining. This latter phase of cooking allows the sauce to reduce and concentrate in flavor, and deepens the color to dark reddish brown. In the end, there should be a fair amount of sauce left.
Turn off the heat, tilt the saucepan so the liquid goes to one side and use a spoon or small ladle to skim the fat from the top.
Adjust the flavors with extra fish sauce, if necessary.
Garnish with the chopped green onion and serve with lots of steamed rice.

Notes

Low fat tip: Use nonstick spray for sauté ing the vegetables, substitute reduced fat sour cream and mushroom soup, and use 1 1/2 cups broth for the topping.

15 Shocking Facts About The Decay Of America

American cluster fuck on full display

I did not watch the (so called) Trump – Biden “debate”.

I am convinced both of them are dangerous.

What was the most stunning element and extracted summary of the debacle was just how poorly Biden fared. This guy is not capable of leading; thinking, reasoning, planning, or doing anything. In fact, he NEEDS to be in a hospital, and needs someone to select his meals, and care. He is simply not a capable person.

And you know, this is AFTER he was given injections of smart / stability drugs.

It goes along with my belief that the unelected political sycophants are running the United States, and it is no wonder that it seems that the United States is walking the Earth into a global-wide nuclear catastrophe.

Because it is. It actually is.

These sycophants and the “deep state” that supports them are dangerously deluded, terribly inept, and functionally inept. Combined they have created a United States that makes the collapse of Rome look like a Victorian tea party.

This is not about Biden or Trump.

This is about decline, and it is beyond redemption. The USA is toast, and I really have serious doubts that it ever can recover.

By the time this post is posted on MM, this will all be old news… replaced with something more topical. But the fiasco that the USA is should not be forgotten. Dicey times are forecast unless some serious changes are made STAT.

Today…

Cleaning out my auto-spam folder

Typical comments that were sent to spam…

China trip and related thoughts:

My family and I recently visited Shanghai (courtesy of a collaborator and friend in Shanghaitech university) for a week. We went to Beijing (via high-speed rail) for a couple of days to see the Great Wall.

We were shocked by how developed China was. I mean, it looked like a first-world country. The roads were huge and clean. There was hardly any dust. The cars followed traffic rules. No encroachment by hawkers, etc. We could have easily confused it with the US or Europe. In addition to these things, the MagLev (magnetic levitation) train to the airport and the high-speed trains were amazing. Every hour, someone or the other came to clean the compartment.

To top it off, the amount of funding given to even pure mathematics (leave alone the applied subjects) was enormous. Unlike India where every professor earns the same amount, Yau (a fields medallist) could hire another fields Medallist (Birkar) for a few million RMB.

Unlike in India, where even Indian citizens from the north-east are discriminated against, in China, most people were very friendly (and really loved our 1.5 year old son). Our hosts took “Athithi devo bhavah” very seriously.

Except for a few annoyances (mosquitoes are a problem, the lack of quality apps like Uber and Google maps (didi and baidu are terrible!), and the inability of even highly educated people to speak in very basic English), our trip was fabulous. We liked China but felt very sad that our country, which was ahead of China in the 60’s (even the Chinese we met acknowledged this) is very very far behind. I can now understand KB’s “anger”. (However, I still think that the US is a much much bigger power for now.)

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson: Putin’s NUCLEAR WARNING is No Bluff and NATO Crossed His Red Line

Black Thai Pork

Phuket Town Black Pepper Pork 1219x1536 — Phuket Town Black Pepper Pork 1219×1536

Here’s the YouTube video…

https://youtu.be/lz5xIMZKC3s

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops, cut into stir fry strips
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame seed, toasted if desired
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
3 cups hot cooked cellophane noodles or rice

Instructions

For sauce, in a medium saucepan combine salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses and water. Bring to boiling, stirring often. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a plastic or paper bag combine chili powder, ginger, garlic salt and pepper.
Add pork strips; shake until pork is coated with spice mixture.
In a large skillet heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook and stir pork strips for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
Spoon the sauce onto individual plates.
Arrange the pork strips on top of sauce.
Sprinkle with sesame seed, then top with green onions.
Serve with noodles or rice.

What’s the funniest court case you’ve seen?

Here are my top 3:

#1) My client was charged with drug possession after a police officer found them in a hard carton cigarette pack (one made out of cardboard) because when he picked it up and shook it, “sounded like drugs inside.” I argued that the officer would never have discovered the drugs unless he had opened the box, and that the mere sound of the contents of the shaken box could not possibly have given the officer probable cause to open the box.

So at trial I produced from my jacket the hard carton cigarette pack box and shook it in the presence of the officer and the judge, then asked, “Did you hear me shake this box?” The officer responded that he did. I then asked, “Does it sound like there are drugs in it?” The poor guy had to say yes, and he did. I then opened the box and showed him two capsules, then asked, “So what sounded like drugs to you may be drugs, right?” The officer had to say yes, and he did. Then I asked, “Officer, can you tell me what kind of drugs these are?” The officer responded with “I don’t know.” I then popped the capsules in my mouth and started chewing and said, “Let the record reflect that they are two white Good & Plenty candies.”

I moved for summary judgment, and the motion was granted.

#2) I was in a hearing with an attorney who was incapable of posing a question that wasn’t objectionable. He just didn’t know how to ask questions properly, so with virtually every question he posed, I stood and made my objections. Rather than taking the offending attorney to task, however, the judge got upset with me (not because I was in the wrong, but because the judge just wanted to get through the hearing and I was slowing us down—yeah, that happens, folks). Eventually, the judge made this order, “I am now ordering that Mr. Johnson cannot make any further objections to opposing counsel’s questions to the witness,” at which point I wasn’t upset because I now knew I’d all but certainly win the case on appeal, given the judge’s misconduct.

I never got to appeal the judge’s decision.

Because after I was barred from making objections, opposing counsel mistakenly took it as a license to formulate even worse questions, but through it all I just sat there and gazed about the courtroom, doodled on my legal pad, etc. One thing I did not do is pay attention to the case anymore. I didn’t need to. There wasn’t much I could do anyway.

When suddenly the judge interrupted opposing counsel and announced, “I previously ordered Mr. Johnson barred from raising any objections to opposing counsel’s questions. I am now rescinding that order. Mr. Johnson, do you have anything you wish to say at this point?” After hesitating a moment to gather my thoughts, I responded with: “Objection? (I had no idea what I was objecting to — remember, I’d stopped paying attention long before). “SUSTAINED!” the judge thundered back.

#3) I represented the respondent in a civil stalking injunction case (in Utah). This is an example of how it went, back and forth for an hour, as both men told basically the same story:

Q: And what did he say to you?

A: He said, “If you ever come on my property again, I’ll kick your ass.”

Q: And what, if anything, did he say in response?

A: He said, “You try to kick my ass and I’ll kick your ass, and I told him, ‘You try to kick my ass and I’ll kick your ass.’”

Q: Did you take him seriously when he said, “I’ll kick your ass”?

A: You bet your ass. And if you threaten me and my family, then I’ll kick your ass.

I don’t think I will ever, anywhere, hear the phrase “kick your ass” spoken more times in the space of an hour than I did then. Not once did the judge admonish either party or me for using the phrase the entire time (and to be fair, I think the judge correctly believed that these men were incapable of describing the situation without using the phrase).

Discovered My Wife Was Engaged In Spicy Activities While Playing An Online Game, Now She’s Begging..

What was the moment you realized your significant other didn’t care about you at all anymore?

In the last years of our fakemarriage my husband slowly checked out from all shared duties, whether it is chores, bills, our daughter… always too busy or just wouldn’t. I was so exhausted and he insisted i should take care of myself, “go get a massage, go to the hairdresser, you need some time for yourself” (when i I didn’t even have time to properly shower…) But he would brush off any complaint from my side that my exaustion was due to me actually taking care of it all.

Whenever i would insist and directly ask him to do something he would say “can you take care of it?” or just go through a rage and leave.

One day i was involved in a minor car accident. Argued a little with the other driver but felt no harm was done and left. As i started driving, my neck was seriously hurting, my ears were ringing and i felt dizzy. My daughter who was 4 and with me at that time was also acting weird and saying mom it hurts.

I rushed back home which was 5 minutes from there to him so he can drive us both to a doctor. He told me he was actually on his way out to meet his friends and said “can you take care of it?”

That day i understood that his behaviour was not due to him being lazy or busy.

He just didn’t care at all.

Why is that according to the US that the Spratly islands being geographically closer to the Philippines can’t be claimed by China, but the American Samoas being closer to the Samoas can be claimed by the USA?

This world is ruled by the fist ie weapons today.

If your fist is stronger, you rule the world. That makes you a mafia.

When you are a mafia, you make the rule & you can change the rule anytime to suit your situation.

2 scholars at Cambridge U did a research. I of them is Romel Bagares. He is a professorial lecturer in intl law in 3 Manila-based law schools & PH judiciary Academy.

1, PH’s legal territory does not incl SCS (my word) PH has no EEZ in SCS. All PH activities in SCS are illegal.

2, The 1951 USA-PH Mutual Defense Treaty does not apply to SCS.

In 1975, former US State Secy H Kissinger already, in writing, told PH that, by law, USA would not protect PH in SCS.

In documents from 1977-1980 eg doc 578, US State Secy C Vance explained to PH that MDT is based on 1898 US-Spain Paris Treaty & 1900 US-UK Washington Treaty. PH does not own any part of SCS.

3, PH’s arbitration is (my word) as good as toilet paper.

Today in 2024, USA changes the rule: PH owns some SCS because some islands/reefs are close to PH. … today’s USA overturning the USA from 1975–1980. … mafia USA has changed rule because it wants to suppress China’s rise.

PH is a US puppet.

Bolivia failed coup. Kenya Ruto retreats. NATO wants to give Elensky something. Meloni upset with EU

Astro Naught

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Joshua G. J. Insole

“It’s okay, Ground Control. I know you did everything you could.”

Charles sat at his desk, staring at the blank screen. Nobody said a word. There was a slight hissing of static. He swallowed hard, and there was an audible click in his throat. His mouth was dry. His heart was thudding intensely in his chest. Charles felt as if someone had fastened a belt around his torso and was gradually pulling it tighter and tighter.

After what seemed like an eternity, Stan broke the silence.

“Come in, Pete.”

The static hissed.

“Pete. Come in.”

Hhhhhhhh.

“Come in, Pete.” Charles was dimly aware that Stan was crying as he spoke. He could feel the hot tears trickling down his own cheeks. It felt as if his heart was lodged at the base of his throat. He could hardly breathe.

“Pete, come in.”

Hhhhhhhh.

“Pete, please come in.”

Finally, Greg got up from his seat and laid a hand on Stan’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Stan. He’s gone.”

The last two syllables hit Charles like a two-tonne truck. He felt the room spin around him, as if he’d just been clocked in the jaw by a solid right hook. Charles placed his sweaty hands on the polished dark wood of the desk, palms down, just to make sure he didn’t lose his balance and go sliding off his chair onto the floor. The table beneath his fingers felt cold and indifferent; the feeling simultaneously grounded him in the reality of the moment and made him feel as if he were dreaming or in a drunken stupor. This desk is really hard, he thought, madly. That’s enough, Stan. The wood is very cold. He’s gone. Is wood always this cold? That’s enough, Stan. It’s very cold.

Somewhere behind him, a woman was sobbing. Hell, they were all sobbing. Gabrielle was just the most audible.

The words bounced around his skull: He’s gone. He’s gone. He’s gone.

All at once, Charles felt incredibly hot. He thought he might throw up, right then and there. He wouldn’t be able to make it to the bathroom in time; he’d have to spew his guts into the wastepaper basket next to his feet.

Like a man in a dream, Charles slid off his office chair with a thud, landing on his knees, not feeling a thing. The chair rolled away behind him, squeaking a little on the wheels he had been meaning to oil but had somehow never gotten around to. Sweating and shaking, he reached for the metal bin. Thank God he’d remembered to put a plastic bag inside, because the bin was made from a metal mesh. If I hadn’t remembered, my puke would have been filtered out the bottom quite nicely. Just like using a colander, Charles thought. Then he began to retch, in great, stomach-wrenching convulsions.

Somewhere nearby, someone was asking if he was all right, but he wasn’t all right, he wasn’t, nothing was all right, nothing, and the room was spinning, spinning, spinning, and Charles could feel the acidic vomit racing up his throat, and the world was twisting around him, and everything felt too heavy, and the room wouldn’t stop spinning and—

*******

Pete allowed himself to drift. There was no use fighting it, as there was nothing he could do. It would be a waste of energy. And energy was all he had left. Well, that, and the precious oxygen in his tank.

In his ears, all he could hear was whistling white noise. For half a second, he thought that he heard someone say, Come in, Pete. And maybe they did, but the words were fuzzy and soft; hard to isolate from the hiss. He started to respond, and then gave up. The last few seconds of communication had been hazy with interference as it was — now that he had floated further away, he knew contact with Ground Control would be impossible. Besides, he had said his goodbyes. Pete didn’t want to prolong the pain of a tortured farewell.

Pete spun away from the asteroid, spiraling out, further and further. He knew that he had approximately between six and eight hours of oxygen in his tank, depending on how well he controlled his breathing and how much physical exertion he subjected himself to. He had been on the surface of the celestial body for one hour and forty-three minutes, before the small meteoroid struck.

First man on an asteroid, he thought as flew away from the point of impact, pieces of debris scattering around him. Was it worth it? he asked himself. He knew immediately he shouldn’t have posed the question.

It was miraculous that none of the wreckage and rubble had injured him. Miraculous, if you ignored the fact that he had been jettisoned off the tiny planetoid and propelled far away from any hopes of rescue. Pete didn’t know how fast he was traveling, but he knew that it was too fast — and he was too small of an object — for any chances of being saved. He only hoped that his crew was safe from the fallout of the collision; would they be able to avoid the incoming hailstorm? And if not, would the fragments of rock penetrate their shuttle? Pete knew that he’d never know.

Pete spun and spun and spun, rotating not quite fast enough to cause him to blackout. He watched the changing views as he twisted through the void: stars, the sun, planets, debris, stars, the sun, planets, debris, stars, the sun, planets, debris. Over and over and over. Spinning. Spinning. Spinning. Each time he caught the barest glimpse of Earth — a tiny droplet of blue in the vast nothingness — and then it was gone. Pete thought that his tiny home planet had never looked more beautiful, even though it was only in his line of sight for a fraction of a moment.

He saw no fires or explosions as he spiraled. Pete knew that this was not a sign that his team was safe, but he clung to the hope, nonetheless. Maybe they were okay. Maybe they got away in time. Maybe the shuttle was able to withstand the barrage. Maybe. Maybe.

He spun and twisted and turned and conserved his breath. Slowly, Pete fell into a cosmic trance, glazed eyes staring out into the solar system. The celestial dance was hypnotic, like an interstellar mobile above the crib of humanity.

***

He was being pulled. Pulled in one direction. The sensation startled him from his reverie.

He spun and he twisted and rotated. Stars, the sun, planets, debris. What was tugging at him? He strained his eyes. Stars, the sun, planets, debris. Was he imagining it? Stars, the sun, planets, debris. No, he was not, Pete was sure of it. There was a definite sensation of being reigned in. But by what? Stars, the sun, planets, debris, stars, the sun, planets, debris, stars—

And then he saw it. And for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. His lungs contracted and all the air escaped him, as if he’d just been punched in the gut.

His thoughts were a mixed cocktail of fear, confusion, and fascination. How did we not see it? thought Pete, only distantly aware of his own feelings. How did we miss it? It’s huge.

The black hole occupied half of his visual space. If you were to only glance at it, you might just miss it — after all, most of the area surrounding it is also black. But the absence of the small yellow-white specs of distant stars gave away the gaping hole in time and space. There was also the accretion disk spinning around the gaping maw in the fabric of reality. The giant clouds of gas spun and spun around the shadow of the hole, twisting and rippling beyond recognition or cognition. It was smaller than the ones he’d studied, but now that he was facing it, Pete was astounded that it had not been observed earlier. After all, it was at the edge of their solar sys—

Pete didn’t recognize the stars. The thought hit him, and his brain dumped a load of adrenaline into his veins. As he spun towards his destination, his eyes traced the emptiness for the Earth. For planets — any that he knew. Mars. Jupiter. Venus. Saturn. Completely gone. It was all alien to him. Even the sun was different; smaller and somehow less vibrant. Rather than a bright, white-hot yellow surface, this star burned a deep orange that bordered on red.

Where am I? he thought, panic brimming in his chest. He knew that he had been propelled away from his home system, but he never actually thought—

He was closer to the black hole now, he saw, as he turned once more. Another realization hit him, with the low thud of an interplanetary bass drum: even if he had been in the shuttle, it would have already been too late to get away. The thought should have terrified him, but it instead soothed him. The idea that fighting was futile allowed Pete to accept his fate; had he a chance to escape, he would have fought — as panic flooded his thoughts — until he wasted his oxygen supply and starved himself of air.

The black hole’s shadow was hungrily consuming that which span around it. But it was more than that — the objects making up the accretion disk looked hungry to be eaten. The collective rotating disk slowly fed into the hole eagerly, each portion being allowed the time to flow in and disappear.

Pete was flying towards the hole faster and faster now. It was no longer the gentle pull it had been — a minute ago? An hour ago? A second ago? It dawned on Pete that time was beginning to lose its rigidity.

The astronaut allowed himself to be guided on a fast track through the shadow’s surrounding disk of orbiting materials; he was the guest of honor at this party of extinction. He looked down at his hands and saw the light being distorted and drained away, into the abyss. Pete knew that if someone were observing the phenomenon, they would not see him, attired in his spacesuit of white. No light would be escaping the rounded clutches of the infinite shadow.

Event horizon, he thought, as his brain was sliced into oblivion. A billion parts of his grey matter screamed in unison. Evnethrzion Enevthzorni Vneetzhirone Tvneeizoenrh Netvneorehizo Votenehroez—

Pete’s final coherent thought was of his wife and his daughter, back home on Earth.

And then Pete felt himself being torn in two. But that wasn’t entirely right. He was becoming two. Simultaneously. He felt it. But the two Petes shared different fates. He was both, and somehow, he was neither. One Pete was incinerated instantaneously — torn apart and shredded into annihilation. It happened so quickly that he felt neither pain nor fear. One moment he was, the next he wasn’t. Pete was gone.

The other Pete was a different story.

*******

He came out the other side. But it wasn’t him. Not the same one that had gone in. But it wasn’t an entirely different Pete, either. He felt like a drop of rainwater that had finally joined the ocean; still water, essentially — if you ignored the salt — but ultimately changed forever. Part of something bigger, indecipherable, integrated with everything else. Inseparable from the whole he had now joined.

The first thing he noticed was that he no longer had his old body. The second thing he noticed was that he did have a body of sorts. His body was everything. It took him a moment to register this sensation, but once he clocked it, it all made sense, in a single step. First, there was confusion, then there was complete and utter understanding and acceptance. There was not an in-between.

Pete was floating in nothing. Pete was also the nothingness. He was the vacuum in which he sailed. He was the darkness that surrounded him. The nothingness was overwhelming. He felt hollow at the emptiness inside. He felt stranded as he floated in the absence of everything.

The answers came to him via a drip-feed. The remedies came to him all at once, like a roaring waterfall.

Pete wanted light, and then there was a flare before his non-eyes. Sun, thought the thing that had once been human. The sun looked lonely, so the Pete-thing wanted planets to join it. Rocks appeared in the vacuum, scattered across the plain of darkness. Several collided with each other. Some exploded. Others floated off, for destinations that new-Pete was unconcerned with. Bits and pieces, here and there, began circling the throbbing star.

One of the worlds spinning around the burning ball of gas was thirsty, so the post-Pete-being gave it water. It looked blue and sparkling, as it twisted in the light. Like a marble, suspended in the ether. He also gave the other spheres some resources of their own, but these are closely guarded secrets which I will not spill.

Pete watched as things developed, occasionally putting in a hand here and there when he so wished. Never acting too often, never interfering too infrequently. The answers came to him both immediately and after an infinity, equally from external sources and from within. Now, Pete thought and was told, and then he acted accordingly — often simultaneously with the arrival of the instructions.

Pete tended to the thriving system like a gardener to their plot — planting seeds, watering, pruning, and harvesting. He watched his creations bloom. He watched his creations wither and die. Not everything is destined for a long life, and that is okay, thought Everything, as time unfolded in every direction.

After a time, the small creatures on the tiny blue speck began sending things outward. A few explosions, here and there. These small-scale sparks in the heavens told not-Pete that they were learning. He left them to it, for that was what he was meant to do.

Eventually, they got it right.

After a time, they began sending themselves out, too.

Following an instant and an eternity, Pete was joined by another.

BRICS to Leave UN: What Next?

Is it true that China doesn’t have many friends like the US does? Why?

What friends does the USA have??? The USA has vassal states.

China has more actual friends because China helps them economically:

Over 150 countries participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Over 120 counties have China as their largest trading partner.
China respects all nations rather than threatening them with sanctions and war.
When the West hoarded their vaccines during the pandemic, China helped poor countries vaccinate.
China works to bring peace around the world. China brokered an historic peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
China is leading the world to de-dollarize, freeing them from the tyranny of the US Dollar.

Vintage Illustrative art

When you find out that someone has been at the same low paying job for 20 years or more, do you feel sorry for them?

My son has been a caddie at a local country club for almost 20 years. He has a degree in Computer Science. He was required to do an internship to get his degree. At the end, he was offered a permanent job that would put him on the management fast track. His internship, however, convinced him he had pursued the wrong major.

He then went into restaurant management. He hated that, too. His brother, who has a business degree and is a Certified Financial Planner, had been working as a caddy for several years. So, my other son decided to try it out. They both absolutely love the game of golf, being outdoors and having a job they don’t take home with them.

The son who has been a caddie longer has a more winning personality, can converse intelligently about business with his rich customers and is recognized as the best caddie at the country club. He is on pace to make $100,000 this year. The other son makes around $40,000 which is still more than most of the caddies make.

What they do makes them happy. They actually enjoy going to work each and every day unless it is raining. Caddying in the rain is really hard work. I don’t feel sorry for them even though they could have earned so much more. No amount of money will make you like a job you don’t want to do,

Do women even know what they want? Crazy Accurate breakdown & explanation of relationships

This is a very, very good review of Hoe Math. Damn!

What is the nastiest thing you’ve done for revenge?

My very dear friend dated a Russian girl, lets call her Bellarusse, for about six months. She let him take her to every expensive event of the English summer season. Opera, Wimbledon, Henley Regatta as well as lots of theatre, concerts and Michelin star dinners. But never let him so much as kiss her. “These things,” she said, “are deeply frowned upon by my conservative culture.”

Over Christmas, he took her skiing with another couple. Everyone had agreed no gifts, but the day before departure, he was called in a panic by other couple to say Bellarusse had bought him a gift so he’d best go shopping.

He rang me frantic, “what should I get her?”

I don’t know what genius struck, but I immediately said “that is such a quandry, because, in Russia, if a man buys a woman a gift worn against the skin, it implies that they have been intimate and you don’t want to offend her. She’s so conservative. What to get, what to get…”

Oh the things that this excludes; pretty much everything that your average, rapacious golddigger wants: jewellery, scent, handbags, scarves, any clothing at all, fancy soaps and lotions. As the words tumbled out of my mouth, I felt the most beautiful glee.

Not only was she hugely grumpy with her alessi French press coffeemaker, but her gift, was a crappy little matchbox cover, badly painted with a scene of a troika.

Oh and she fell down the slope skiing and broke her nose.

She refused any more dates.

The sad thing is that I can never tell him about my evil genius.

Implications of Trump-Biden “Debate” Are Staggering – for both the USA and the World

Hal Turner Nation June 28, 2024 Hits: 17202

OP-ED — I did not get to watch the Trump-Biden Debate last night because I was doing my live radio show while the debate took place. From what I have seen in video snippets, it was an unmitigated DISASTER – for both the United States, and for the world.

What everyone got to see last night is what many of us have known from the beginning: Biden is not running the country because he is incapable of doing so. His lack of mental faculties, likely from Dementia, is unquestionable.

This begs the question “Who is it that’s actually running the country?”

It’s a fair question. During the Debate, Biden could barely formulate a cogent answer to most questions. His frail, rambling, often times non-sensical answers were genuinely sad.

Let me digress for a moment to say that while I did not vote for Biden in 2020, (I voted Trump) and while I do not like Biden as a man or as a politician, I do NOT take any satisfaction in seeing the man so genuinely mentally disabled by age. There, but for the grace of God, goes me.

I don’t wish Biden’s condition on anyone; and it pains me to see the President of our country (even an illegitimate one who occupies office through election fraud as Biden does) so addled, frail, and no longer capable of governing. Yet, that __is__ the situation we all find ourselves in.

The current President of the United States is unable to discharge the duties of his Office. Period. Full stop.

Now, one could argue that Biden’s Cabinet should invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove him, but being candid, his Cabinet are such Partisan sycophants, a person has a better chance of being struck by lightning than the Cabinet carrying out its Constitutional role and removing this disabled President.

Then, too, we’re only a few months away from an election and we could probably get-through that time with Biden in this condition — if it weren’t for the fact that Biden’s underlings are so utterly incompetent, so completely ignorant of facts and of history, and so severely lacking in rational judgment, they are quickly moving us toward nuclear World War 3 with Russia over their botched handling of Ukraine.

So where does Biden’s Debate “performance” leave us? In a world of hurt!

The rest of the world got to see Biden, too, last night. And our Adversaries now know, the USA is in no position of power over world events. Our leadership is non-existent.

The Biden underlings have such historical ignorance, are so lacking in logic and rational judgment, adversaries can go do whatever it is they want, and the US will be, at best, sluggish to do anything about it.

The lack of strength projected through last night’s debate, has made the world much more dangerous.

With World War 3 looming as a result of our botched Ukraine policies, and further, as a result of our botched Taiwan approach, and further by our botched Middle East actions (read our slavish devotion to that rinky-dink country, Israel, and its pipsqueak army that seems only competent in dropping 2,000 pound bombs from fighter jets onto unarmed civilians) the continuation of a Biden Administration could literally mean the destruction of our nation and our world. We may not be able to survive until the election!

For me, the absolute worst part of last night’s debate: Polling which said 67% of Americans thought Trump won, while 33% of Americans thought Biden won. To my thinking, that a full 33% of the people in this country, are so incapable of logic, so incapable of discernment, that they thought Biden won, indicates to me that a full third of this nation is literally too stupid to even be considered citizens, never mind shown any respect.

Those 33% are too stupid to even be considered “persons.” There really is no other way to view them, and worse, no hope for them, at all.

Biden Implodes: And Here’s Who Is Really To Blame

Such an incredible, mostly unknown story

In 1933, a beautiful, young Austrian woman took off her clothes for a movie director. She ran through the woods, naked. She swam in a lake, naked. Pushing well beyond the social norms of the period. The most popular movie in 1933 was King Kong. But everyone in Hollywood was talking about that scandalous movie with the gorgeous, young Austrian woman.

Louis B. Mayer, of the giant studio MGM, said she was the most beautiful woman in the world. The film was banned practically everywhere, which of course made it even more popular and valuable. Mussolini reportedly refused to sell his copy at any price.

The star of the film, called “Ecstasy,” was Hedwig Kiesler. She said the secret of her beauty was “to stand there and look stupid.” In reality, Kiesler was anything but stupid. She was a genius. She’d grown up as the only child of a prominent Jewish banker. She was a math prodigy. She excelled at science. As she grew older, she became ruthless, using all the power her body and mind gave her.

Between the sexual roles she played, her tremendous beauty, and the power of her intellect, Kiesler would confound the men in her life including her six husbands, two of the most ruthless dictators of the 20th century, and one of the greatest movie producers in history. Her beauty made her rich for a time. She is said to have made – and spent – $30 million in her life.

But her greatest accomplishment resulted from her intellect, and her invention continues to shape the world we live in today.

You see, this young Austrian starlet would take one of the most valuable technologies ever developed right from under Hitler’s nose. After fleeing to America, she not only became a major Hollywood star, her name sits on one of the most important patents ever granted by the U.S. Patent Office. Today, when you use your cell phone or, over the next few years, as you experience super-fast wireless Internet access (via something called “long-term evolution” or “LTE” technology), you’ll be using an extension of the technology a 20-year-old actress first conceived while sitting at dinner with Hitler.

At the time she made Ecstasy, Kiesler was married to one of the richest men in Austria. Friedrich Mandl was Austria’s leading arms maker. His firm would become a key supplier to the Nazis. Mandl used his beautiful young wife as a showpiece at important business dinners with representatives of the Austrian, Italian, and German fascist forces.

One of Mandl’s favorite topics at these gatherings – which included meals with Hitler and Mussolini – was the technology surrounding radio-controlled missiles and torpedoes.

Wireless weapons offered far greater ranges than the wire-controlled alternatives that prevailed at the time. Kiesler sat through these dinners “looking stupid,” while absorbing everything she heard. As a Jew, Kiesler hated the Nazis. She abhorred her husband’s business ambitions. Mandl responded to his willful wife by imprisoning her in his castle, Schloss Schwarzenau.

In 1937, she managed to escape. She drugged her maid, snuck out of the castle wearing the maid’s clothes and sold her jewelry to finance a trip to London. She got out just in time. In 1938, Germany annexed Austria. The Nazis seized Mandl’s factory. He was half Jewish. Mandl fled to Brazil (later, he became an adviser to Argentina’s iconic populist president, Juan Peron.)

In London, Kiesler arranged a meeting with Louis B. Mayer. She signed a long-term contract with him, becoming one of MGM’s biggest stars. She appeared in more than 20 films. She was a co-star to Clark Gable, Judy Garland, and even Bob Hope. Each of her first seven MGM movies was a blockbuster. But Kiesler cared far more about fighting the Nazis than about making movies.

At the height of her fame, in 1942, she developed a new kind of communications system, optimized for sending coded messages that couldn’t be “jammed.” She was building a system that would allow torpedoes and guided bombs to always reach their targets. She was building a system to kill Nazis.

By the 1940s, both the Nazis and the Allied forces were using the kind of single frequency radio-controlled technology Kiesler’s ex-husband had been peddling. The drawback of this technology was that the enemy could find the appropriate frequency and “jam” or intercept the signal, thereby interfering with the missile’s intended path.

Kiesler’s key innovation was to “change the channel.” It was a way of encoding a message across a broad area of the wireless spectrum. If one part of the spectrum was jammed, the message would still get through on one of the other frequencies being used. The problem was, she could not figure out how to synchronize the frequency changes on both the receiver and the transmitter. To solve the problem, she turned to perhaps the world’s first techno-musician, George Anthiel.

Anthiel was an acquaintance of Kiesler who achieved some notoriety for creating intricate musical compositions. He synchronized his melodies across twelve player pianos, producing stereophonic sounds no one had ever heard before. Kiesler incorporated Anthiel’s technology for synchronizing his player pianos. Then, she was able to synchronize the frequency changes between a weapon’s receiver and its transmitter. On August 11, 1942, U.S. Patent No. 2,292,387 was granted to Antheil and “Hedy Kiesler Markey,” which was Kiesler’s married name at the time.

Most of you won’t recognize the name Kiesler. And no one would remember the name Hedy Markey. But it’s a fair bet than anyone reading this post of a certain age, will remember one of the great beauties of Hollywood’s golden age – Hedy Lamarr. That’s the name Louis B. Mayer gave to his prize actress. That’s the name his movie company made famous.

Almost no one knows Hedwig Kiesler – a/k/a Hedy Lamarr – was one of the great pioneers of wireless communications. Her technology was developed by the U.S. Navy, which has used it ever since.

You are probably using Lamarr’s technology, too. Her patent sits at the foundation of “spread spectrum technology,” which you use every day when you log on to a wi-fi network or make calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. It lies at the heart of the massive investments being made right now in so-called fourth-generation “LTE” wireless technology. This next generation of cell phones and cell towers will provide tremendous increases to wireless network speed and quality, by spreading wireless signals across the entire available spectrum. This kind of encoding is only possible using the kind of frequency switching that Hedwig Kiesler invented.

China has Trumped the U.S. in Australia: Make Wealth, not War

Shorpy

Benny Fazio Criminal Mastermind – The Sopranos

Why can’t the US defeat the Houthis? This will inevitably embolden China to attack Taiwan by leading China to believe the US is a paper felis catus.

China already knows the military capability of USA.

No need of the “help” from Houthis.

There were many standoffs between Chinese & US warships & warplanes near China. Testing each other’s military capability.

At each standoff, it was USA who left the scene first.

The latest one was in SCSea near Xianbin reef. Two US aircraft carriers were close-by. One near Xianbin & one near Taiwan.

PH has 2 coastguards trying to illegally occupy the reef just like their junk ship at Ren’ai reef.

China orders to detain trespassers & sent 3 10000-ton destroyers there. US Roosevelt aircraft carrier left the area.

China knows USA very well. Dont worry.

What is your opinion on the Malaysian government’s use of the Sedition Act to silence the voices of human rights defenders?

We must understand …

1, every country has laws to suppress sedition. No country tolerates sedition. Malaysia is not alone.

2, USA is notorious to use human rights as a tool to instigate sedition in other country.

Human Right Watch is directly or indirectly funded by US government. It works for US government,

3, After WW2, from 1946-2001, in 55 years, there were 248 wars around the globe. 201 of them ie 82% were instigated by USA. In 240+ years since US independence, there were only 16 years when USA was not in a war. Worse, it is US vassals who shed blood & lose life for USA.

Other than war, USA would instigate countless unrest eg protests, riots & coups in other countries.

Thru unrest/war, USA controls other government & resource/economy. It is neo-colonisation without occupying other’s land.

In short, US-instigated unrest/wars are about money & power/dominance of USA. Nothing to do with righteous.

USA has many tools to use: HR, democracy, freedom, religion, corruption of other’s government & more. Even laundry detergent (biochem weapon) can be used.

4, Malaysia is pro-China. It wants economic collaboration with China so as to boost its economy. It also wants China’s help in infrastructure to modernise its country. It wants to join BRICS.

All these are no-no’s in the eye of USA. Hence, when USA scolds Malaysia for HR violation, do your own homework to see if USA is behind the scene.

5, lastly. the crime of sedition is bigger than suppression of freedom of speech.

UN Charter empowers states to reduce fulfillment of HR obligation in cases where the state must protect the integrity of its territory. In short, a state can ignore HR when comes to protecting its country from sedition.

ON CAM: Three US Army Officers Were Wiped Out Along With An M270 MLRS┃Russia Captured RAZDOLOVKA

What are some dark truths that have made you stronger?

Nobody cares about you, your plans, your goals, or your little dramas. So stop pretending they do, or getting upset when they don’t.
When it comes to reaching your goals, discipline is more important than motivation. If you don’t have discipline, you’ll never stick to anything.
You are the only person capable of changing your life; no one can do that for you. The easiest way to change yourself is to change the things you do each day.
The biggest threat to your progression in life isn’t something or someone around you; it’s you.
The key to a successful life lies not in what you know, but in what you do with what you know.
Failure is just a stepping stone on the road to success.
You can’t change the past, but you can still fuck up your future if you repeat it.
Success is not about what you accomplish, it’s about who you become in the process.
Your comfort zone is a barren place. Nothing ever grows there.
Anything in life worth achieving will not be easy to get. If it were, everyone would get what they wanted. Most people give up on their goals when things become too difficult. Don’t be like most people.

Can you tell me about a time that you sued someone in civil court and won?

In 2016 my then-fiancée (now wife) and I rented a commercial property for our e-waste recycling business. It was the back half of a former 1930’s era gas station/garage in Magna, UT. It was Perfect for what we do, all the needed electric outlets, 3-phase power, lots of room.

HOWEVER, when we tried to get our business license the building failed the inspection (severe structural deficiencies, including improperly supported roof beams and a door cut through a load-bearing wall without a proper header installed) and we were ordered to close down… so we told the landlord we were moving and considered the lease broken due to fraud.

Rather than accepting the situation and repairing the building he chose to start and eviction and sue us for treble damages (claiming $50,000). We counter sued for our moving costs and lost revenue based on “fraud in the inducement”.

His attorney played dirty, including falsely claiming that one hearing had been cancelled and then trying to get the judge to issue a summary judgment when our attorney failed to appear (he had trusted to professional courtesy and believed the opposing counsel). THAT got shot down because my wife and I WERE there and I handled our part of things.

Then, in a subsequent hearing opposing counsel moved for summary judgment against us because “They have not provided proof that they did not damage my client’s property”. YES, he requested proof of a negative.

One of their arguments to defend against our countersuit was to claim that they had not properly served us with an eviction because they did not know our home address (Utah requires service at both the business and tenant’s home address in a commercial eviction). That was an obvious lie because our home address was clearly printed on the lease. They also claimed that we never had permission to run a business out of the space, which was another lie… since a Business license in Salt Lake County requires a notarized document from the landlord declaring that a business was allowed.

They made mistakes in court filings, putting the wrong names on court documents, the wrong COURT on the same documents, and including private information from another case in our subpoenaed discovery.

FINALLY, the judge ordered depositions… our landlord showed up and “couldn’t remember” the answer to any questions, and what he did “remember” was all lies. When shown documents with his signature he said he didn’t remember signing them.

In the end, rather than us paying HIM $50,000 he paid us (our attorneys, more like) $18,000.

Our paltry share of that settlement bought me my 1995 F150.

Douglas MacGregor Unmask: ‘Hard Unavoidable Truth’ About Ukraine War – NATO being Stage Four Cancer

Thai Rice Noodles

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh rice noodles (rice ribbon noodles)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots, cut into thin, bite size pieces (1 cup)
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Cut rice noodles into strips 1 inch wide and 3 to 4 inches long; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil for 1 minute over medium high heat.
Carefully add noodles; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until edges of noodles just begin to turn golden.
Remove noodles from skillet; set aside.
Add remaining oil to skillet; add chicken, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in broccoli, carrots and onion; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp tender.
Stir in the oyster sauce, brown sugar and noodles; heat through.

Biden debate debacle, DEMs panic. EU-Ukraine security deal. Orban confronts Elensky. Toxic Macron

Debacle.

Absolutely. Completely.

MM introduces some of his art

I’ve been playing around with AI image generations, and lately I have been using the “painting” generator plug-ins. The results aren’t all that bad.

Here’s some examples…

These were spawned off from a default AI engine that I developed for specific types of “romance” style period art. Which is in itself pretty nice, and charming.

Here’s some examples… these are the initial “pure” models without the art / painting plugin added. Here, we see horses, and what not.

In general, the art plugin tends to undress the baseline pictures. Nice, but not really what I want.

I like nudes, but when I want the nude to be partially clothed, I need to specify it directly, otherwise I might get something unacceptable.

I really do like the background in this next drawing…

The layout the the whisper is a “something” that I really treasure.

There’s a lot of promise in this AI technique.

Now, I happen to enjoy the period costumes with the exposed shoulders and low cut bodices. I enjoy it with wine and cats, and horse, all in a rural or pastoral environment. That’s just me. But I have been experimenting with boats, cities, kitchens, and bedrooms. Very nice.

You can get some very nice nudes, but also some very disturbing distortions. Still, it’s a fun pastime for my inner artist to play around with.

Here’s some more… in this instance, I used Laos / Thailand girls in front of a rural temple at sunset….

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I suppose some of you might want to see some of the nudes, I suppose. It does a very nice job. But personally, I like the clothed versions because the draping of the fabric and the design is so alluring. If I were a woman, some of those dresses would be what I would want to wear. I’ll tell you what.

Oh. Anyways… Here’s one of the nudes.

Nice. A bit too chesty. Though.

I’m looking for artistic form, elements colors and shapes. Not a soft porn collection.

It completely distracts from everything else.

Maybe something a little bit more like this…

And here’s an artistic nude… not so busty. More natural. More clean.

This next one is perhaps the best of that earlier batch. Clean, but not overwhelming.

Well, they are nice, and beautiful. But… But… it doesn’t have that special “something” that makes an art lover (such as myself) want to possess it. Something is missing.

Some art is just great.

Other pictures are walking the edge of porn…

Not that I don’t like what is produced, but it is not what I am looking for. Think in terms of a oil painting that would grace your fireplace, or hand in the dining room. Maybe placed in your study or your bedroom. These nudes, while nice, really aren’t suitable for what I am envisioning.

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But, as I have said earlier. There’s a lot of great stuff that can come out of this system…

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I will continue to work and improve my skills. Perhaps I will hit the golden ratio soon.

Today…

What was the most uncomfortable going away event you’ve ever attended?

Retirement Party for an old secretary at a large Philadelphia law firm where I worked in the 1990s.

Alice was even by retirement standards old. She was in her late 70s and had worked at the firm for 47 years. She had never married and her sole sibling, a brother, had moved to the West Coast while she was in her 30s. Although she had neighbors she was close with and a church she was active in, she was married to the job.

We had a big “to-do” as she put it. Lots of presents, a generous pension, and plenty of hugs.

Alice spent most of the time crying, because she did not want to retire at all. She had the same mental state as a condemned prisoner awaiting a last minute reprieve from the governor.

I remember saying sadly and somewhat wryly, “This is not a retirement party, it’s a funeral. Alice won’t make it six months.”

I was wrong, it took 14 months. I think Alice would have appreciated that 100s of the people she worked with at the firm (including every single partner) came to pay their last respects.

Douglas Macgregor: Nearly A Million Russian Troops Ready SMASHED Ukraine In Final DECISIVE Battle

What picture made your blood boil?

I still could not get over thinking how evil some people could be.

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Photo taken from Christine Silawan’s Facebook page

Last March 11, 2019, a 16 year old, grade 9 student and Catholic church collector went missing. Her body was found the following morning in an empty lot in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines- lifeless, with no undergarments, entire face skinned off to her skull; her tongue, trachea and esophagus missing.

(Photos removed due to graphic content)

According to sources, she asked permission from her mom that she would go to church but never came back home. She was seen leaving the church with an altar boy friend but according to this friend, she asked him to wait for her for awhile because she needed to go to the toilet but after some time, he said that she never came back and thought she went home ahead.

Christine was last seen by some witnesses with three male companions. According to one of the witnesses, he/she saw one guy holding both her hands while one guy stabbed her multiple times and the third guy was peeling off her facial skin to her skull. The witness was too scared to death at that time to report it to authorities.

Thorough investigation is still ongoing and further details have not been made public yet as it might compromise their lead.

This brutal killing might be the worst I’ve known so far. How can a fellow human do such a thing to another human?!

Christine’s mother said that she was a quiet and obedient daughter. She never complained when asked to do chores. I am also a mother of a sweet 15-year old and I can’t help but feel the pain of her family, especially her mother.

English Muffin Toasting Bread

A few years ago I told my friend Sandra that I thought she should be selling toast, that it would be the Next Big Thing. I like to think that I was prophetic, but who knows—maybe I had heard rumblings. It’s now a cliche, and “hipster toast” has been simultaneously ridiculed and worshiped across the land. It would be easy for me to dump it into the same Dumb Stuff category that I reserve for things like Kinfolk, mustache irony, and articles trying to convince us that food and fashion are not strange bedfellows. Except, it’s toast and unlike those other things, it has a soul (for lack of a better word). Though its current moment may be slightly annoying, toast is a food for the ages. We’ll enjoy toast even when mustaches are taken seriously and Kinfolk has found a sense of humor.

Toast reminds me of childhood, of caregivers. It is something I would almost always be happy to eat. It is a platform for jam, peanut butter, or a slice of cheese. Smash up an avocado and salt on top and it is the snack of our generation. It is breakfast, lunch, dinner. Toast really is the most.

Some friends recently recommended an article on the current toast craze, that I highly recommend you read. It is a nice piece of writing and a gentle reminder that sometimes the roots of things are in places we can’t imagine. The article reveals the origins of the renewed popularity of toast to be full of love and tenderness and not irony or superficiality.

Good toast starts with good bread. I came across this recipe for English muffin bread, and quickly discovered that this is a thing. There are many recipes for English muffin loaves on the internet, and I have been missing out on something special for way too long. As you could probably guess, it is a loaf of bread that tastes like an English muffin and toasts like, well, toast. I am officially obsessed and am on a quest to develop the perfect loaf of English muffin bread, though this one is pretty close.

The recipe could not possibly be easier. Even if you have never opened a package of yeast in your life you can make this bread. It keeps for 3-5 days on the counter, which means you can have breakfast all week. I’m obsessed.

English Muffin Bread (recipe adapted from Cook’s Country)
MAKES 2 LOAVES

INGREDIENTS

Cornmeal
5 cups (27 1/2 ounces) bread flour
4 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt (fine/table salt)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups whole milk, heated to 120°F

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease two 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pans and dust with the cornmeal. Combine the bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Stir in the hot milk until thoroughly combined. Cover dough with greased plastic wrap (so it doesn’t stick to top of dough) and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes, or until dough is bubbly and has doubled in size.

Stir dough to deflate and divide between prepared loaf pans, pushing into corners with greased rubber spatula. (Pans should be about two-thirds full.) Cover pans with greased plastic and let dough rise in warm place until it reaches edge of pans, about 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F.

Discard plastic and transfer pans to oven. Bake until bread is well browned and registers 200°F, about 30 minutes, rotating and switching pans halfway through baking. Turn bread out onto wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Slice, toast, and serve.

***You can, of course, cut the recipe in half if you only want one loaf. It is worth stressing that this bread must be toasted. It is not worth eating if it is not toasted, much like an English muffin.

Hands-on: 8 to 12 min | Bake: 22 to 27 min | Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
Cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Instructions

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120 degrees F and 130 degrees F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don’t have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.
Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.
Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.
Cover the pan, and let the dough rise until it’s just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn’t be more than, say, 1/4 inch over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn’t very cold.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, until it’s golden brown and its interior temperature is 190 degrees F.
Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Per 1 slice: Calories: 130 Calories from Fat: 20 Total Fat: 2.5g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 280 mg Total Carbohydrate: 22g Dietary Fiber: 1g Sugars: 2g Protein: 5g

* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.

While working in customer service, what is the most “that escalated quickly” to ever occur with a customer?

While working at Comcast, I was in the middle of a review with one of my supervisors when a call came in from another associate that there was an upset customer on the line who needed to have his call escalated. Since this was a review session, my supe asked me to take the call and see if I could calm the person down while he reviewed the call notes from the previous reps.

I take the call and start trying to find out what the problem is that the customer is having. He starts explaining that his service has been off and on for the last month and how pissed off he is and wants someone out there *now* to fix his problem. Now mind you, while he is “saying” all this, he is cursing the whole way through. The unofficial, but written, policy is that a customer is only allowed to curse three times before you are supposed to cut them off and ask them to call back once they have calmed down. My supervisor is listening to this while reviewing the previous notes, and he starts telling me that I need to warn the customer. I’m real cool about it, but I tell my supe that I am cool with the cursing and can handle it. Let me get the caller calmed down and maybe we can fix his problem. So my supervisor continues reading the previous notes when he gets a call from a floor supervisor and leaves for a minute.

So I’m trying to reason with the customer about when we can actually get a tech out to fix his problem, when he completely flips his lid and starts trying to go in on me. It was at this exact moment when my supervisor comes back and cuts into the call. I had never seen him this pissed off at anyone or anything before. He informs the customer that he was just informed by others that he has been calling into the call center and verbally abusing other representatives to the point where two of them were in tears. He informs the customer that at this moment he had better calm himself down and accept the help I am trying to offer him, without another curse, or there would be adverse consequences.

The guy tries to curse my supervisor out, at which point my supervisor informs him, “Sir. You will not have to worry about your Comcast service not working ever again. I have just made arrangements with the vice-president in charge of technicians in your area to have your service cut off. A technician will be there within the hour to disconnect your line and pick up your equipment. If you are not available to have your equipment picked up, you can drop it off at a service center at your convenience. If the equipment is not returned or is damaged in any way, you will be charged the full $600 for each piece. Furthermore, your account will be locked, and your address will be banned from ever having Comcast service installed again. Do you understand what I am saying to you? Good. Goodbye.”

-click-

I just looked at my supervisor, completely shocked. I was just like, “You can really do all that?”

“Yup. I will not have someone abusing my employees like that.”

From then on I called him Superman.

Scott Ritter: Russia’s Nuclear ICBMs are Putin Calling ‘Death of U.S’ West is Really Scared

What’s the most ridiculous adult tantrum you’ve witnessed that you couldn’t believe?

As the dinner rush ended, a large middle-aged woman stomped into the restaurant. I tried to greet her but she went right to the cash register, ignoring me until I met her there. Ok, I thought, she knows what she wants at least. I could easily fill the order and then help my co-worker with clean-up. With my customer service voice, I asked her what I could do for her.

SLAM

A container of soup was put on our counter. I recognized the soup from our own restaurant as well as the restaurant’s take-home containers. I was shocked (and relieved) the container didn’t burst upon the violent landing.

“This soup has salt in it!” The woman angrily said.

“Yes? It does?” I replied, confused. “Is this a problem?”

“Yes it’s a problem! I can’t have salt! I’m going to have surgery the day after tomorrow and the pills I take after the procedure say NO SALT! How can I have soup if it has salt in it?!” The woman spat.

Probably should’ve mentioned that when you ordered it before. I offered to exchange that soup for a different one. She agreed with a pout of annoyance. With that, I pull out the giant information binder on our soups so I could make sure whatever we had would be safe to eat.

“I just want to make sure. No salt whatsoever?” I check.

“NO SALT! I SAID NO SALT!” She snapped.

I paged through the book. While there were some low salt options, none of the soups we had on hand were salt-free. Heck, nothing was salt-free.

“I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t have any soups that are salt-free at the moment. While we do have low-sodium soups on hand, we-….” I started to say.

“HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE NOT HAVE A SOUP WITH NO SALT?! JUST MAKE A FRESH BATCH!” She demanded.

“This is the last hour before we close. We cannot make fresh soup as the kitchen is starting to close for the night.” Whatever else I was going to say would be interrupted.

“MY DOCTOR SAID I CAN’T HAVE SALT! I CAN’T HAVE SALT!”

This was screamed several times. My co-worker popped her head out to check on us. I gave her a shrug and motioned her to stay off to the side, avoid the wrath of the lady.

“Since we have no options you can safely eat, how about I issue a refund?” I suggested.

The lady gave a loud huff which I took as a yes. Two more customers came in and my co-worker attended to them.

“Do you have a receipt?” I asked.

“No one keeps receipts!” The lady spat.

“Did you use a credit card? If so, I can try to track down the purchase in our system.” I said.

If looks could kill, I’d be dead ten times over. Still, the lady gave me her card and the needed information to look up her purchase. I had what I needed and wrote everything down on a paper.
Now if it was a paper receipt, I could’ve issued a refund right away. But with cards, you needed access codes and security protocol (in case of fraud or something) The only one who had authority to refund purchases made by card was my boss, who was not in at the time.

“I have all the information written down. When my boss returns tomorrow morning, she will-…” I started to say.

“So am I getting my refund or not?” The woman questioned.

“You will tomorrow. I need my boss to access the security and-…” again, never got to finish explaining.

“YOU’RE STEALING MY MONEY!” The woman screamed. “I WANT MY REFUND! I CAN’T HAVE SALT! YOU’RE CHEATING ME!”

Nothing I said got through to her. She was red in the face, shrieking away. The way she repeated “can’t have salt” and “you’re cheating me” almost sounded like some demonic beast. I did my best to keep her anger on me so my co-worker could successfully assist the two customers. One of them was a regular who usually took his order to go but decided to eat in the restaurant, closely watching everything. I later learned he chose to stay because he was legitimately concerned this woman would attack me.
When the woman demanded I get my boss, I was almost too happy to comply. My boss wasn’t on shift so I had to grab my phone. Problem was my boss had the bad habit of never checking her phone. I called three times with no response. After leaving a voice mail explaining everything, I tried to relay this to the woman.

“YOU’RE STEALING MY MONEY! YOU JUST DON’T WANT YOUR BOSS TO FIND OUT YOU’RE STEALING FROM ME!”

My co-worker grabbed her phone and ran to the kitchen. I hoped she could get through as I listened to the same screams over and over. When my co-worker signaled her lack of success, I tried to repeat things to the woman.
We don’t have any salt-free soups.
We can give you a refund, it just has to be tomorrow.
We can’t reach my boss right now.
Anyone who works in service knows that it’s nearly impossible to reason with someone who is engulfed with rage. At some point, I had enough of the screams and told her I would be preparing the restaurant for closing while I keep an eye out in case boss called back.

The angry woman snorted, sat down in a chair and yelled “I’M NOT LEAVING UNTIL I GET MY REFUND!”

My co-worker and I did our best to attend to the few customers who wandered in while ignoring the woman screaming the same old tired complaints. Sometimes she would try to yell at the customers about how we “rip people off” with “bad soup”. I was a little nervous that we’d wind up alone with her at closing time or we’d need to call the police to forcibly remove her but pretended to be fine for the sake of the other customers and my co-worker (a new girl who was terrified of the woman). Our customers were even concerned for us, making sure we weren’t in any danger.
We managed to get through without incident. A few minutes left to close, my boss finally called back. Since the woman was still there, boss asked to talk to her. I gave the lady the phone and started cleaning. There was a little yelling though not as much as with me. After some time, the woman hung up and left the restaurant.

What did my boss say?
That we had no sodium-free soups and we’d refund her order but due to credit card security, it’d have to be done the next day with my boss in the facility.
Yes, it was what I was trying to tell her before.

There are quite a few crazy restaurant stories and that one is high on my list of insanity. It’s amazing how some people act in a restaurant.

Women Failing to Understand Men Going their own Way🙃 Compilation

After being lawfully dealt with by the China Coast Guard, will the Philippines continue to provoke China as before? What actions will they take next?

The question is not PH since PH is just a US puppet.

The question is whether USA will continue to provoke China, using PH.

Ukraine wanted to stop the war. One month after the war broke out, Ukraine & Russia already reached a peace deal. But USA & UK stopped Ukraine from ceasefire. Evidence of the US interference of the peace already surfaced as of 2024, by more than 1 source.

Same here for PH under Marcos. USA will continue to make PH provoke China. PH cannot stop.

China already cut off PH’s resupply to the junk ship. Some 60 days already. PH must resupply its soldiers. Either air-drop or military speed boat again. Hence, there will be more conflicts in weeks to come.

I wont be surprised if there is “war with primitive weapons” & physical “wrestling” in future.

We must keep in mind: US politicians have no morality. In 2020 during pandemic, USA staged an anti-Chinese-vaccine & anti-vaccination campaign in PH, southeast Asia, Central Asia & Mideast.

In a pandemic when we must put aside differences & focus on saving life, USA could stage such campaign to kill people. Unbelievable.

In the Syrian war, Syria accused USA of using bio weapons though USA accused Syria doing the same. Regardless Syria used it or not, USA as a world “leader” should not use bio weapon at all.

Hence, I wont rule out if USA thru PH will use bio weapon this time.

I hope I am wrong.

Terrifying !!! Russia successfully demonstrates the Satan II hypersonic missile, NATO panics

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve watched someone make in their personal life?

She was 19.
She was hired as our copy room clerk.
Part Time.
It was her first job.
She had never lived alone.
She met a bragging wastrel who promised her the world.
It was her first boyfriend.
Her primary motivation to marry him (6 weeks after meeting him) was to get out from under her controlling parents, and to celebrate having a new job and new boyfriend.
She signed an apartment lease without new husband, because he had no credit and wouldn’t pass the background check. Later proved to be helpful.
She financed a car, without the husband as co-signer, who had no credit, and no job, and thus wouldn’t be approved — and the salesmen sold it to her anyway. An overblown, expensive, GTO.
She got bashed about by said husband when they fought.
She said she was kicked by her Uncle’s horse. Every week. In the face.
This all took place in a six-month period, culminating in her tearfully asking for our law firm’s help to:
- Divorce said husband, because she couldn’t afford the legal fees.
  - We did.
- Help her qualify for health care to figure out what to do about pregnancy.
  - We took her to Planned Pregnancy. She wasn’t pregnant. Small mercies.
- Prevent her car from being repossessed because she couldn’t afford the car payments.
  - We didn’t. Told she could keep this overblown muscle car which HE picked out, or have her apartment, which SHE picked out. Choose wisely.
- Stop or halt the eviction because she couldn’t afford the rent.
  - We did. She kept the apartment, with a roommate from an advertisement.
- Help get a restraining order because he was abusive.
  - We did.
She worked one more year, before taking him back in her life.
- She came us to us and asked if we could help — again.
- Can we help evict him from her apartment, because he won’t leave, and roommate won’t stay and pay rent while he’s there.
  - We could. We didn’t.
- Can we help her get her money back — she had bailed him out of jail but he skipped on bail, and now she was liable.
  - We could not.
- Could we help prevent her wages from being garnished for their joint taxes, which they had not paid.
  - We could not.
- Instead she was terminated from her employment for a long list of infractions which all centered around racing to his aid during business hours, taking his calls during business hours, bringing in and sending his mail with our postage meter, etc.
- Sixty (60) days later: She asked if we would please not challenge the Unemployment Claim, by saying she was fired for cause and for theft (postage, supplies and more), so as not to jeopardize her claim for unemployment. Please? Please.
  - We could lie for her. We didn’t.

UPDATE: November 6, 2019. I’m surprised at the number of views and comments this answer has generated. It prompted me to do a wee bit of digging to see how she fared. I found her on Facebook in short order — using her maiden name. 25 years later — she looks wonderful physically. Album after album of photographs of happy life events with friends and family, and group photos of her participation in amateur competitive sports. Many photos of her on trips with her mother and father. Sad photos after the loss of her father. Not a single photo or mention of “him” — the husband we knew. But sadly, photos and memories of the death of her life partner, a boyfriend with whom she had been living with for many years, it seems. Many testimonials as to his good character, from her friends, family and co-workers, and positive comments from his family as well. It sounds as if they had a good life together. I’m glad she is having what appears to be a good life, sorry she had tragedies. Glad they were not of her making. Hope I’m not sharing too much of her private life here, but should she ever find this thread — I’ll try to make plans for lunch.

Road Trip To Fingoli

Submitted into Contest #6 in response to: Write a story about a road trip taking place 300 years from now.… view prompt

Holly Pierce

I stare out the window, the tall buildings blurring before my tear-streaked face. My anger bubbles inside me, boiling flames licking at my broken heart. The frowning face of my younger sister mimics the discontent within me.The government had promised. We deliver the mutated DNA samples, we earn our freedom. Yet again, we find ourselves moving to a distant, unknown city. Yet again, my heart aches for the comfort of my old home. In my entire life, I have never before loved a place so much as Hawaine.I nervously bounce my robotic leg, as we leave the newly restored cities of the old United States and drive across the endless ocean. I drift off to sleep to the sound of the ocean waves slapping our car, to the beat of my anguished heart.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••I awake three hours later, and find, much to my surprise, we have crossed about half of the warm, shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Up past the rows of seats, I catch a glimpse of the City of Atlantis, previously thought to be lost. 200 years ago, the Atlantic Ocean’s waters became considerably shallower, which was when the City of Atlantis was rediscovered.A few minutes later, we retract the claws protruding from the base of our car, and float to shore. I gladly follow my older brothers out of the car and immediately fall to the ground. I always forget how dizzy I am after a long car ride.Quickly, before I forget, I take my water purifier from my belt and remove the lid. I fill the container to the brim with the salty ocean water. The bell dings exactly two minutes later, alerting me that the water is safe to drink. I quickly add the water to the dehydrated spaghetti before it cools down. I share the pasta with my twelve year old sister, Emma, who has been sulking since we left Hawaine.Matt and Mark share a small cake to celebrate their birthday, and they blow out their nineteen candles. I give each of them their presents, under the watchful eye of the government officials escorting us. For Matt I bought a new pocket knife from the Amazons in Batalla, not a weapon according to government standards. For Mark, I bought a book originally written a little more than 300 years ago, in the year 2019.Our final destination is Fingoli, a small island off the coast of Eurasia. We’re told the average temperature is 90°F, but due to the island being formed within the last twenty years, it is unlikely the average will continue to be stable. Apparently, there are barely any trees, and it is deemed unlikely we will come upon another human. Even the mutated sort.I look over at Mark, resting his new book on his six mechanical legs as he reads the first few chapters. Three years ago, when all of us were still in the military, Mark had an accident which resulted in him losing his legs. Rather than cry about it, he searched for days on end for the perfect parts and built himself six new legs, weaponized and ready to fight. Mark notices me staring and slides a bookmark in between the pages of his new book.“So, what are you thinking about in that tiny little brain of yours, little sis?”“You’re hilarious. Just remembering when we were in the military. You know, when we weren’t being ‘escorted’ to a random place in the middle of nowhere by government officials who stole our weapons.” This earned me a nasty glare from the leader of the group, but I just grin at him and turn away. Matt turns to look at me, and quickly looks at the ground.

Mark says, “Right. Well, those days are long over. No sense dwelling on the past, or you might miss the future.”

I try to hide my confusion at Mark’s words, because this was the code phrase we’d been using since we were little, meaning hide and run away.

“At midnight, wake all of us up and we can watch the stars shine their light on us.” continued Mark. I was hard-pressed containing my reaction to the oddity of the words coming from Mark’s mouth. Maybe he wanted all of us to wake up and escape.

“Okay, will do. How’s the book?”

Mark held up his copy of Lost in the Jungle, “It’s pretty good I guess. So, this guy gets lost on a tour of this rainforest, and it’s in this place called South America. One of the old continents, perhaps. Apparently, he has limited supplies or something.”

When I read the book, it was about a photographer lost in South America, not a guy lost on a tour. Mark is definitely trying to tell me something. We have limited supplies, we’re lost, in a way, and we are sort of on a tour with the officials.

Mark whispers to me, “I’ll give the signal.”

I glare at him and laugh to make it look like another one of his jabs.

“Can we explore please?” Emma whines.

“Sure Emma.” I walk beside her toward the city, where most of the crumbling buildings stare sadly at the slowly sinking sun.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I wake up on a hard marble floor, freezing cold. I look around. It’s pitch black. The face of my watch emits an eery light, and the time is 11:57 p.m., three minutes before the time I need to wake everyone up. Mark is already awake, quietly packing our things into a burlap sack. I shake Jamie, our aunt, awake and quietly explain the situation. Matt stands up, and he wakes Emma up. Matt picks up the burlap sack, and quickly hides our small robot. Kyle, our uncle, sits up and we start whispering instructions on how to escape. We silently creep out of the immense hall and run for the car. I hear a shout behind me, and turn to see what happened. One of the guards has Kyle.

Kyle yells, “Keep going! Don’t stop no matter what.”

Tears stream down my face and I continue sprinting for the car. I hear a strangled moan next to me, and I see Mark on the ground, his arm twisted in an unnatural position. He pushes Emma forward and I yell,

“Emma! Sprint. Run as fast as you can.”

Both of us look away from Mark and Kyle and run for the car. Emma screams when she falls, and I quickly set her back on her feet. I start to run out of breath as we near the halfway point of our sprint.

Barely ahead of me, Jamie slows down and takes Emma’s hand. All of us run as fast as we can, when Matt runs toward us from the car, slightly out of breath. This strikes me as odd, considering he just sprinted to the car and back. I push the thought from my head and listen to what Matt says.

“All the entrances to the car are blocked by guards. They’re just behind me. We have to run away.”

We turn to run in the other direction, only to find we’re surrounded by guards and government officials, pointing their high frequency rifles at our heads. Kyle and Mark are viciously shoved inside the circle along with the rest of us. Jamie walks toward the outer edge of the guards, Emma with her, and over half the rifles are pointed at her and Emma. She shoves Emma behind her and quickly backs away. Matt simply walks out of the circle, and someone hands him a rifle.

Matt says, “The government hired me to detain you if I learned of any escape plans. In return, I would get my old job back.”

We stare at him in shock, betrayed by our own family. I can’t believe Matt would be this selfish. Tears pour down my face as Mark stares in horror at his twin.

“You are under arrest for failing to comply when imprisoned by government officials. Put your hands up or we will shoot.” Matt’s voice is as cold as ice. Mark rushes toward him, fist raised as Matt raises his gun, finger on the trigger.

Shorpy

What happens if you don’t get a Tetanus shot after getting cut with rusty metal?

Maybe nothing. But you could get tetanus, and once you get it, even if they manage to save you, you may still wish you had died. Dying of tetanus may be the most painful way to die on the planet.

Here is a painting done in 1809 of a person dying of tetanus. Painting done by his doctor. The position is called opistothonus.

main qimg 8488fa461f18d91f9e70bb2f6a45f5f5 lq

Why does he look like this? Your muscles ‘fire’ to contract, i.e., shorten. Then a chemical in your muscles is released to relax your muscles. What the tetanus toxin does is to prevent that chemical from being released, so your muscles fire, contract, and NEVER LET GO.

Back muscles are stronger than stomach muscles, so you arch your back. Eventually, only the back of your head and your heels touch the bed.

If you are in really good shape, it’s even worse. Your leg muscles can contract so strongly that they will BREAK. YOUR. THIGH. BONES, the strongest bones in your body.

Imagine a ‘Charley Horse’ in every muscle in your body, 24 hours a day, for days on end. And there is almost nothing that can be done to spare you. Eventually, your diaphragm contracts, and never lets go, so you quit breathing.

Getting to this blissful stage often takes 3 days. 3 days of the worst pain imaginable.

(BTW, we know the chemical that’s released, and can give it to you, but then, you stop breathing, which presents another set of problems.)

Personally, I think the vaccine is the way to go, but hey, to you anti-vaxxers out there, it’s your call. Just don’t do this to your kids, please.

BTW, the bacteria that causes tetanus, Clostridium tetani, is a common soil living bacteria. It’s in the ground everywhere. It’s NOT rust that causes tetanus, but a rusty nail indicates it’s likely been in contact with the soil for a period of time, and thus likely has C. tetani on it.

C. tetani is an anaerobic bacteria, meaning Oxygen is poisonous to it. If you get a scratch, tetanus is possible but unlikely, because of the Oxygen in the atmosphere. But a puncture, like from a nail, creates an oxygen-free atmosphere deep in the wound, perfect for C. Tetani. This is why puncture wounds are taken so seriously.

Today, Tetanus can be ‘treated’, but even with the best treatment, 2/3 of patients still die, and those that survive typically spend 8–10 WEEKS in the hospital, mostly on a ventilator and in a induced coma, followed by 4–6 months in rehab. Personally, I think getting the vaccine is easier.

BTW, there is a variation of this disease called infantile tetanus. New borns can get it from, for example, non-sterile scissors used to cut their umbilical cord. I will spare you the pictures.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

In 2018, a kid on a farm in Oregon fell and got a cut on his head. A cut, not a puncture. But farms are thriving in C. tetani.

His mom washed it out, then sewed it up herself (note that she is not a medical professional).

About a week later, kid started getting sick, and rapidly went downhill. They took the kid to the ER, where they diagnosed tetanus.

LOTS of tetanus anti-toxin was administered, but it was too late, and the kid developed full-blown tetanus. Kids recover faster, so he only spent 59 days in the hospital, about 45 of them in an induced coma and on a ventilator. Then rehab for a month.

But here is the kicker. As the kid was being discharged from the rehab facility, the doctors tried to vaccinate him, and his mother REFUSED any and all vaccines.

If I was the kid, I would have stuck my fist in her mouth, rolled up my sleeve, and told the doctor, “Give me everything you’ve got!”

The bill was over $800,000. Not sure who is paying, but I doubt it’s the mom!

Wonder why medical care is expensive? One $25 shot every ten years versus an $800,000 hospital bill. (That $800,000 spent on treating this one kid in the hospital would have vaccinated 32,000 people.)

The tetanus immunization is good for 10 years. Is YOURS up to date?

A visit to Sears with Mom in 1977

Is the Philippines capable of defending itself against a powerful enemy like China without assistance from allies or friends?

Oh, I am sure that it can.

But the problem is that China does NOT want to fight the Philippines. The United States wants the fight. Not China.

Well, the Philippines voted in the current jackass-in-chief and from my sources it appears (regardless of what the media “reports”) he’s very unpopular. He has breathed life into domestic corruption to astounding levels, cozies up to the United States which now regulates the average Filipino the rank of sub-human in the eyes of Americans, and is prepping the island chains for long extended Vietnam-style warfare.

Don’t you think it would just be better to tell the United States to “bugger off”, and let the Filipino people get on with their lives?

So now you have a rabid anti-China media bombarding the islands with all sorts of anti-China propaganda, and provocations against China galore.

What do you think is gonna happen?

That somehow the PLA is going to hop into ships and storm the beaches of the Philippines like the Japanese did in World War II. Is that what you believe?

Pssst… here is what is gonna REALLY happen.

China will render it inert.

China is gonna launch missiles. Lots of them. Lots and Lots and Lots. Maybe nuclear, but probably not, against all those military bases. It is going to make a mess of them. Really tear them all up. They are gonna look like Swiss cheese.
China is also gonna tear apart all the bigger ports and airports. No one will be able to get in or out. Clean slate erasure. Like a giant picked up a mountain and dropped it on those sites.
But all this being said, the average Filipino will be spared, unless they (though raw bad luck) walked in upon a missile barrage. They will be left alone.
China will not engage the locals. They do not want to.
China will not fight to take over any land in the Philippines. They do not want it, at all.
But the harsh reality is that China will render the military forces in the area extinct, and after the erasure of the bases let the Philippines move on with their lives.

So, the Chinese “solution” to the Philippines “problem” is to “defang it”.

Not to capture it, acquire it, seize it, or convert it to communism. Just to render it inert, and try to spare as many Filipinos from a life of war-torn poverty as possible.

Now, that being said, depending on how entrenched the ruling oligarchy is inside the Philippines, the following options are on the table. But it is a question if they are going to be implemented.

China could then turn it into a proxy state. Like the United States has with Marcos.
Or, China could turn it into a protectorate. Along the lines of Mongolia or perhaps Tibet.
Or, China could carve it up and balkanize it. Thus making it’s threat vector smaller. Make turn it into five or six individual nations.
Or, China could seize all the ruling families, kill them, and make it a client state of China.

In this grand game of Geo-politics, China is playing a very involved long-term strategy of peace and friendship. While the Western colonial powers are doing everything in their simplistic silly minds to stop it. But, if a war does break out, the highest probability would be for the Philippines to be rendered inert. And then observed from afar.

And that is the truth, and the reality.

Dark Pumpernickel Bread

This is a dense European-style bread with unusual grainy texture. It should be very healthy because of the ingredients, as well as having a rich, delicious taste. It’s excellent warm with gobs of sweet butter.

Ingredients

Bread

4 packages active dry yeast
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons dry powdered coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons dry cocoa
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup dry powdered milk
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup canola or peanut oil
1 1/2 cups dark rye flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups cracked wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cups gluten flour
2 1/2 tablespoons caraway seed

Glaze

1 egg white
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee

Instructions

Bread

Mix yeast, molasses, powdered coffee, cocoa, sugars, powdered milk, hot water and oil thoroughly in a mixing bowl, then add remaining ingredients.
Mix thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Place dough ball on kneading board with 1 cup white unbleached flour and knead vigorously 12 to 15 minutes, adding more white flour as necessary. If using an electric mixer with dough hook, knead while adding white flour little by little. Dough will be slightly sticky and moist, but will begin to take on an elasticity and glossy appearance.
Oil mixing bowl and roll dough in bowl until all of surface is coated with a thin cover of oil. Cover with a warm damp towel and place in a warm draft-free place for 1st rise, which may take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours as this dough is a slow riser.
When dough has doubled in size, remove to floured kneading board and punch down to remove as much gas as possible. Divide dough into 3 to 6 loaves and place on greased baking sheet sprinkled with yellow cornmeal. If using Teflon baking sheets, no greasing is necessary, but cornmeal should be used. Space loaves far enough apart to allow for expansion. Brush each loaf with glaze.

Glaze

Mix well. Use a soft pastry brush to apply glaze so as not to depress loaves. Sprinkle with caraway seed and coarse salt. Place again in draft-free warm place and allow for 2nd rise until loaves are about double in size, which will take about 1/2 the time of the 1st rise. Bake in a moderate oven (350 to 375 degrees F) for about 50 minutes to one hour. If loaves seem close to scorching after 50 minutes, but loaves are not done, turn off oven, leaving door closed for last 10 minutes. To test for doneness, pick up a loaf with a hot-pot mitten and thump bottom. If the sound is “hollow,” the loaves are done.
Cool on a wire rack or eat warm.

Notes

May be frozen and kept for several months or more.

The Secret Room Inside Mount Rushmore and Other Little Known Facts

What do you think happens when you close your eyes for the final time on Earth? Does everything go black immediately?

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Image: Me wearing a blue polo shirt:

I have had two sudden heart attacks. One earlier this year ( 2022 ) one several years ago.

The one thing I remember is saying “I don’t feel very well.”

Then nothing.

I don’t remember black, I don’t remember my life passing before my eyes.

It was nothing. No magical ride to meet loved ones in some mystical place.

Lights out. Over.

Then blackness came as I was revived. The being pushed and pulled then sound of voices as the people reviving me did their stuff.

Then as they roused me, questioning, a battery of questions.

Now I don’t know if I actually and technically died. But in my case it was quick from being aware of everything around me to nothing.

I hope that this answers the question.

It may not be an answer some are looking for but it’s the best answer that I personally can give.. After all it’s as close to death as I have gone so far.

All the best.

US military in Okinawa is quietly carrying out a phased withdrawal operation

China Philippine clash, this incident caused an uproar in the Philippines. Many people ask, where has the US Pacific Fleet gone? The USS Roosevelt had been wandering in the South China Sea for almost two months, and finally left before the 15th and exited the South China Sea. It’s probably just a coincidence, just assumed as so.

This incident has made us see a truth clearly , the so-called “US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty” is useless. If something really happens, the Americans will run away first.

The Hill and Fox News added fuel to the fire, saying that the US-Philippines treaty is there and the United States must fulfill its obligation to defend the Philippines. But Congress and the US military seemed to remained silent. The so-called creation of “support from the international community” is just an illusion for the Philippines, that is, the United States “helped” with words but without any actual action.

When the Chinese Coast Guard boarded and seized Philippine military supplies and personnel, something related to US military actions also occurred.

This incident was deliberately downplayed by the US government and media, and even in our country we can’t find much information about it.

The US military in Okinawa is quietly carrying out a phased withdrawal operation!

The 19,000 U.S. Marines currently stationed at the Okinawa base will be transferred in batches to places farther away from China. What does this indicate? This shows that the US military’s ability to intervene in East Asia is becoming increasingly inadequate!

According to the plan, starting from December this year, 5,000 people will be transferred to the mainland United States and Hawaii to defend the mainland; another 4,000 people will be transferred to Guam, and it is planned to be completed before 2028. In this case, the size of the Marine Corps stationed at the Okinawa base will be reduced to 10,000 or less.

US Defense News : 2024 will be a critical year for strengthening Guam’s defense.

Then, the US Defense News said that this was the so-called strategic adjustment. The U.S. military is implementing the strategy of “fire forward while retreating” in the East Asian waters, which shows both that the U.S. military is having no hope of defense from whatever nation it perceived as a threat.

Ryukyu is an important forward base of the US military in East Asia and the Western Pacific.

If they can hold on, then why withdraw the USS Roosevelt and the US troops stationed at the Okinawa base at this point in time?

The decline of the U.S. national strength is an indisputable reality. Faced with intensified competition among major powers, the U.S. is caught in a dilemma – it is unwilling to withdraw from certain overseas regions, but it is unable to cope with high-intensity challenges.

As long as the United States still wants to pursue hegemony in East Asia and the Western Pacific, and still wants to stubbornly interfere in the Taiwan Strait issue, the US military will have to face China’s strategic attack to break through the first island chain like slicing a sausage.

It may also be that the U.S. military can no longer fight modern wars. Long-range, fast, and precise missile strikes make fixed targets such as overseas military bases very unsafe.

Especially in the face of saturation attacks, the stationed US troops appear to be very vulnerable. Therefore, there is only one reasonable explanation:

the US military is forced to disperse its forces to the rear due to fear of being intensively attacked by various new weapons such as Dongfeng missiles, hypersonic missiles, stealth fighters, and drone swarms. (In 2014, the U.S. Navy first proposed the concept of “distributed combat” in a war game, hoping to evade the opponent’s attack by dispersing)

Wonderful New York 1961. In Technirama and Technicolor by Pan American Airlines

JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE

Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK.

This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible.

After more than five years in a 2×3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars.

WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know.

As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.

Julian’s freedom is our freedom.

Is Satan 2 capable of destroying an entire country in seconds?

How a financial crisis forged an economic powerhouse

How did China become a world-class economic power? This was not achieved through paper statistics, but through real-world struggles. The 1998 Hong Kong financial defense battle is a typical example.

In 1998, international financial tycoon George Soros set his sights on Hong Kong, which had just returned to China. He believed that China’s weak economic foundation at the time could not protect Hong Kong. Soros led international speculators, mobilizing hundreds of billions of dollars to attack Hong Kong’s financial market.

Soros’s strategy was a “three-dimensional attack”: borrowing large amounts of Hong Kong dollars and short-selling the Hang Seng Index, attempting to trigger a public run on banks and force the Hong Kong government to issue more currency, thereby breaking the linked exchange rate system. From July 1997 to May 1998, the Hong Kong dollar was attacked three times, causing the Hang Seng Index to plummet by over 4,000 points, creating extreme market panic.

Initially, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority could only respond by raising interest rates, but this exacerbated the economic recession. Property prices plummeted, people rushed to exchange for US dollars, and society was in turmoil. Western media had already begun to celebrate victory, mocking Hong Kong as weak.

At the critical moment, the Chinese central government stepped in. In late 1997, then-Premier Zhu Rongji had warned Soros that China would maintain the yuan’s value. In March 1998, Premier Zhu publicly declared, “If the Hong Kong government requests, we will spare no effort to maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability!”

However, Soros and his allies did not take these warnings seriously. They believed their hundreds of billions of dollars could crush any economy. What they didn’t know was that the central government was prepared to fully support Hong Kong.

On August 14, 1998, the Hong Kong government suddenly used its foreign exchange and land funds to enter the market, causing the Hang Seng Index to rebound by 560 points. August 28 was the settlement day for Hang Seng futures and the day of the final battle. The central government sent two deputy governors from the central bank and Bank of China to Hong Kong with 60 billion Hong Kong dollars, authorizing the use of all 140 billion US dollars in foreign exchange reserves.

On the day of the final battle, the Hong Kong government fought against international speculators over stocks like HSBC Holdings and Hong Kong Telecom. The government stood firm, absorbing all sell orders. The total turnover that day reached 79 billion Hong Kong dollars, a historical high. Finally, the Hang Seng Index closed at 7,829 points, and the Hong Kong government declared victory.

After this battle, Hong Kong introduced new regulations to limit speculation. International speculators withdrew en masse. In 1999, the Hang Seng Index returned to above 10,000 points, and the Hong Kong market recovered. The government not only didn’t lose foreign exchange reserves but earned several billion US dollars.

This victory had far-reaching significance. It not only shattered the myth of Soros’s invincible “three-dimensional attack theory” and the notion that “bringing down Hong Kong would bring down China,” but also proved that China had become an economic power that couldn’t be ignored. This victory marked the end of an era where financial tycoons could easily cause a country’s economic collapse, signifying China’s true emergence as a world-class economic power. Today, China’s economic volume has reached 77% of that of the United States.

A country’s economic status, like its military status, is never granted by others but is won through real struggles. The 1998 Hong Kong financial defense battle is an important milestone in China’s economic development history. It demonstrated the central government’s determination and ability to defend national economic interests and laid the foundation for Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability after its return. This victory is worth remembering forever.

RUSSIA Brutally Responded To The ATTACK On SEVASTOPOL┃FAB-3000 Wiped Out The Lair Of NATO Forces

What Western news has turned into and it ain’t pretty

I have been paying attention, as of late, to the American “news” aggregate sources. These are websites that just list headlines, and links from “news” sources, and you thous get a relative “snapshot” of what the news actually is on any given day.

For American “news” it’s all obvious. No really news. No real subjects. Just artificially produced narratives served in “canned” packages for distribution. It’s really terribly bad.

So I am looking at the today’s Drudge Report. I just glace over this as I shy away from what ever it is trying to push. But I noticed something. No advertisements, but instead targeted articles.

An article that makes LGBT+ look good, or is supportive of it…
Another one, but only this time for NASA…
Wait, another one about Global Warming…
Hold on, your daily issuance of China = Bad…
Oh, and while I am at it, Ukraine is winning against Russia and Russia is collapsing…
Whoa, there’s another on that inflation is lowest it’s been in decades…
Oh, the multivitamin myth…
But, you know, get your bird flu vaccine…
Oh, and men are bad, another victory for woman’s rights…

Do you see the point?

Instead of advertisements. The interests hire writers and write stories that direct people to their platforms of choice where they get money, enhance their narratives, and groom them into “pigeon holes” for money extraction. Insidious.

Sheech!

What a cluster fuck.

Today…

What is the most bizarre thing you’ve witnessed at a public pool?

I was having dinner at a restaurant with a pool (down in the Keys such things exist). I was with my family: two grown sons, their wives and kids and my husband.

Suddenly my son bolted from the table and dove into the pool, clothes and all. He had seen a toddler slip under the water in the semi-deep end and not make a sound. When people saw him running they began to pay attention and realized what he was doing but he was on it so there was nothing else to be done. The mom was standing on the other end chatting up a friend, and didn’t see a thing.

My son, who just HAPPENS to be a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, brought the girl up and she was coughing and petrified but other than that, she was okay. He asked her “Where’s Mommy?” and she pointed to the mother.

My son carried the child over to the woman, who was still talking and had not noticed a thing. He tapped her on the shoulder and set the girl down. “She fell in the pool,” he said. “Oh, thanks,” she said, and turned to continue her conversation.

At this point, others who had witnessed the entire thing confronted the mother and said “Hey, that man just saved your child’s life. She slipped under the water!” The mom was appropriately chagrined and apologized for not being more responsible and finally realized he was wearing regular clothes. People were still talking about it when she scooped up the sniffling child and left. She never even realized that her life could have been changed in that second.

We see drownings in the movies and it’s always someone splashing about in a frenzy. But in real life, drownings are silent. The person who doesn’t know better just sinks, instead of puffing out his lungs and helping himself stay buoyant. I never knew that.

Richard Wolff on How Russia Destroyed NATO’s Economic War and Europe is Collapsing

What makes Indians think they have a chance at beating China?

Collective delusion. Cultural madness.

India faces massive problems that hinder its development, starting with a dysfunctional democratic government. It is overly bureaucratic. Its regulatory structure discourages foreign investment. It is often hostile to foreign companies.

India has a large, rapidly-growing, young population but it is poorly educated. Indian literacy is quite low.

India’s female participation rate in the labour force is quite low.

India is fractured by ethnic strife. Hindu nationalism exacerbates the problem.

India has serious human rights issues, particularly with respect to women.

India’s caste system remains an obstacle.

India’s infrastructure is seriously lagging behind China.

India is mired in extreme poverty with over 100 million people living in these conditions.

Can India overcome all these obstacles and challenges? If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t put my money on India. Sorry. The odds really suck.

China’s economy is 4.7X larger than India’s by nominal GDP.

China’s economy is 2.4X larger than India’s by purchasing power parity. [Source: IMF.]

Even assuming Indian growth of 8% to Chinese growth of 5%, it would take India more than 30 years to catch up to China. The math doesn’t lie.

Can India grow at 8% ???

Douglas Macgregor Warns: US Forces Are Under ATTACK Around The World! Wind Is CHANGING Direction

How would you react if your boss fired you without notice?

This just happened to me.

I worked as a manager for 3 years, improving systems, increasing productivity, and even doubling the company’s clientele within 1.5 years. I consistently received rave reviews from staff and clients. I was efficient, trustworthy, loyal, kind, funny, was always early, and stayed late anytime they needed me. I ran the business while the owner was able to look into opening a second location because of how much I improved her business.

One month ago (Nov. 2019), I came to work like any other day. I booked several new clients within my first 30 minutes. I was then called into a meeting with the owner and another manager. I was handed an email I had written the day before. I read it and asked what was wrong. The manager said, “We are moving to termination.” Shocked, with all the blood in my body now rushing out (I could feel myself turn white), I said, “I don’t think this is right. Where is the disciplinary trail?”

They proceded to tell me they did not need a disciplinary trail and gave me no reason other than the way I had written the email made it sound like I threw the manager under the bus. This was not my intent and I profusely apologized for it coming off that way. I tried to discuss the fact that I had no previous disciplinary problems. The owner and manager then started bringing up little mistakes I had made – nothing bad, just simple mistakes, and things I had never before been made aware of.

I proceeded to remind them how much I have done for the company and asked if we could instead discuss this rather then just get rid of me. I kept asking why. They never had a straight answer. They never had me sign anything. At one point the manager said, “Go process this at home, goodbye.”

As I gathered my belongings while they watched me like hawks, I stuttered and mumbled, trying anything to make sense of what was happening. I still have no idea why I was fired nor what the grounds for firing me were.

I am moving on, but hurting a lot. I absolutely loved the job and the work, and I believed in the company. I am angry and sad and I know this wasn’t right. But I have no recourse. They had made up their minds and there was nothing I could say or do. I wish I knew what happened and I wish I could go back and say the magic words. My only choice is to move ahead.

It helps a bit reading from others who say this type of incident isn’t right and also that I’m not the only one this has happened to.

Side note – I found out a couple of weeks later that my office assistant quit the day after I left and that the owner replaced me with her daughter.

UPDATE June 2020: Thank you for all of your up votes and comments, I really appreciate them. To update, they had to eventually hire 3 people to take over my position. Many employees have quit as have many clients. The person who took the lead in firing me was demoted soon after and recently quit.

Pad Mi Korat Phet
(Hot Noodles, Korat Style – Thai)

The route to this recipe started with a couple of requests for a hot version of pad Thai.

Unfortunately for those that asked, whilst you can add anything you like to pad Thai | including chiles | the result is not authentic. It simply isn’t done (which is not to say that Thais don’t load their plates of pad Thai with prik phom and chiles in fish sauce or vinegar ccording to taste)

Pad Thai is quite an elaborate dish. The style usually found in Thai restaurants outside Thailand is particularly elaborate, being referred to somewhat insultingly my Thai housewives as “pad Thai Krungthep” | the implication being that rich people in the capital do it that way to show off.

Ignoring the countryside versus capital debate, there is a local, very simple variant of the dish, known as pad mi Korat. Made with the round egg noodles known as sen mi, rather than the narrow rice ribbon noodles, and with a recipe that consists of partly cooking a cup of noodles, then stir frying them with a cup of sliced and shredded pak bung (swamp cabbage), adding a little tamarind juice for flavor, and drizzling a beaten egg over it to complete it.

However my wife prepares a more elaborate version of pad mi Korat, which is also fairly hot. This version I will call pad mi Korat phet (hot stir fried noodles in the Korat style).

Before I get into the details, I would like to make two comments.

The original of this dish is made with sen mi (Thai egg noodles), but if you can’t find them I find it works very well with a spaghetti or similar (the little shell shapes are good).

The original uses swamp cabbage, but any greens will do. If I fancy splashing out we make this with a mixture of broccoli and asparagus.

To simplify the dish I should point out that it is actually made using table condiments, thus the ingredients are not as complicated as they look. I will first include recipes for the table condiments you need. In Thailand these would probably be on every housewife’s table, but if you don’t have them you should make them about a week before you intend to cook the dish.

We make them in vast quantities for the restaurant (in 5 gallon containers), but for home use we use 1 pint spring top preserving jars. These have the advantage of fitting in the door shelves of our refrigerator.

Nam Pla Prik

Put 2/3 cup of prik ki nu (finely sliced green birdseye or dynamite chiles) into a 1 pint jar, and fill with fish sauce. Seal and keep for a week before using.

Prik Dong

Put 2/3 cup of prik ki nu daeng (finely sliced red birdeye or dynamtie chiles) in a 1 pint jar, and fill with rice vinegar (any white vinegar will do, as will cider vinegar, if rice vinegar is unavailable).

Prik Siyu Wan

Put 2/3 cup of prik chi fa (sliced red or green Thai jalapeños) in a 1 pint jar, and fill with sweet dark soy sauce.

Kratiem Dong

Peel and slice 2/3 cup of garlic, place it in the 1 pint jar, add 1 teaspoon of palm sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of MSG (optional but recommended) and topped up with rice vinegar.

Khing Ki Mao

Julienne 2/3 cup of fresh ginger (into match stick sized pieces). Place in the 1 pint jar. Add 1/2 cup of Mekong whiskey (Mekong is a whiskey made from Rice. If you can’t find it or prefer something else, any spirits, even sherry, will do). Add 1/2 cup of rice vinegar, and fill up the jar with fish sauce.
Now we’ll progress to the pad mi itself.
For this you will need 1 cup of noodles, 1/2 cup of green veggies, 1/2 cup of mild peppers such as prik chi fa (Thai jalapeños). If you want to try this but at a lower heat level, use the Thai chili called prik yiek, or a bell pepper. You also need 1 large egg (preferably a duck egg), some tamarind juice and sugar, and chiles, bai chi (coriander leaves) and a sliced cucumber for garnish.
Place the noodles in water to soak for about 15 minutes.
Place 2 tablespoons of the liquor from each of the five condiments listed above, together with 2 tablespoons of tamarind juice, in a small saucepan and simmer to reduce it to half its volume. When this is done heat a wok, and stir a teaspoon of the fish sauce from the nam pla prik into the egg, and beat it lightly. Drain 1 tablespoon of the pickle from each of the five condiments.
If you are using Italian pasta, boil it for half the normal cooking time.
Add all the ingredients except the egg and the reduced sauce to the wok and stir fry until the noodles are just ‘toothy’ in texture. Add the sauce, turn the heat to as high as possible, and when the sauce has come to a vigorous boil, gently drizzle the egg into the mix, which will cook it.
Serve immediately, with the listed condiments, together with sugar and prik phom (powdered red chile), and decorate with the garnishes.

What’s the weirdest thing a guest has done at your house?

Weirdest? Maybe, you decide. I had asked a good family “friend” to check on my high school kids while I was going to be gone a couple nights. They were both working and responsible but I just wanted someone to look in on them, it made me feel better. He offered to stay over and would let the dog out if they were working. I thought that would be great. He was a good friend and I thought I knew him well Well, We ended up coming home sooner then planned and I messaged him our new plans. When did we expect to be home? About what time? Not sure why it mattered but I let him know. He acted strangely in his texts, which I didn’t pick up on until later. I wasn’t sure why he was even still at the house since we were coming back that evening, but I thought he was just being kind and taking care of the dog or maybe he wanted a quiet spot to be as he had moved back in with his parents to save money. Fast forward about 3 months and my daughter had to run home to grab something before a game. She had a couple other kids with her, one being a new kid. “Oh, I’ve been here before” he says. My daughter asked when. “ when I met up with someone on grinder “ my daughter didn’t believe him until he mentioned some details about the inside of the house. Well, after asking when and a description of the person she put two and two together, it was our good “friend.” My daughter was so upset she had a panic attack about the whole thing. She told me and I told my husband and we called law enforcement since he was a minor. There was an investigation and it turned out the kid lied about his age and nothing had actually happened because our friend had the sense to kick him out when he discovered he was not 18, and the investigation was ended. My daughter had to go through questioning about what she was told. We had to let our employer know because we work with kids and couldn’t risk this kid saying he was at our house with an adult male when they didn’t know the circumstances. Obviously I did not speak to the person again after this, and he had no idea why I was upset! He did not realize the repercussions that my family could have faced because of this or how disgusting this was even if not intentional. Now, we all knew he was gay and that’s not the disgusting part- it’s inviting a stranger into my home without my permission and possibly with my other kids around, it’s a safety issue, and a trust issue. If I don’t trust people anymore this is one of the reasons why.

What Was it About Malls in the 1970s?

Have you ever fired an employee who then retaliated against you or the company? What happened?

Yes, I owned a burglar alarm company. The employee had been on the job about three weeks but was well trained. He failed to dispatch on an alarm. I fired him. He was black. He filed an EEOC complaint alleging I fired him because he was a black male. He had a black female supervisor and I had many employees of different races working for me. I did not discriminate on pay, male vs female, black vs white. The EEOC called me about the complaint and told me he would settle it for $1995. I told her no. She asked what I would counter with. I told her I wouldn’t counter. She told me they would have to audit me. Maybe I should counter with $995. I told her to audit. I was audited and no wrong doing was found. About a year later I received a notice that he had appealed. I called the EEOC and told them I was pissed. I was ready to sue but I had a supervisor on the line. He said just cool it. Ok. Was everything just as it was when I was audited? Sure! Ok, ty. The appeal was denied. Another year later I received a notice that he had appealed again. Really pissed now. Same supervisor. Really ready to sue. He said cool it. Was everything the same as when they audited? I said no, employees had come and gone but the ratios and pay were still equitable. I asked how many times this guy had done this. I was told that couldn’t be divulged but would hear nothing more. Appeal denied. The thing that still bothers me is that the EEOC initially really wanted me to pay to make the problem go away. Sad.

America Decline is identical to that of Tang Dynasty!?

What has your child done that is technically “wrong” but you were proud of them for doing it?

My son is not my biological child. I met his mother when he was 7 and his little sister had just been born. Their biological father was in jail, having assaulted his wife when she was seven months pregnant, and was not present. Even when he HAD been present he was not a positive influence and poor Aaron had really been through way more than a child his age should ever have to experience, including a hospital visit that was necessary because he attempted to defend his mother from his abusive father.

Aaron’s mother had no one except her kids when I met her, and she had begun treating Aaron like a friend instead of her child. The lack of discipline or a male role model combined with Aaron being spoiled by his mother and his general anger at his father to create a child that had a very difficult time getting along with others his age. He and I used to play video games together all afternoon long, and over time he and I became very close. I took him under my wing and thus began a years long process of reforming him from a spoiled mamma’s boy (which doesn’t play too well here in the Deep South) to a rough and tumble young man with integrity and respect for others.

One of the biggest obstacles was that he was being relentlessly bullied. We switched him to different schools several times, but being socially awkward AND the “new kid” made him a natural target. Finally we put him in kickboxing so he could learn to defend himself.

Fast forward a few years. That scrawny awkward boy has become a big strong teenager that is both extraordinarily sensitive and YEARS ahead of his classmates in physical conditioning due to his dedication to his training. He became a standout football player his first season after setting a team record for sacks (I taught him how to slip blocks and punch through defenders and the kid learned incredibly fast).

So one day I get a call from his mom telling me that Aaron has been suspended for fighting. I’ve always told him not to start fights, but if someone puts their hands on him he’s free to defend himself. Of course I ask how it happened.

One of his buddies (a very small boy) had been getting bullied by a group of boys after school. These boys all live in a nearby neighborhood and walk home, and during that walk there’s no adult supervision. Several boys would team up on the one littler kid, and nothing was being done about it. Aaron decided to defend his buddy so the next time they did it he stepped in and beat up the ringleader. The little asshole’s parents made a big stink the next day so the school suspended all of them for fighting.

When I got home I told him I was proud of him. Even though he’s trained to fight he rarely does, he’s the sweetest kid and doesn’t like violence or hurting people. And now he finally did get in a fight, and it was to protect someone else. After all he’s been through he still cares about others and I’m incredibly proud of him for using his size and skills to defend weaker people.

“Hell On Earth” (Official Lyric Video)

He’s talking about the Lifestyles of Americans.

What is the best comeback you used on someone?

I was on a highway on the way home after teaching a night class. A driver in a Camaro came up to an intersection on the right and rolled through the stop sign (like most St Louis drivers do). I saw them approaching the stop sign and was thinking “they’re going to stop … they’re going to stop… oh no!”. Luckily there was no one to my left so I swerved left trying to avoid them but hit the front end of the car. If I hadn’t gone left I would have T-boned it right on the driver’s door.

No injuries, my little Mazda was totaled, the Camaro was missing it’s nose. Called AAA who dispatched law enforcement, exchanged insurance info with the lady driver, talked with law enforcement and waited for the tow truck etc.

Suddenly the driver’s daughter drove up and started ranting. “Who knocked the front end off of my new Camaro? I know they were speeding if they did that!”.

Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way so I tried to give her my perspective: “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Your mother pulled out right in front of me, I went left to try to avoid killing her. You need to go be with her.” She had a shocked look on her face as she walked away.

Retiring at 65 is a HUGE Mistake. Retirement Expert Explains Why

Very interesting, and frankly, frightening.

Why do lottery winners often blow through their winnings?

It’s really simple.

People who play lotteries are generally folks who I’d call “pay check people,” living check to check. They’ve never had much money and no prospects of any, like family inheritances.

When they Win Big they’re in euphoria, of course. But they haven’t a clue how to manage their sudden windfall of seemingly endless wealth. Oh, but plenty of other “well-meaning” friends and family do!

Turns out the biggest problem that lottery winners have is simple, good-hearted generosity: giving away too much money to family and friends. Family feel especially entitled to a nice, fat chunk. And if they don’t get it…? Trouble. And once the money spigot is opened, it’s hard to stop its gush.

Financial “advisors” circle like vultures and the pickings are easy. Winners are virtually never well-educated, certainly not in financial matters. For example, they have no idea what they owe the IRS on their miraculous windfall. And being ill-educated they cannot see the difference between a brilliant investment and a monstrous scam.

And so begins the sad spiral down to the misery of bankruptcy…or worse. They almost all utter a common cry, “Oh, God, I wish I’d never won!”

70% of lottery winners are broke within seven years of The Big Win.

Read the horrifying Powerball stories on Fredrick Josefsson’s fascinating Comment. [scroll down below inoperative video on NY Daily News]

Brits Colin & Chris Weir are among the few winners living-Happily-Ever-After.

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The story is much the same with professional athletes. Often from truly dirt-poor families, they are now multimillionaires. They, too, have no meaningful financial education, but they do have out-sized egos. Vulture Inc. knows how to play the flattery game.

First purchase? Without question, a vast mansion for mom so she can move out of that shack. Then a couple of homes for themselves in places like Malibu, California or Jupiter, Florida or some other gilded ZIP Code.

Pro athletes just love “foolproof” investments. Like played-out gold mines in Alaska. And they rarely fly “commercial” like you and me. No, they charter private jets such as the Gulfstream below which costs $5,000 a flight hour. That’s $60,000 from Malibu to Jupiter and back.

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Coke, cars, planes, jewelry, women, Vegas and dozens of flattering friends who magically vanish when the money does. Five or six years after hanging up the spurs, the once-proud athlete is flat-ass broke. Some end up in jail for schemes that went criminal. And, sadly, a few actually become homeless.

All this is so common, it’s a cliché. You’ve surely been to parties where people ‘cluck-cluck’ about it. There’s even a well-known German term for this happy clucking: Schadenfreude [SHAH-den-froy-da] It means happiness at another’s misfortune or humiliation—especially when that person was once rolling in $ dough $.

At the next party, Impress—or mystify—those clucking guests with this: “Oh, isn’t Schadenfreude such fun?”

Champion boxer Mike Tyson (top photo) once spent $173,706 on a gold chain, $410,000 on a birthday party. Evander Holyfield once owned a 109 room mansion with a $17,000 monthly electric bill. Once owned—but not for long.

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Alien: The Deleted Airlock Sequence – Explained

What was the most hilarious accidentally inappropriate thing your grandmother said?

Well…..

Our snazzy grandma didn’t say a whole lot, but when she did speak, it was almost always what many people would call inappropriate.

And….

Our grandpa did say a lot, but he was even more inappropriate. So when our grandparents got together with people that didn’t know them, a whole lot of inappropriateness was inevitable, and often hilarious.

At least to us.

Even though my sister and I always did well in school, there was always some teacher or counselor that thought we were getting too close, and needed to find our own identities, or some such crap.

So….

They would bring us in with our parents to discuss the problem, but of course we didn’t think there was a problem. We knew our genealogy was a bit different than most other families, and our family tree had branches that had some very strange things living on them, but we didn’t consider that a problem in the least.

But…..

The school still would insist on occasion that we had to come in to discuss the problem, and since our parents were sick of discussing this non-existing problem, one time our grandparents offered to go with us instead.

My sister and I just looked at each other when we found out our grandparents were going together, to discuss the problem, with the teachers and counselors, because we just knew something was going to happen.

And that something was definitely going to be inappropriate.

So off we went to the school….

With our spooky, sibylline and very snazzy grandma, and giant kraken fighting grandpa, close behind us. And my sister and I both just knew that the school was in for some serious inappropriateness.

Our snazzy grandma looked like a witch, a very lovely witch, but still obviously norn. And our grandpa looked like he could go down to Múspellsheimr, and drag out Surtr by his ears.

An interesting couple.

So….

Our grandparents listened patiently to the experts talk about the problem, until one got to the part where she said that we acted like we were one person. At that point our snazzy grandma quietly replied,

“How did they know we weren’t really one person, with one soul, but with two bodies?”

That comment brought a bit of a awkward silence, but then another expert started going on about how our family should be better role models for us, and then mentioned that the other kids in school thought we were elves.

And…

Our grandma quietly replied,

“What made them think we weren’t elves?”

This made the room go silent, until the headmaster looked at our snazzy grandma, and simply said,

Norn.

There was a bit of a gasp from the teachers, and then silence.

Until…

Our snazzy grandma stood up and looked at the head counselor and said,

“I know what that shadow in the corner of your bedroom really is.”

And then….

Looked at the headmaster and said,

“And I know why you can’t make love to your wife.”

Followed by some very serious, silent, silence.

Until our grandpa suddenly got up and said that he had enough of this horseshit, and that he was going to take the norn home and have some fun, and then get shit-faced drunk.

And then looked at the teachers, counselors, and head master and said,

“How’s that for a role model?”

And as we walked on home, even though we knew the answer, my sister couldn’t resist asking our snazzy grandma why the headmaster couldn’t make love to his wife.

Grandma just kept walking, but told us to be quiet, or she was going to turn both of us into rutabagas. <3 <3

Various Vintage art

Military Coup Underway in Bolivia

Hal Turner World June 26, 2024

As of 3:30 PM eastern US time today, June 26, 2024, reports are flooding-in saying a Military Coup d’Etat is taking place to oust President Luis Arce of Bolivia!

Military leader General Juan José Zúñiga reportedly has sent troops into the Presidential Palace to remove President Arce by force of arms.

Developing . . .

Imagery and videos beginning to come in from Bolivia:

Hal Turner Snap Analysis:

CIA color revolution all over it

Bolivia is one of the rare countries in South America that are trying to fight against the American colonialism and don’t want to be their puppets.

UPDATE 5:08 PM EDT —

Bolivian general Juan Jose Zuñiga has PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED that he has seized power after militarily taking over the Presidential Palace in La Paz.

INSIDE THE RETAIL APOCALYPSE! ABANDONED STORE CRISIS!

What is the most satisfying passive-aggressive thing you have ever done to a really mean or rude person?

I was driving to work in a blizzard. there was already 4 inches of snow on the road. I was taking my time and safely following the truck ahead of me trying to keep my wheels in his tracks. I was driving a normal RWD car.

Okay, so far, so good.

A total idiot in a 4WD truck came speeding up behind me. He tried to pass me a couple of times, but almost lost control each time and flicking me the finger. I said to myself “I’m in no mood for this shit”

He tried a final time. I closed on the truck ahead of me and he tried to swerve in between me and the truck in front of me. I sped up a touch to prevent him from getting in (yes, I’m pretty upset at this point).

He tried again, and I changed the game plan. He swerved to get in ahead of me, and I lifted (took my foot off of the gas pedal), and the distance between me and the truck I was following opened.

The dork trying to pass me, hit the gas and lost control. He slid/spun between me and the truck and went straight off the road into a 20 foot ditch. I beeped and waved as I went by and kept going.

Talk about sweet revenge! I never did a thing wrong, I just made it possible for him to “learn a lesson”. When I got to work, the incident was on the radio news because the police closed the northbound lanes of the highway. When I got to work 15 minutes late, I was not docked for the time. I came from my home 80 miles away while most of the staff lived less than 5 miles away and called out. Remember this was during a blizzard! Even though it’s been 30+ years, I still grin when I think about it!

What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?

I speak High German reasonably well. As I don’t use it very often anymore, it can take me a few minutes of a conversation, or listening, to get back in the proverbial swing.

I stopped once at one of the road-side Amish food stores in Pennsylvania to scoop up some great chow. There were a bunch of other customers in before me, including some who were dressed pretty outlandishly, and some who were just being asses in general.

The two giggly teenage Amish girls working the counter were going to town, cracking wise about the “English” in their German dialect. It’s hard to follow at times, and uses some real archaic vocabulary, but once you get used to the sentence structure, that includes some pidgin English, it’s fairly clear to the casual German speaker.

I assumed the two Amish girls were a little more worldly by working in the store and interacting with the “English”, and thus were probably a little more less typically Amish in how they acted. And they were teenagers …

At any rate, when I was the last “English” in the store, and was at the counter paying for my pies and bread, I started speaking to them in German, and told them I agreed with their jokes, but that the Good Lord might send someone in from time to time to see how they were conducting business.

I took my change and bags and gave a Witchie-Poo laugh as I watched their faces turn chalk white.

Cat to the Chase

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Abby Wadlington

Thirteen moons glittered down from the smog-packed sky. Their silvery light cast ethereal glows across the glass sidewalks and streets. The purple gas trapped below their feet danced and spun like living creatures.As polluted as Neptune was, still beauty could be found. Of course, Ace Lowell was too busy to seek out the beauty of his home planet. He had a job to do.His nineteenth birthday. This had been the day he had tossed and turned over each night. This was the day his dream was finally supposed to come true.And, up to a point, everything had worked out exactly as he had imagined.Buy a rundown apartment in downtown Neptune with every last penny in his and Zyla’s pockets. Check.Turn said apartment in a detective business. Check.Get his first mystery. Check.But the whole ‘solve the clues and save the day’ part was still out on recess. Maybe that part had never been an option at all. Maybe all hopes of fame and fortune he had envisioned for this day had abandoned him the moment he received his first case.In the old detective films Ace used to watch (alone, naturally–his parents were too busy ignoring him), a disaster shook the city. An unexplained string of robberies. A mysterious disappearance of someone important. A grievous murder. And the detective, clad in his trench coat and sporting a magnifying glass in his hand, always sought out the clues and solved the mystery. And everybody loved him for it.Well, Ace had the trench coat and the drive to bust crime. What he lacked, however, was an actual crime.Darkness clung thick to the Neptunian night. Lamplight glimmered dimly through the streets, illuminating their way. Hands shoved in his coat pockets, Ace trudged after his partner in anti-crime, Zyla Strange.She was the reason they had been walking around like headless chickens for two hours. Because when Ace’s first client rushed into their apartment and presented them with the most pointless, ridiculous mystery he never dreamed of asking for, Zyla jumped to the rescue as always.

His first mystery wasn’t a robbery or a kidnapping or a murder. Instead, a little sniffling boy had waddled up to their door, snot dripping from his nose and tears pouring from his eyes as he explained that his cat had gone missing.

No, the kid didn’t have any money to pay them. If they wanted payment, though, he’d gladly give them the unwrapped collection of Lifesaver mints collecting dust in his pajama pockets.

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

Huffing, Ace caught up to Zyla. The cold air blasted against his cheeks, tinging his blue skin bluer. He tugged his coat snugly around himself. Tattooed arms bare and pierced belly button exposed, Zyla just crammed her hands in her sweatpants pockets. She was the kind of stubborn that would outlast a bull in a headstrong fight.

“A cat,” Ace muttered for the seventeenth time that night. “I’ve wasted two hours of my life searching for some kid’s damn cat. Honestly, slap up some missing posters or something! We’re detectives, not pet finders.”

“We’ll be whatever we need to be,” Zyla snapped back, voice sharper than a snakebite. Her emerald eyes cut through the darkness to glare at him. “So this isn’t your ideal picture of a first mystery. It’s still a mystery, Ace! And if we can help that poor boy, then we will.”

Ace sighed. What was her deal? Ever since he had found her huddled in a Neptunian alleyway two years ago, she had acted like the planet was one big charity case. If someone tripped, she was there with a wad of bandages. If someone frowned, she went out of her way to brighten their day. If someone so much as sneezed, she made sure to bless them.

Maybe it was a Uranian thing. Then again, nobody in the universe had ever been on Uranus. The planet was an impenetrable force the galaxy had been trying to break into for centuries. How Zyla even left Uranus, she had never said.

Beside him, Zyla drew a sharp gasp. Ace followed her gaze in time to see a striped gray tail vanish around the corner.

Without a word, Zyla took off, violet cornrow braids flying behind her. Ace hesitantly followed.

The moment he rounded the corner, he found it. There, in the shadow of a Starbucks, sat a gray tabby cat. The feline glanced up at them with intelligent blue eyes. Meeting the creature’s gaze, a shudder passed down Ace’s spine. The cat seemed strangely human-like.

Zyla turned to him with a cheeky smile. “See? Not a complete waste of time! We found the cat. Mystery solved!”

“Great. Grab the creepy cat and let’s go to bed,” he muttered back.

Instead of reaching for the cat, though, Zyla stooped down and fished into her pockets. Ace watched her, his foot tapping an impatient rhythm against the glass sidewalk.

Finally, Zyla withdrew a regular fruit bar. The wrapper crinkled as she wrestled it open.

Ace’s eyebrows shot up to his pale hairline. “You’re gonna feed it?”

“It’s rude to just grab the cat,” Zyla protested. “What if it’s unfriendly and bites me?”

“Then you can blast it with your Uranian superpowers and turn it to kitty litter. Who knows? Maybe the kid will still give us his nasty mints.”

She ignored him as she broke off the corner of the fruit bar. Cooing at the creature, Zyla held out her offering under the cat’s nose.

The cat blinked. Then, with unnatural speed, it swallowed the fruity piece in one lightning-fast gulp. Ace and Zyla froze, staring at it.

Around them, the wind turned harsh, whistling across the cityscape. Energy crackled through the air.

Ace felt the hairs at the nape of his neck bristle. “What the hell–”

With a crack of thunder, reality cleaved in two. A gaping hole alight with thousands of swirling, vibrant hues opened beneath his feet. The yelp that rose to his mouth got sucked into oblivion with the rest of him.

The fall lasted both a millisecond and an eternity. Ears popping, heart hammering, head spinning, Ace spiraled downward through the darkness. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting back a scream.

After both a millisecond and an eternity, the ground rushed up to catch him. Ace landed on both feet into soft crimson sand.

Wait, sand?

He looked around and discovered another world. Red sand shifted and pooled across the ground. A light breeze plucked sandy grains from the floor and whisked them off into the night sky. Above him hung two moons; they stared down like a pair of wide silver eyes.

Laughter poured all around him from dozens of old-fashioned wooden buildings hugging the narrow street. The scent of whiskey hit his nostrils as a light-skinned man stumbled out a set of swinging barn doors.

Fingers curled tightly around his forearm. Ace glanced over to find a pale-faced Zyla gawking at the horizon. “Ace, we’re not on Neptune anymore.”

Ace took a deep breath. His lungs stung with the cleanliness of the air. He gulped another breath, intoxicated with the feeling. Never had Neptune’s air been this clean. His planet’s atmosphere was all smoke and smog and ash. And while Neptunians didn’t need oxygen to breathe, Ace had always secretly wondered what clean air tasted like.

In all his nineteen years of living, Ace had never set foot off Neptune. He never had enough money to take a vacation from his home planet, and his parents could care less about showing their son the Milky Way. With thirteen older sisters, it felt like Ace wasn’t even there. His parents didn’t have the time to notice him. With an earth-shattering mystery, he had hoped to change all of that and finally snatch their affection.

Instead, he had found a cat. A snack-stealing, planet-hopping cat.

“Mars,” he whispered. “We’re on Mars.”

“So cool,” Zyla breathed back. After a second, though, she shook her head. “We’ve got a job to do. We can’t get distracted.”

“Zyla, the cat made a freaking portal that took us to Mars. How can we not get distracted?”

He glanced down, searching for the unusual feline. At his feet, however, he found only sand. Ace’s heart leapt into his throat. If the cat’s the reason why we teleported…and we don’t have the cat…we’ll be stuck here.

Frankly, it wasn’t the worst fate they could suffer. It wasn’t like anyone on Neptune would notice their disappearance anyway. But from what he had read about Mars, the planet was a war-torn catastrophe waiting to happen. He wasn’t exactly cut out for fighting.

“We need to find the cat,” he said slowly, pulse pounding in his ears.

Zyla’s lips crinkled in a smirk. “Oh, now he wants to find the cat. Still wishing we had gotten a more interesting first mystery?”

He skillfully ignored her. “Can you use your powers to find it?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Zyla held out her hands. For a second, green light sparked between her fingers. She tucked her hands back into her pockets, frowning. “My power is to blast things, not find things.”

“Fine. Let’s start looking then. If that cat teleports again and doesn’t take us with it, we’re screwed.”

They took off through the streets, sand kicking up in plumes behind them. As the buildings blurred around him and the wind howled in his ears, Ace felt the tension seeping from his body. Running wild and free, he had never felt more alive. Like he had lived his entire life on Neptune with his eyes closed, and had just stumbled back into the light to find a brand new world awaiting exploration.

Zyla turned left down an alleyway, Ace nipping at her heels. When she stopped suddenly in front of him, Ace nearly pitched face-first into the sand with the effort of not slamming into her back.

He peered around her shoulder. At the end of the alleyway sat the gray tabby cat. At its paws sprawled a single slab of sand-caked cheddar cheese.

Ace’s shoulders tensed again. “Didn’t the portal that got us here first open because that thing ate your fruit bar?”

“Yep,” Zyla whispered back, dread weighing her voice.

“Think that if it eats something else, we’ll get sucked into another portal?”

“Most likely.”

The cat darted forward, snagging the corner of the cheese between its teeth. Reality split open again under their feet.

Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Earth, even Pluto. They went everywhere in the span of an hour, introduced into another culture every other minute. Each time they caught up to the cat, it would find a piece of food and take a bite, opening another portal that swallowed them into another world. It was like a twisted birthday present for Ace–a free explore-the-galaxy pass through the Milky Way.

Roughly fifteen portals later, the familiar glassy floor appeared beneath Ace’s feet once more. They popped up in the shadow of a Neptunian Starbucks–the exact point they had disappeared from. The thirteen moons shone down on him again. He breathed in a lungful of smoggy air.

It was as if they had never left at all. Not a single aspect around them had changed. Looking around, though, Ace saw things in a new light. His heart felt lighter, less shackled by worry. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Before the cat could stalk away in search of more food, Zyla swept forward and scooped the feline into her arms. It wriggled and squirmed before finally relenting to her strong grip. She glanced down at it in a mix of anger and awe.

“I am not doing that again,” she muttered. When she looked up at Ace, though, a smile crossed her features. “Still sleepy? We could still squeeze in a few winks before we return the cat.”

Ace snorted. The trip around the universe hummed through his veins like a gallon’s worth of coffee.

They began walking down the street in the direction of their apartment. As they pushed on, Ace studied every shining edge of every skyscraper reaching up to Neptune’s night sky. For the first time in years, it took his breath away. Why had he taken Neptune for granted this whole time? He had been so blinded by his own ambitions of making a name for himself that he had forgotten to enjoy the world around him.

Halfway across the street, Ace stopped. “The cat’s Uranian, isn’t it?”

Zyla paused. In her grip, the cat reached out and batted her jaw. She cocked her head at Ace. “Duh. It can make portals by eating, genius. It’s not some regular house cat.”

“Shouldn’t we return it to Uranus, then? I know it’s technically that kid’s cat, but wouldn’t the cat be happier where it’s from?”

He had always imagined Uranus as a secret paradise, a haven no outsider could ever enter. In truth, no one knew anything about the planet. No one had ever been on it–no one except the girl and the cat in front of him.

Zyla smiled sadly. “That’s not how it works. Once you leave Uranus, you can’t go back. There’s only two ways off the planet–either teleportation like this little guy probably did, or banishment.”

Ace froze. Banishment?

He stared at Zyla’s back as she started away. The question he had asked ever since he first met her rose again to his lips. “Why did you leave?”

Silence. Like every time before, he expected the silence to ring on and on, echoing with a thousand possibilities. Finally, though, her soft voice spliced through the night.

“That, Ace Lowell,” Zyla said, casting him the same sad smile, “is a mystery for another time. Now come on. Let’s go save the day.”

He watched her walk away, a Uranian girl with a Uranian cat. And gradually, when his senses pieced themselves back together again, Ace trailed after her.

Nothing about his nineteenth birthday that day had been the picturesque moment he had imagined since childhood. His name was no closer to shining in lights. For all he knew, he could forever remain another nameless face in this vast universe.

But something about chasing that damn cat across the Milky Way had changed him. Something about all the excitement and wonder and beauty he had experienced while racing through the galaxy resounded through his bones. Maybe he’d never find the fame and fortune he had always wanted, or the recognition he had thought would bring him happiness.

But, step by step, he could still make a difference. Maybe Zyla had been right all along in her passion to help others, no matter the cost.

Ace could already imagine the grin on that little boy’s face when they returned his annoying cat. And personally, he wouldn’t trade the image of that smile for all the fame in the galaxy.

Who’s the funniest patient you’ve ever had as a doctor or nurse?

Maybe not the funniest ever but this one really cracks me up.

I get cold easily. Whenever I can get away with it, you will see me wearing a fleece-lined beanie. I own roughly a million and a half of those. But, unfortunately, I have to take them off when I go see my patients. Most of my patients are old. And many of them also get cold easily, what with all the adipose tissue they’ve lost over the decades.

This is the case for one of my current ladies. She’s in her mid 80s, and the first time I saw her, she was bundled up under a thousand and one blankets. So I shared with her that I get cold too.

“I blame it on being African.”

She chuckled.

And that was the end of the story, I thought.

There are many side effects to being old, apart from the aforementioned impaired thermoregulation: high blood pressure, lower bone density leading to a loss of height and a higher susceptibility to fractures, hair loss, impaired balance, reduced visual acuity, higher rate of cancers of all sort, arthritis, loss of bowel and bladder control, etc. Basically, getting old is a really bad idea.

But one of the side effects that is amusing for those of us who have a twisted sense of humor is that people lose their filter.

“Mister Africaaaaaah!” She shouted this the second time she saw me in her room.

I was laughing so hard, I almost collapsed on her bed.

Did she really just say that?

She had. Now she does it every time she sees me. She said it again when I popped in on her yesterday during her speech therapy session. I told her that next time I would come in a loin cloth and a spear.

Earlier today, she told me she hadn’t slept well. I told her that maybe she needed someone to tuck her in and give her a hug or something.

“Or something…” she said, suggestively.

She just passed me in the hall about a half hour ago. I was chatting with the nurses and not paying attention to the faint sound of the wheelchair coming from behind.

“There’s Misteeeeeer Africaaaaaah. Hahaha!”

The nurses did a double take, then everybody was cracking up.

“I’m going to start calling you that,” said the youngest nurse.

I tried to make a face at her but my surgical mask covered half of it. She’s too young to get away with that. Only people who have the plausible deniability of senility get to call me Mister Africa.

This Killed All But 1,000 Humans 900,000 Years Ago

Blue Camouflage MH-6 Little Birds Point To Night Stalkers’ Pacific Pivot

Now both MH-6s and MH-60s from the 160th SOAR have been seen in the blue camouflage amid a shift in focus to high-end Pacific operations.

Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 20, 2024 1:34 PM EDT

MH-6s belonging to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment are now flying with a multi-tone blue camouflage scheme that looks intended primarily for use in maritime operations. — USASOAC

MH-6 Little Birds belonging to the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, are now flying in a multi-tone blue camouflage scheme, as seen during recent deck landing training with a U.S. Navy destroyer. This underscores the renewed importance of the maritime domain to the U.S. special operations community as it works to ensure its relevance in potential high-end fights, especially one against China in the Pacific, after decades of counter-terror and counter-insurgency operations. The War Zone previously highlighted this manifestation of the famed unit’s change in focus when the blue scheme first emerged on a Night Stalker MH-60 Black Hawk last year.

U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) posted pictures showing at least two blue-painted MH-6s training with the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) on social media earlier today, which was brought to our attention by @thenewarea51 on X, a friend of The War Zone. At least one Little Bird in the 160th’s standard overall black paint scheme is also seen in the images. USASOAC has described the helicopters as MH-6Ms, but they have six-bladed main rotors. This is something that has been identified in the past as a component of the latest Block III Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) configuration, now also known as the R variant.

A pair of MH-6Ms wearing the blue camouflage scheme fly past the *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer USS *Bainbridge*, identifiable by its hull number. *USASOAC*

The Night Stalkers currently operate a mix of M and R variant Little Birds configured as either MH-6s or AH-6s. MH-6s are small “assault” transports with planks on either side for operators to ride on and the Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES). AH-6s are light attack helicopters capable of carrying various missiles, rockets, and guns. Both configurations use the same underlying helicopter, and MH-6s can be readily converted to AH-6s and vice versa.

A Night Stalker MH-6M in the unit’s standard overall black paint scheme comes in to land on the USS Bainbridge during the recent deck landing training. *USASOAC*

“MH-6M helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment conduct deck landing training aboard a US Navy ship,” the USASOAC post on X reads. “160th SOAR pilots and crews regularly train for operations on unique platforms, in diverse environments, at any time.”

Pictures of Night Stalker Little Birds with the new blue paint jobs first emerged earlier this year. This followed the appearance of an MH-60 from the 160th wearing the scheme at Pryor Field Airport in Alabama in September 2023. What is likely the same Black Hawk has since been spotted elsewhere.

Details about the blue camouflage scheme, its origins, and how widely the Night Stalkers expect to make use of it remain scant. It has been suggested that the paint job may be a product of Project Genesis, an internal innovation “challenge” the U.S. Army’s special operations aviation community held in 2022.

“ARSOA [Army Special Operations Aviation] has launched Project Genesis … a 120-day challenge where every Night Stalker has the opportunity to submit ideas (paper-thin) and compete to be one of five finalists to live-pitch their idea or solution to a panel of past and present Night Stalkers and possibly see their idea make its way onto an aircraft, into a hangar, or incorporated into a support office,” according to an article in the June 2022 edition of Army Aviation Magazine.

The War Zone has reached out to the US Army for more information.

A picture of the Night Stalker MH-60 Black Hawk wearing the blue camouflage scheme at Pryor Field Airport last year. *Pryor Field Airport Authority*

The U.S. military’s focus on preparing for a possible high-end conflict against China in the Pacific has put new emphasis on training for operations in and around maritime environments. There is also the growing potential of the highly strategic Arctic, where the maritime domain is particularly important, becoming a major flashpoint.

After focusing on counter-terrorism and other lower-intensity missions in the Middle East and Afghanistan for the past 20 years or so, the U.S. special operations community has been working to reorient itself to this new security paradigm. This includes the Night Stalkers, who notably highlighted how the unique capabilities they offer could be utilized in maritime and Arctic operations in a demonstration in and around Alaska last August. That included deck landing training with the Navy’s San Antonio class amphibious warship USS John P. Murtha in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia, another one of America’s chief global competitors.

A pair of MH-60Ms from the 160th SOAR come in to land on the deck of the USS *John P. Murtha* off the coast of Alaska in September 2023. *USN* A pair of MH-60Ms from the 160th SOAR come in to land on the deck of the USS *John P. Murtha*. *USN*

The importance of the maritime domain extends beyond the Pacific and the Arctic, too, as underscored by the campaign that Iranian-backed Houthi militants are continuing to wage against commercial ships and foreign naval vessels in and around the Red Sea. Waterways in Europe, especially the strategic Baltic Sea and Black Sea have taken on new significance since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The 160th SOAR already has a long history of conducting maritime operations in cooperation with the U.S. Navy. The Night Stalkers regularly train to conduct a host of missions in over-water environments, including getting special operators onto the decks of hostile or otherwise non-cooperative vessels. Complex and demanding operations, often involving flights over very long distances in unforgiving conditions and at night, are the unit’s specialty. The 160th is also well known for experimenting with new or unusual helicopters (or unique configurations of standard types), weapons, and other systems, as well as tactics, techniques, and procedures.

On an operational level, it is worth noting that the 160th’s Little Birds offer unique capabilities given how small and maneuverable they are, which are applicable to maritime operations, as well as ones over land. Their size, in particular, means they can be loaded into various aircraft and embarked on ships that otherwise might not be able to accommodate larger helicopters.

“It is your streetfighter,” Paul Kylander, Little Bird program manager with U.S. Special Operations Command’s larger PEO-RW office, told The War Zone and other attendees at the SOF Week conference in May. “I’ve heard it said multiple times that this still continues to be the most effective platform to get a set of operators to like to a rooftop.”

The Night Stalkers’ Little Bird fleet is currently experiencing what has been described as a “resurrection” following the Army’s decision to cancel its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. The expectation had previously been that a special operations variant of FARA would supplant at least a significant portion of the 160th’s Little Birds. The plan now for what will happen to the helicopters beyond 2030 is still murky, as you can read more about here.

The appearance of the MH-6Ms wearing the new blue camouflage scheme underscores the continued relevance of the 160th’s Little Birds and the distinct capabilities they offer, including in the maritime domain.

While sorting through a deceased person’s possessions, what is the most disturbing thing you found?

For a number of years I worked with elderly people who I helped them get their financial affairs in order. It was a very rewarding job because I enjoyed talking to them. I wanted them to know that they were going to be okay as their health deteriorated. Money makes people do terrible things and I had seen it ALL!! So I still had young high net worth clients but the elderly were just more enjoyable and appreciated all the effort.

My collegeues always said ““old people just love you….I don’t understand it?” I thought it was easy to understand. I appeared to be a straight laced young man who would sit and listen to them for hours. I was respectful and did everything for them as I would want done for my grandmothers or mom. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and great uncles who helped raise me. They taught me a lot about myself and had an undying belief that I was going to go great things. That kind of faith helped me thru some very difficult times.

So to many of these elderly people I became a grandson type and looked out for them because they couldn’t do it for themselves. One of my clients was a WW2 ace who I discovered accidentally when watching a history channel show about his life. I could have listened to him for days.

When you deal with people’s money especially when they have children there is a paranoia that can create a difficult situation. What most heirs learned was that I was focused on their parents or grandparents living the life they wanted and then keeping their inheritance out of the government hands. Some objected to the way the money came to them but most often it was a lack of their understanding.

One day I was called to meet a new client that was living in terrible conditions. He had a substantial amount of money but typical in a child of the Great Depression was worried it was going to run out. Although he was admittedly different I didn’t know why in the beginning. Because he was doing odd things like dumpster diving at 83 and he wore an old electrical cord as a belt. He seemed oblivious to his own odor and lack of proper hygiene. The biggest issue was that he wasn’t caring for his home and one rather negative neighbor who had an ulterior motive called the police on him.

Most people don’t know that in many states a neighbors complaints about your lawn not being cared for or your home in disrepair can be the first steps to making you a ward of the state. Where I worked it happened often and it NEVER benefitted the individual or their heirs.

So luckily I was friends with a number of people in this neighborhood and his meals on wheels volunteer who introduced me to this man. His house was going to be condemned, and it was a real death trap. He was a hoarder and the outside of the house was terrible but inside was worse. The issue was that the land was worth a fortune.

If you had seen him you would have thought he was homeless and impoverished. He was very friendly but there was clearly an event that triggered his situation. Some of his caring neighbors tried to look out for him but it was too much. He did have a daughter but had not spoken with her for 30 years.

In order to help him I needed to get my hands on any documents he had. I drove to his house and was prepared to search through everything but the smell was so bad I could not be there for more than 30 minutes. In his state no honest attorney would work with him. He said he had a will and I needed to locate it. The next day he calls me and we meet in his bank. He is pushing a shopping cart full of documents which he gives me and then he went about his day.

I loaded my car with his papers which smelled terrible and spent the next 2 days going through them. It was after going thru the papers that I found his daughters name and general location. But I also found that he had had 2 daughters. I found an old will that referenced the 2 daughters and his wife.

When I found a death certificate I assumed it was his wife’s but I was wrong. It showed one of his daughters had been murdered. Below the death certificate was a few newspaper clippings that gave details of the incident. As I read thru them I was horrified and wanted to put them all down. As I was piecing the situation together I realized that his daughter was married to a long haul truck driver. THey were separated and one night her husband came to her fathers house while he and his wife were out. He killed her and left. When he and his wife returned home they found her body and blood was everywhere. His wife had a heart attack at the sight of the daughter and died at the hospital a few days later.

The daughters husband was picked up 5–7 days after a few states away. He plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. As a parent I couldn’t imagine losing a child but losing a child to murder just brought tears to my eyes.

Below the newspaper articles was a letter he wrote to his surviving daughter. I tried to be respectful in reading only what is necessary but it was impossible. I learned the deceased daughter had a son who was now living with his other daughter. For those of you who feel like I violated his trust please understand that my recommendations cannot be made without knowing all heirs, ages, relationship and situation. For this man I was going to have to get him access to a long term care home and at his state it would require some explanations.

His letter seemed to explain his struggle with what he needed to do to deal with the situation. He was a religious man and was being counseled to forgive his son in law but he couldn’t. His life changed that day and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Apparently he had encouraged his daughter to give the marriage a chance and seek counseling but his wife disagreed. He felt responsible for the outcome and it changed him so much that he seemed to be a different person to his surviving daughter. He lost his wife and daughter in that and his other daughter and grandson after. It was devastating just knowing what he had been through and I wanted to try and help him in any way I could.

He died 3 years after we met but his last 3 years were really different. He went to a very nice retirement community where his diet was controlled and helped him get healthy. He had excellent medical care and reunited with his daughter and grandson a year after we met. He was so thankful for the reunion and the relationship that he spent a lot of time with them both. He also got to meet his great granddaughter 6 months before he passed away. He wrote me a very nice note of thanks that I still have today.

When he passed away he was able to provide enough money that his daughter got to retire, his grandson got a house and his great granddaughter could go to any college she wanted. The funeral was bittersweet.

‘Performance Enhancing Drugs’ – Biden Bombshell Rocks Debate

Have you ever met a celebrity who asked you, “Do you know who I am?” and you said no?

My daughter had one of these, that worked out well. She was a psychiatric nurse, working on the Crisis Team, but hoping to be able to work in the Perinatal area. Unfortunately, there was no peri natal service in that area.

One day, she happened to be in the office in the hospital. A man came in, and said “ Look, my daughter needs an inpatient mental health bed now.”

She said “ You could be right, sir, but I have just had a patient admitted to the last available one. We’ll do what we can until another becomes available”.

He said “ Do you know who I am?” She said she had no idea. He told her her was a senior politician, in the Cabinet. ( I will not name him, as he was a good constituency MP.)

She told him that, if the mental health services were not so underfunded, she probably could have helped his daughter faster. She said “ This is the sharp end of the funding decisions you make in Cabinet.” and gave him the phone number of the local private clinic. He went away, crossly.

BUT, a few weeks later she was phoned by the head of Mental Health for her county, and told that more money had been released to set up a peri natal service, and they wanted her to set it up and run it. Which is what she did. I don’t think it was coincidence that money was suddenly available. Whether or not he said “ And I want that bolshie woman who cared enough about her patients to take me to task to run it,” we don’t know. This was some years ago now, and I admire him for doing something about it.

Sesame Noodles with Thai Peanut Sauce

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Thai Peanut Sesame Noodles

I love anything chinese and thai food and that is apparent on my blog. When people ask me what my favorite recipes are on the blog, it is definitely the better than take out chinese recipes. These are recipes that I make over and over again. And when you repeat recipes as a food blogger, you know that they are good.

This Thai peanut sesame noodle recipe is just it! It is light, fresh and so much flavor. I can’t get enough to it. I love the flavor combination with the sesame noodles and Thai peanut sauce. It is simple to make and only takes minutes to prepare and cook. This is perfect for a quick dinner in on a busy week night.

I couldn’t believe how amazing these noodles turned out. I devoured them! So simple and so flavorful! The combination of the flavors in the sauce coated the noodles and gave this dish such an awesome taste. My picky eater even gobbled them down and asked for seconds. This is such a simple meal that our family will be making again and again. We might try adding beef or chicken next time too!

Ingredients

1 pound vermicelli or thin spaghetti
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 cloves garlic
4 green onions, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 (1 inch) piece ginger root, pared and quartered
1/3 cup peanut butter (plain or chunky)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tap water or chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice or white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

Cook spaghetti as directed; drain and rinse with cold water.
Toss with 2 tablespoons sesame oil (this dish can be served cold or hot). If you want to serve as a hot dish, do not rinse with cold water; just drain.
In a food processor, finely chop garlic, green onions and ginger.
Add remaining sesame oil and all ingredients. Process until thoroughly mixed.
Top each serving of vermicelli or spaghetti with amount of desired sauce.

I hear pigs are multiplying in Europe, Arkansas, and even Texas. Why not introduce a predator or two to check the population?

Right now the only predator capable of handling feral hogs is man. And he’s an idiot if he tries it alone.

Any other predator capable of defeating the ferocity and tusks of a feral hog would be so big as to threaten man, too. Given the hogs travel in sounders, you will have a pack of tuskers attacking the generally lone predator. Good luck.

Typically hogs are trapped and then killed. If out hunting, the hogs don’t come out until the wee hours. So you need night vision. They will spook at the sound of an approaching vehicle. So you have to either be in place around dusk, and downwind of the track they’ll take, or plan on making long range shots from a well traveled road (so single car noises don’t sound dangerous).

If you hunt, you’d better have 5–6 shooters as you’ll only get 2–3 shots off before the herd scatters. That many shooters will also be a deterrent to the hogs turning on you. If alone, you can expect the hogs to attack you, and whatever thing you’re in. Don’t expect that the sides of a pickup will stop a 200-lb male from jumping in with you. Their tusks are lethal, and they’ll just eat you when you’re dead.

Typically a good trap will haul in 3–4 hogs. A sounder of them might run 30 or 40. So you need to trap a lot at once. They already know what traps look like, so avoid them. They are definitely smart critters. You need to kill off the females, as they will breed 2 times a year and pop out a fair number of piglets each time. A sounder of 4–5 males, 15 females, and the rest piglets … you can do the math.

I read of one trap where heavy horse panels were fastened together in a large circle, and the remotely-dropped gate was left open. Feed was put out. Over several nights the hogs more and more would trust the corral, and go in. Finally several nights in, the cameras indicated most all of the sounder, particularly the females were inside, and the gate was dropped. They went nuts, but the panels held. Later in the daylight the ranchers came out and shot the bunch of them. The meat is very lean, and properly prepared can feed a lot of homeless.

By trapping the entire sounder, you remove the acquired intelligence of the herd.

Let the hogs run wild, and they will destroy a field. They root for grubs, and will turn over a planted field into useless vegetation in a single night. I have a small pasture that looks like 150 small land mines went off in it. Every time it rains I can expect the hogs out in a night or two to shred the pasture again. If I were trying to grow a cash crop, I’d be much more interested in eradicating them all. Just ask this guy:

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“Victor Davis Hanson: I Can FINALLY Tell You EVERYTHING…”

Puzzle Pieces are falling into place

Ok. SO the United States is actively killing Russians on Russian soil. And then Russia hits back and kills all the Americans who launched the weapons.

Meanwhile the United States is attacking every nation that wants to join BRICS+. Forcing the collective to issue a statement saying that they will pause on new entries.

Ah. We are deep in the middle of the “doo doo”. We are in The Shit.

It’s really hot.

Do not put your hand on the blistering surface of the stove.

It’s all a big cluster fuck. Yeah. Today is Geo-Politics post. We are deep in the middle of it. Do not fall asleep.

Today…

BREAKING: Russia Eliminated 10 US Army Officers Who Carried Out Missile Attack On SEVASTOPOL

Russian revenge. Hits.

OpenAI to further block access by China, what’s your comment on this?

According to recent reports, OpenAI has been noted in multiple media outlets for attempting to restrict access to its platform from users within China. The move has been perceived as a further limitation imposed by the United States on China’s ability to leverage advanced AI technology. This development was highlighted by an industry insider who chose to remain anonymous due to the politically sensitive nature of the matter, as reported by SCMP.

Notably, Chinese companies have been actively participating in the AI sector’s development. For instance, in November, a relatively unknown startup based in Beijing, 零一万物-http://AI2.0大模型技术和应用的全球公司（01.AI）, unveiled its own open source model, which has demonstrated superior performance when compared to Llama 2 and has achieved high rankings on various leaderboards that benchmark AI model capabilities.

Furthermore, prominent Chinese entities such as Baidu, Alibaba, Mengniu Dairy, and TAL Education have also entered the competitive landscape of generative AI, leading to the emergence of what Chinese media has coined “the battle of 100 models” to characterize the intensified competition in this field.

The rapid advancements in AI have introduced a new dimension to the ongoing US-China tech conflict. The Biden administration has taken measures to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology and has imposed restrictions on American investments in China’s AI sector. Additionally, there are reports of forthcoming regulations intended to control the export of advanced AI models.

In May, the Biden administration introduced the CHIP ACT, a significant initiative aimed at strengthening the semiconductor supply chain. The Chips and Science Act, supported by over $100 billion in grants, loans, and guarantees intended for semiconductor firms to establish manufacturing facilities in the US, has sparked a substantial influx of investment. This is anticipated to reverse the declining trend in domestic chip production, as confirmed by the Semiconductor Industry Association.

Russia’s MiG-31 Foxhound Destroyed The U.S. GLOBAL HAWK and MQ-4C TRITON Drones Over The BLACK SEA

The Western “news” claim that this is a big “nothing burger”. That it is “fake news”. Hum. I tend to believe the Russians.

In the age of dueling with pistols, was it customary to finish the wounded foe with a shot to his head?

It wasn’t really the standard practice, and doing so could actually get pretty complicated.

Duels, especially during their heyday in the 17th to 19th centuries, were governed by a strict code of conduct.

The goal of a duel wasn’t to kill your opponent. It was more about defending one’s honor.

In many cases, just showing up and being willing to risk your life was enough to restore your honor, and a lot of duels ended after the first shot, whether or not anyone was hit.

if someone did get hit and was wounded, the duel usually ended right there.

Killing a wounded opponent would have been seen as excessive and dishonorable.

People back then took these codes seriously.

In fact, in most cases, if a duelist was wounded, the seconds (the assistants to the duelists) would step in to stop the fight.

There are plenty of wild stories from those times.

There are plenty of wild stories from those times. One of my favorites involves the American politician Alexander Hamilton and his infamous duel with Aaron Burr.

Hamilton was hit and fatally wounded, but Burr didn’t go up and finish him off with another shot.

Instead, Hamilton was taken back to his friends and later died from his injuries.

there was a French duel in the 19th century between two gentlemen named Léon Gambetta and Édouard de Cassagnac.

Gambetta was shot in the thigh and unable to continue, but de Cassagnac didn’t finish him off.

The duel ended with Gambetta wounded but alive, and both men actually went on with their lives, their honor intact.

What is the most bizarre mechanical problem you’ve encountered while working on your car?

I bought a 1967 Ford Galaxie convertible back in ’77 that no one could figure out. For $175 it was a bargain so I took the chance. The owner had given up on it after several shops couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. It would idle fine, but as soon as you tried to accelerate it would spit back through the carb and either stall, or stumble then take off. I jacked it out of the mud and babied it home. I at first thought it was the carb, but it seemed to have good power when you got lucky and you got the rpm’s up without it puking through the carb. I started looking at the ignition system, and finally found the answer when I revved it off of idle while watching and checking the timing with a timing light. When it hit about 8–900 rpm the timing advanced way beyond where it should be, which was causing the engine to choke. It turned out that Ford used some vacuum advances that had a slug inside to tension against a spring to set the rate of advance. Most vacuum advances are sealed cans, but this one had a screw on cap with the vacuum line connection in the center. It had been replaced so the mechanics must have thought it was ok, but apparently the slug was never taken from the old unit and put into the new one. Once the carburetor butterfly opened it would provide vacuum to the advance port and the distributor would go right to full advance (probably 50 to 60 degrees before TDC). It took a little fiddling to cut a piece of copper tubing to the right length with a few coke can shims to get it to the sweet spot, but that 390 ran great. I met my wife cruising in that car.

“What this DHS guy said TERRIFIED me to the core” | Redacted with Clayton Morris

What was the last thing your mother said to you?

”Goodnight Hon, love you !”

I replied “Night, love you too and thank you for the pot of soup”

We had been camping and when we got home my Mom had made a big pot of chicken soup. Only my youngest had school the next day, also had PTA open house before school started that I had to be at. It wasnt unusual that my mom didnt come out of her room in the morning while kids were getting ready for school, I know she had been up late and her TV was on. I was super busy that morning my oldest son came with me to help set up. My 14 year old daughter stayed home to sleep in.

About 2 minutes after kids went to class and I started cleaning up the food at PTA event, the office lady called the library over the intercom and said there was a call on line 2 which was odd because I had my cell phone. But it was my sister who had stopped by to check on our mom after she dropped off her son at school. Mom had had heart failure do to her illness. The emts said she had died maybe 2–3 hours sgo which was when we were all up and getting ready to leave. It was 4–6 hours later that the Neptune society arrived to pick her up. I dont remember much but I do remember thinking She died hearing the normal family life happening right outside her bedroom door and although she was alone she really wasn’t. I pray that it was comforting even just a little bit.

My Mom had been sick a long time and we were all aware this would happen eventually.

It’s been almost 16 years (July 7 2008) Man do I miss her something fierce still.

“LEAVE WHILE YOU CAN”- CANADA WARNS, NUCLEAR DIRTY BOMB, RUSSIAS EMERGENCY CALL WITH USA

What do you think about Europe’s recent tariffs on Chinese-made cars?

It’s fine.

It simply shows that they are unable to compete in any meaningful way.

They’re also rather poor at history.

When CRUSHING tarrifs were placed on Chinese steel, Solar panels, tyres, chips, wind turbines.

Within 10 years? China became absolutely dominant in those industries and western companies get hollowed out.

Westoids will cope with the poor quality / bad safety bullshit like they usually do until you point out NCAP ratings.

What I think will happen is this:

People in Europe will keep their ICE cars longer. As inflation ravages Europe more they’ll fill their cars up with petrol or diesel and the numbers on the pump will just get bigger and bigger. They’ll look for alternatives and see the high price tags…

Via culture videos and stuff they’ll see far more affordable Chinese EVs and think why can’t we have this? People in the USSR saw the apparently better things in western nations and thought why can’t we have this?

Quick French Bread

Ingredients

1 envelope yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 or 6 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Add yeast to water, then add salt and sugar. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
Beat the flour into the yeast water, a cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to stir. Add as much flour as you need to make a smooth dough. Knead until smooth. Brush top and sides with oil and cover the dough with a towel. Let stand in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.
Turn the dough onto a floured bread board and shape into long French loaves.
Place the loaves on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and let stand to rise for 5 minutes.
Slash the tops of the loaves in several places, brush them with water and place in a cold oven.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a pan of boiling water in the oven with the loaves and bake them for 45 minutes, or until crusty done.

Do teachers ever pass a failing student just to get them out of their classroom?

I did it once at university. I had a student who really struggled with my class. I learned later that she was struggling in all phases of her life. But she worked hard. She did all the home work. She showed me all the different ways she tried to solve the problems. It was a programming class. She tried several ways to solve the programming projects. She was in my office every chance she had. She asked questions indicating that she had really tried to understand. The lightbulb just never came on for her. She told me she was doing fine in all her other CS courses.

At the end of the semester I totaled her grade and she was about half a percent below passing. My course was required for a degree. As I thought about it, I realized that she would never need this language after she left my class. Nobody programs in assembly anymore. I thought taking it again would not benefit her in any way. I didn’t think she would ever get it. Finally, I didn’t want to work that hard again. She wore me out and I gave her a passing grade.

A couple semesters later I passed her in the hall. She was so excited to see me. “I finally understand what you were trying to teach me!” I was skeptical, but on the other hand, I had exactly the same experience in a class as an undergrad when three weeks after the final, I finally figured out what had been dealing me fits.

“Really? Why do you say that?”

“When my Advanced Computer Architecture professor says something, it reminded me of what you were saying. Because of what you said, I understand what he is saying now.”

So, she got some benefit from my class after all. I am still glad I passed her. I hope things went well for her.

Russia is Losing its Patience and it could be Devastating for NATO | Pepe Escobar

Space Workers Unite!

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Philippe Berard

SPACE NEWS BROADCAST CORP.8 PM GALACTIC NEWSBreaking News: Are the Koolman Industries Again in Violation of Space Workers Comp?Is this Another case of Space Labor Law blatant contravention?The anchorman goes on the air followed by hundred of millions of faithful audience members of the most popular space news agency.“:Dear Cast Readers,We know from the stories that came in large numbers, from Triton to Artemise, that recent cases of Space Labor Laws are culminating in a Space Class Action Lawsuit of extreme proportions.Let us introduce you to two cases that involved different settings and events, but are remarkably symptomatic of the present climate of scandals and corruption incidents in the Far Space Regional Authority.First Case Scenario:

Workers Conditions in Triton’s Meth-sea:

Two dinghies filled with survivors from a Triton ocean wreck derive for weeks over thousands of miles under a blasting binary sun. It is comforting to know that these dinghies are made of coated titanium with borodium reinforcements which are the strongest known materials.

The crew is composed of space shift members who got separated by an hydrogen potassium typhoon of epidemic proportions.

They had been fishing meth-fish on the HMS Essex-SpaceCargo in the middle of the methane ocean for now two months and their cargo was loaded with about a million tons of catch. This ocean (located on Tarantula 1) is a meth-sea of a color red like blood. Its inhabitants inherited the same color.

The number one rule for our meth-fishermen is that they never get into contact with the species found in that red ocean. These fishes are so toxic and life-repellant that just one bite could prove to be lethal, disintegrating or slowly consuming the victim’s flesh until they die in agony after having lost consciousness in horrific medical circumstances.

The million tons catch is then fed to the machines hidden deep in the belly of the Essex where they are cryogenized and processed for very-long term storage, up to a century. On the boat, not one fisherman has the faintest idea of the use the catch will fulfill, or if it will ever even be used at all. All they know is that they meth-fish them and get paid for their arduous work.

A crew usually is made up of around eighteen men who works in grueling shifts of one day and one night and get two days rest. They stay at meth-sea for six months or even a year. At the end of the campaign they have made about two-year salary being able to support a family of four until the next campaign. It is basically a space-version of the Alaskan fisheries of once.

The conditions are extremely harsh and a big difference with the salmon- fishboat is that falling at sea means unavoidable death and not just a bad adventure. Consequently no life jacket can be found as they are unnecessary. And that is a violation of Space Labor law. A few concerned Scientists have developed a suit that is halfway between the space suit and the deepest range pressurized deep underwater suit. But it can only guarantee a short period of survival until the rescue teams have arrived at the place of distress. If the survival unit doesn’t get there in time, the workers will just have a very bad day.

The crew we interviewed last week were exemplary in the matter. They ran into the largest meth-fish bank ever encountered counting five millions of tons of catch. They were all happy and started to work. But that is when the archetypal monster, a gigantic star sea monster came down on them: a gigantic alien Moby Dick type sea monster called the Suburt’na by the natives, the ones with the red color. On Earth the most likely predator to use as a comparison would be the Carcharodon megalodon.

The giant creature destroyed their space-pressurized meth-fishing boat in twenty minutes and killed a number of men. Not one of them was covered by any life insurance policy because their employer hasn’t deemed it necessary.

Thanks to the ensign’s courageous audacity (that cost him his life), they managed to put their unsubmersible dinghies at meth-sea and escaped. They begun a long derive on the meth sea for weeks trying to reach out with distress calls which were not heard. Now the men on board are slowly going astride on the vast ocean perhaps three times larger than the earthly Pacific.

The meth sea port station where they came from looks a bit like an Antarctic station soon became convinced the Essex was lost at meth sea. That is the jargon used in this case. All search for the lost Cargo has been stopped.

But the Essex had not gone down yet. Aboard, the meth fishermen knew that their supplies were going low and if they were not found shortly they would surely perish by starvation. And to compound their problems the charcarodon megalodon was still out there – prowling the seemingly infinite red ocean. The creature was first thought to be a sort of primitive local version of a whale but soon turns out to be much, much worse than that…

Have you ever imagined what a meth sea in fury could look like? The meth waves are as tall as a 5 story building. Then a small speck can be seen on top of the waves. The speck is really the head of a Unit-1 robotic assembler unit, barely emerging from the meth sea in fury. It fell a few weeks earlier from the orbital station and by gravity slowly reentered the Kuranian atmosphere just to fall into the meth sea in the middle of a storm of the century. The Koolman worker stranded in the Unit-1 robotic assembler unit can survive for a week or two, depending on the type of lease he’s been subscribed into. The lease has the inconvenient drawback that the supplies are limited by the lease agreement. Basically, if you got credit for a week, your supplies, including your oxygen tank, will be limited to a week. When the week is over, you better have applied and gotten more credit line or you are out of luck.

Second Case Scenario:

Koolman’s Disregard for Workers Comp at their Industrial Space Facilities:

Dear Readers:

The Second Case we offer to your judgment is as disconcerting as the first one. It took place on the interplanetary facilities administered by Koolman during the week of May 1^st to 8^th.

You will be able to judge for yourself the gravity of the facts and vote at the end of this cast, in your conscience, your verdict.

The location is the Koolman’s Space Industries Facilities. Our unvoluntary hero is an hourly space worker. An hourly space worker in a working space suit is a worker not a hero and shouldn’t be asked to be one. John looks like a standard industrial worker, except he lives 305 years from now. His daily schedule consists of repairs, adjustments and other not so heroic jobs. He works on space stations compartments, maintenance rooms, and anything he has been assigned to, when getting his weekly schedule at the space station administration center. On a weekly basis, he could earn around 100000 new coins a month which is enough to support a family of four or six. Generally he does not want this job but has to take it to make a living. So, John once earned a PhD in magnetohydrodynamic science and hoped to get a job at the Trans-Jupiterian Consort. But that did not happen and when it was time to make a tough decision, he accepted this lower occupation for the time being. John traveled one week to the industrial complex and begun fixing space modules right away. Koolman rents the space suit to its workers. They take a large deposit and send you good to go into the neighborhoods of the largest spacepods. John’s weekly schedule begins on Sunday and is somehow repetitive but he has not lost interest when he floats in space, with the red planet in the horizon.

The inevitable happened on his fourth day of work as he was fixing a ramp located on the side of a huge depressurizer, he was hit with great force by an unknown object. Thrown at great speed into space, John was saved by an emergency landing pod in outer space that stopped his vertiginous flight. He was marooned not too far from the main planet. Workers in this area may sometimes have to spend a day in a space suit of that type in which they have most of the survival tools needed as well as food and drinks. So when John fell to what could have been his death on the surface of the emergency pod he hoped he would be found quickly and brought back to the planet orbital landing.

He also had his credit cards to buy the supplements he needed off the outlets on the emergency pod.

But after a couple of days spent on the platform John began to fear the worst as he was uncomfortably stuck in vertical position inside his space suit. All the coms had been cut off in the fly and had not been reestablished.

On his fifth day on the emergency pod, John sees another space suit hurled into space. and comes landing onto his already crowded emergency pod. Now John must share his already claustrophobic situation with another worker, who, like him, fell into space. John tries without success to establish a com with his unwanted neighbor. Ironically they can see each other through their visors. John knows some sign language. They can soon share the news and hope that a rescue party will come for them.

They will wait eight days, eight long days which will have now passed without any help on the horizon. John used up the last of his credits to buy the last supply of drinks and foods accessible at the outlets. He expects the card to be declined very soon. What will they do when this happens?

Fortunately a search party spotted the emergency pod on the tenth day of John’s odyssey.

Dear Cast Readers:

We just showed how, once again, Koolman Industries has proven to disregard the most elementary working rules and safety procedures in space and in Triton’s Meth sea. We ask you, at the end of this cast, to vote your mind about Koolman Industries. Please, be partial and vote to prevent Koolman to operate in such unfair conditions that place the lives of their workers in danger. Stop Koolman Industries before someone dies in their facilities! “

Thanks For Watching! Good Evening.

(Music. Holo Cameras span the Theater)

What’s the coolest thing you found in a hotel room that was left behind?

In San Francisco. I was helping a good friend, and myself, by being an extra housekeeper at a hotel that is very close to the airport. A huge conference was hosted there for four days. The place was booked. It was a neverending cycle of cleaning the rooms and changing linens. One time I was cleaning up an especially gross room. Luckily for me, it was the last one on my list. It took about half an hour to clean the bathroom. It seemed like a person bypassed the toilet and chose to vomit in the tub. I got it cleaned up and disinfected. The bed wasn’t too bad. I just had to strip it and put fresh linen on. I found a hundred dollar bill on the nightstand along with an apology for the mess. I emptied the trash cans and started vacuuming. As I was checking things over to be sure I didn’t miss anything, I found a manila envelope wedged between the bed and nightstand. There wasn’t anything written on the outside. Inside, I found five small plastic bags. Inside of each one was what looked like Susan B Anthony coins. I stuck them in my apron and finished up. On my way out I went to the security desk and turned it in. A couple of days later, I returned to payroll for my check. Before I left I was told the supervisor wanted to speak to me. It turned out that the coins I had were collectors. Each coin had a fault on it. Things like the figure facing the wrong way or the date was off. What I thought were just ordinary coins were actually worth thousands of dollars. I asked why they were in an envelope and not in a safe or lock box. The owner thought he would be able to keep them safe on his own. So, my honesty netted me an envelope with a thank you note. It also included fifteen hundred dollars.

Kallas replaces Josep. US contractors in Ukraine. Austin calls Belousov. Macron wants to call Putin

Shorpy

BREAKING! BRICS in America’s Backyard: Venezuela Officially Announces To Join BRICS!

“An old man meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student’s watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone’s pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn’t tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, professor?

The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn’t remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

If to correct you must humiliate; you don’t know how to teach.”

BREAKING: Military Coup in Bolivia

As soon as Bolivia tries to join BRICS+, the United States starts a coup.

What A View

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt

Josh Hagen

Commander Lance Gilmore and Lieutenant Drew Adams touched down near the Sea of Serenity. Boosters kicked up clouds of lunar dust as they signaled Huston. It had been a very long trip and the astronauts were eager to set foot on Earth’s closest neighbor.

Commander Gilmore signaled Earth, “Huston, this is Lunar Five. We have touch down.”

“Copy Lunar Five. That’s great news. You’re clear to have a look around.” Houston signaled back.

After a decade of budget finagling and technical leaps, man was once again traveling to the moon. The plan was to use a series of new missions to the moon to prepare astronauts for the

first manned mission to Mars. It was a solid long term strategy put in place as governments finally came together to begin more far-reaching manned exploration.

“It’s still hard to believe we’re really here.” Lieutenant Adams said while he wrapped up the landing routine.

Commander Gilmore was fidgeting in the new generation space suit eager to explore the grey landscape. “It is something. And in a minute, we’ll set foot where only a few have before.

Having finished their last safety checks, the pair were pressurizing the air lock.

The sun glared down upon the barren landscape as the exterior hatch of Lunar Five cycled open. Commander Gilmore stepped down onto the fine moon dust with Lieutenant Adams right behind.

“How’re you two doing down there?” Lieutenant Melissa Sloan called down from the orbiting shuttle.

“Everything’s peachy down here. How are things up there? Any traffic?” Commander Gilmore asked with a grin while he looked around.

“Smooth sailing up here. You boys are having all the fun. I feel like the designated driver.”

“So you’re saying you miss us?” Lieutenant Adams asked playfully.

“Don’t get your hopes up Adams.” They all laughed. Everything was going as predicted. Their experience on these new lunar missions would be used to finalize an international mission to the red planet.

That’s when the shockwave hit. All at once Gilmore and Adams were slammed to the ground by some force from above. Without missing a beat Commander Gilmore called to Sloan, “Gilmore to Sloan, report!”

Static. Then a muffled voice, “…to Gilmore…unknown impact…boosters to compensate…”

More static. And silence. Getting back to their feet, Adams and Gilmore looked at each other then up to wherever Lieutenant Sloan was.

“Sloan, come in. Are you all right? Status.”

After too many seconds to count, Sloan replied. “I’m alright sir. Something hit me like a ton of bricks. Took me a while to compensate. I’m glad these suits come with their own diapers.”

Commander Gilmore smiled, “Agreed. Run a diagnostic and see if you can get some info from Houston.” Gilmore paused as Adams started to tap him on the shoulder lightly, then much harder.

“Adams, what is it?” Gilmore could see Adams pointing up.

Before he could look up he heard Sloan screaming over the com, “Noooo!”

“Sloan! What is it? Are you alright?”

Adams forcefully turned his commander around and pointed up. Commander Lance Gilmore looked up to see the Earth shattered into pieces. At first it didn’t register. Sloan’s panicked cries faded away as the realization of what he was seeing started to sink in. He dropped to his knees dumbfounded. Adams still staring up at the nightmarish sight. Sloan continued to scream.

“God.” was all he could utter.

Then he started to hear a countdown. Adams pulled him to his feet.

Sloan was still screaming, but it was instructions. “Debris inbound! Estimate impact in thirty seconds! You’re best bet is north! I’ll keep you updated as long as I can!”

“Sloan?” Commander Gilmore started but Adams pulled him into a leaping jog. The best any astronaut could do on the moon.

“Ten seconds until impact. Commander Gilmore, Lieutenant Adams, it was an honor.” Then she chuckled to herself. “I really wanted to walk on the m…” Her sentence was cut off.

Both Gilmore and Adams knew what that meant and they didn’t stop running. Around them little puffs of dust started to pop up from the surface. The impacts gave no noise, their own panicked breaths was all that filled their ears.

To their left was an explosion of dust as something big hit. Was it the shuttle? A satellite? A chunk of earth? More and more impacts came down all around. Some too close for comfort. They ran hard until one impact landed right behind them throwing them forward and away from one another. Commander Gilmore’s vision went hazy as he nearly lost consciousness.

He raised himself to all fours. The lunar dust that had nearly buried him pouring off his suit like filthy bathwater. Slowly he got to his feet.

“Adams? You there?” He looked around. “Lieutenant?”

“Sir?” Not far away he could see Adams gingerly rising up from a nearby impact crater. His suit completely grey from dust.

Commander Gilmore made his way over to the lieutenant and helped him back to his feet. They looked each other over and paused.

“Sir…Earth?” The two astronauts looked up to see the shattered pieces of their home drifting slowly apart.

“What the hell happened?” Commander Gilmore asked to the sky above them. As if in response, from the blackness a ship appeared. Then another. Then many, many more. Each ship was enormous. They were the size of countries – what used to be countries. Multiple ships flew about in practiced unison hauling away pieces of the astronaut’s former planet to who knows where. In no time at all there was nothing left. That’s when things started to get weirder.

Both men stared up in silent disbelief as more ships showed up. These flew much closer to the moon and were hauling large glistening components. The spaceships danced together connecting this long antenna-like object to this blinking cube. They strung together countless miles of thick cable from one gigantic piece to another, then encasing the inner workings in even more components. On and on it went as the object started to come together. It took on a cylinder shape with a large flat screen down its center. In literally minutes the multitude of ships had assembled what could only be an enormous space station. And then, the enormous screen turned on. The astronauts were greeted with images of aliens. And the aliens were, playing games? And what seemed to be, betting?

“Is that…” Adams started.

Gilmore finished lieutenant’s thought, “a fucking casino?”

Bright pops of energy suddenly appeared overhead as ships of all sizes, shapes and alien configurations began to dock with the station. The two men took a few steps back as several other ships broke off from the group and started to approach the moon’s surface.

“Commander?”

“I see them.” Commander Gilmore tensed as he saw the approaching ships, but also as he viewed his O2 display. It was redlining. There wasn’t much he could do if these ships decided to attack. They couldn’t fight. And they couldn’t run.

As the ships came closer, they spread out and flew over the surface. Actually, it was hard to call them ships. They were very blocky, almost like trailer homes or rv’s. They hissed gasses and blasted their landing jets. One set down just twenty feet away. Parts of it unfurled and

slammed into the ground just in front of them. The structure continued to shift and assemble itself revealing a strange opening bordered with blinking lights. The entrance was glassy; not an airlock that either men were familiar with. The opening more resembled looking through a thin wall of liquid. Above the place, holographic alien lettering popped up.

The two of them looked at one another.

“I’m almost out of air sir.” Said Adams.

“Me too.” Commander Gilmore agreed.

They looked back at the building and moved forward. As they reached the entrance, Gilmore extended his arm and touched it. His hand went right through. He didn’t feel anything and when he pulled his hand back the entrance quivered like a soap bubble.

The two astronauts walked cautiously through the barrier and looked around. A chime could be heard as they emerged inside. The floor was patterned in black and white checkerboard. Booths lined the walls, though some seats were very strange. The place had a very alien, yet familiar feel to it.

From the back of the place wobbled over a somewhat humanoid alien. The best way to describe it would be to ask someone to imagine if a walrus and a chihuahua had a baby. This lumbering creature clad in colorful metallic overalls eyed them with its oversized twitchy pupils. It paused and placed the orange boxes it was carrying on the floor. The creature walked slowly over to them. It placed its meaty fists on its sides and bubbled out something which the two astronauts assumed was its way of asking what the hell they were doing there.

Commander Gilmore held up his hand in greeting. But before he attempted to speak Adams started to wheeze.

“Commander…” Adams began before he fell to one knee.

“Adams!” Gilmore could also see the warning lights flashing on his heads up display.

Gilmore looked up to the creature not knowing if it would understand anything. Would they die there? The creature seemed to, roll its eyes? It moved back to where it came from. Gilmore held Adam’s hand as he felt himself getting lightheaded as well. Then something grabbed his helmet and yanked it off. Strange smells engulfed his nose and his lungs started to burn. This was definitely not air he could breathe. The creature hit the release on Adams helmet and yanked that off as well. Adams gagged and wheezed. There was something slapped onto the

back of both of their heads. Hoses zipped around, up their noses and over their mouths. They were soon breathing easily again.

The creature held out six small metal spheres. It pointed to their ears and their mouths. They took the twitchy metal marbles and gave the creature a puzzled look. It grunted almost irritatedly and pointed to the balls, then to the men’s ears and mouths. They slowly put the tiny metal things against their ears. The spheres grew legs and ran up their ear canals. The sensation was shocking and quickly their ears were ringing sharply causing them pain.

The creature burbled again, but now they could understand it. “Can you little pink idiots understand me yet?”

The two humans nodded weakly.

“Good. Now swallow the other two so I don’t have to put up with your weird squeaking.” It said crossing its flipper arms.

Gilmore and Adams did what the creature demanded and again there was a lot of pain.

“That hurts!” Adams blurted out.

“Of course it does. Translation bots have to burrow into your flesh to work correctly.” The creature said matter of factly. “Now, what are you two doing here? My place doesn’t open for another day.”

Commander Gilmore couldn’t take any more. “What the hell do you mean?” He bellowed advancing on the much larger being. “You blew up our planet! You killed everyone we know! The two of us are the last human beings in existence.” He was pointing accusingly between this creatures bulbous eyes.

“Easy there little guy. I didn’t kill anybody. If you’re talking about the little blue planet that was broken up. It was purchased by the Orion Gambling Federation giving them rights to set up an operation in this sector.” The creature’s flipper arms were flapping away as it explained.

“What the hell are you talking about? How could they buy our planet? There were over seven billion people living there!” Gilmore’s finger was now shaking.

“Happens all the time. Listen, you’re from a younger planet with a very young race so I can understand how all of this is shocking. You just lost everyone you knew. Your home is gone. I get that.”

The two astronauts stood dumbstruck. Earth was bought, destroyed and replaced with a casino.

“Gone.” Adams whispered.

Gilmore put his hand on the lieutenant’s shoulder. Adams swept it away.

“We’re nothing to them. To that!” Adams pointed at the large alien in front of them.

“Hey.” said the offended creature.

“Easy now lieutenant.” said Gilmore trying to calm his friend.

Adams stood still and looked off into the distance.

“What does it matter?”

Gilmore tried to grab his friend before he ran through the barrier to the cold vacuum outside, but could not. The commander fumbled for his helmet and jammed it on his suit, clicking it into place. He grabbed the other helmet and ran out the barrier. Gilmore reached the

lieutenant and was about to place the helmet on his friend, but stopped. Adams was kneeling in the grey dust looking skyward with lifeless icy eyes.

Gilmore slumped to the ground, his helmet’s O2 sensor blaring. Maybe Adams was right. What does it matter. The moon became blurry then black.

Commander Gilmore was awakened by enjoyable singing, and, an electrical shock.

“Aaah!” he yelped.

“Quiet down.” said the irritated alien as it poked at him.

“You’ll be fine so long as you don’t go back out there without your suit refilled. The device I gave you only alters available air into what you need. Doesn’t work in a vacuum.”

Gilmore sat up, “Good to know.” Then he remembered.

“Adams!”

“Yeah. Your friend didn’t fair so well. Too much damage.”

Commander Gilmore put his head in his hands.

“Hey, don’t worry buddy. You can get him fixed up after you earn enough.” the large creature smiled. At least Gilmore thought it was a smile.

“Fix him? But he’s dead? He…” Gilmore stopped in mid sentence when he saw his friend’s head floating in front of him. Wires and tubes were connecting Adam’s head to a device that appeared to be a floating speaker. The lieutenant’s head was singing a song Gilmore had never heard before.

The Commander jumped to his feet in both horror and disgust.

“What did you do to him?” Gilmore shouted.

The bulbous creature put up its hands, “Calm down. Your friend’ll be fine once you earn enough to fix the damage.” The being glanced at the head and shrugged.

“As for separating his head, I thought it would help.”

Gilmore, enraged, shoved the big alien. Its blubbery belly shook.

“How the hell is that supposed to help?”

The being looked confused and then said, “Oooh. I see. Yeah, I suppose that seeing your buddy’s head cut off would look odd to you.”

Commander Gilmore was about to blurt out something when the alien cut him off.

“Your friend’s in stasis. His body’s in a pod out back.”

Gilmore still had a shocked look on his face so the alien continued.

“Listen pal, to fix up your ‘Adams’ after going out into a vacuum is expensive. Believe it or not, removing his head isn’t a big deal. Orion medicine is way out there. They can fix pretty much anything.”

“But why is his head on that floating…thing?”

“Well,” it began, “While the two of you were out I got to thinking. I said to myself, ‘Hey Yorble’, that’s my name by the way thanks for asking. I said, ‘Hey Yorble.’ You need some help in your new place don’t you? Why not use these two?’”

Gilmore blinked a few times trying to process all this.

Yorble continued, “I figured you could take customer orders and bus the tables. Though your friend’s options were more, well, limited.”

Gilmore looked over at his friend’s floating, and singing, head while Yorble continued.

“I thought, what can I do to bring in customers at my new location?” The alien paused for dramatic effect.

“Entertainment! Your buddy would make for a great jukebox.”

Commander Gilmore felt his legs get shaky so he sat at a booth.

Six months later, Commander Gilmore was bussing a table where a couple of Flamorians had just sat. He would need the hard scrubber to remove the slime. If he didn’t, it would start growing.

“Order up!” yelled Yorble.

Gilmore walked around a spherical Robotobo and picked up the order of fried tuskart with a side of baked vinatoes. He figured the furry little Boofax at table three ordered it.

After dropping off the order, Commander Gilmore looked over at the crowd gathered at the front of the cafe. The various aliens cheering as decapitated Adams sang a song that sounded a lot like Blue Suade Shoes. Adams was a hit and Yorble made sure Gilmore received all the tips left for the floating head. The funds were really mounting up. When he first started, Gilmore thought it would take ten years to save up the astronomical sum required to bring Adams back from near-death. But with Adam’s popularity, it may only take two.

With all the extra funds, Gilmore had been able to treat himself. The orbiting casino turned out to be not that bad after all. It was a great stress reliever. When he first started going, he would spend a night there once a week, tops. Nowadays though

it’s become two or three a week. The Commander really enjoyed the gambling.

Feeling the weight of the tip money filling his pocket, Gilmore glanced over at his friend floating amongst the aliens. Adams seemed to look back at him.

“Maybe we could wait a little longer before we get you fixed up Adams. After all, you’re not going anywhere.”

Sergey Lavrov’s BRICS Announcement: No New Members for Now

Every time a new member nation tries to join BRICS+, the United States attacks it. Color revolutions, coups, sanctions, outright and direct wars are the norm.

Now the existing BRICS+ members are setting up defense “antibodies” to counter United States efforts before future announcements. Oh, it seems like a slowing down, but it is a pause and an adoption of strong strengthening measures.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

The dough for this one is an adaptation from an Oregano Bread recipe that I found in The Bread Machine Cookbook #1. I’ve made a lot of these over the years for family get-togethers, potluck and holidays. It’s always one of the first things to disappear from the table, and so my boys usually beg me to make a second loaf to leave at home for them to devour unchallenged.

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Romano or blended cheese
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Filling

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 to 1 1/2 cups (approximate) mozzarella cheese
12 to 16 ounces sliced pepperoni
Dried oregano, basil, onion and garlic powder

Also Helpful To Have Handy

A small bowl of lukewarm water
One or two large thin-bladed spatulas
A large wire rack for cooling
Clean cookie sheet, cutting board or cardboard flat if transporting

Instructions

Please follow the instructions in the booklet for your bread machine for best results. The order in which to add ingredients may vary per manufacturer.
Grease or spray a heavy cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and dust with cornmeal. When dough is done remove from breadmaker and roll out on a well-floured surface into a long rectangle a little shorter than your baking sheet. Spread with tomato paste just to within 1 inch of the edge all around. Sprinkle tomato paste with herbs and spices and then mozzarella cheese. Lay slightly overlapping slices of pepperoni over all. Roll up carefully from the long sides as you would a jellyroll. Wet the seam and ends and gently press and smear them together.
Lift carefully supporting the middle and place seam side down on prepared sheet. Let rise about 15-25 minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until top is well-browned and bread looks done.
Don’t be alarmed if it springs a leak and oozes – it’ll still taste great. It will stick in that spot but the spatula(s) will help get it off the sheet. Cool on the sheet until you can handle it and then carefully loosen it from the pan and slide it onto a wire rack to cool enough to wrap. It can be wrapped warm in aluminum foil, and I usually do it that way so that it s still a little warm when I get to my destination. A cookie sheet or cardboard flat underneath makes it much easier to transport without bending and cracking it – it tends to be soft when warm.
Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices and watch it disappear!
Store leftovers in the fridge – if you ever have any. I never do!

Notes

Reviewed by mes16121 Tuesday Dec 6th, 2005 08:03 pm.

I made this tonight I have to tell you that this is SO YUMMY! I added some extra toppings…peppers, onions and chopped mushrooms. The bread baked so pretty…did not crack at all! The bread itself was so soft! It was gone in no time! My family wants me to make this at least once a week. Thanks for posting this wonderful recipe!

If you bake bread, you should have this commercial dough conditioner.

Attribution

Posted by cuteascountry_Shortcake at The Cutting Board (Recipe Goldmine) Thursday Oct 20th, 2005 10:35 pm.

This delicious and cheesy pepperoni pizza bread is a delicious twist to the classic pizza recipe. Made with hoagie rolls and fresh mozzarella cheese, these individual pizza breads are sure to please all the pizza lover’s out there.

Pizza bread is one of the most popular snacks out there. There’s a good reason for its popularity. It’s amazingly delicious! As always, I love putting a spin on a classic. You’ve probably had pizza bread made with something like Italian or French bread, but have you ever had it made with hoagie rolls? If you haven’t, then get ready for a great new way to enjoy a classic!

I used to make this delicious pizza bread variation all the time when my kids were in school. It was just one of the many recipes that my children and their friends would descend upon like locusts after school. The thing is that it’s so good, I still make it just as often as I ever did!

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

I begin this recipe by roasting my own garlic. It’s easy to do and adds so much flavor. I use it to make roasted garlic butter that I slather all over the rolls before baking them to golden, crispy perfection. This adds depth of flavor AND keeps the pizza bread from getting soggy. After that, I top the rolls with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and two kinds of pepperoni for the ultimate pepperoni pizza flavor. Then, I just bake it until melty and scarf it down! Oh, it’s so good.

Why You’ll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Bread Recipe

It has fresh mozzarella, mini pepperonis, pepperoni chunks, and seasoned garlic butter on hoagie rolls.
It’s a hearty, delicious, easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love and enjoy.
Add all your favorite pizza toppings.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread Ingredients

This delicious pepperoni pizza bread only uses a few simple ingredients.

Submarine rolls or hoagie rolls
Head of garlic, roasted
Olive oil
Salt
Butter
Oregano
Basil
Pizza sauce
Fresh mozzarella
Mini pepperonis
Boar’s Head pepperoni

How to make Pepperoni Pizza Bread

The recipe might sound complicated, but it really only has a couple of moving parts. In reality, it only takes a few simple steps to make.

Step 1: Roast the Garlic

Cut off the top ¼ of a garlic bulb and place it on a 5×5 piece of foil. Then, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and fold the foil up tightly around the bulb. Air fry at 390 for 20 minutes or bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 2: Make the Garlic Butter

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove it from the foil and squeeze the garlic out of the bulbs into a small bowl. Add the softened butter, oregano, and basil and mix until combined.

Step 3: Toast the Rolls

Spread the garlic butter over the inside of the rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 4: Add Toppings

Remove the bread halves and spread top them both with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and both types of pepperoni.

Step 5: Bake

Bake again at 400 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Recipe Tips

Be careful not to cut too much of the garlic bulb off. You only need to cut far enough down to allow you to easily press the roasted garlic out after it’s finished cooking.
Fully soften the butter so all the garlic and herbs can be easily combined.
Be sure you cut your pepperoni into small chunks so they get hot on the inside and crispy on the outside.
If you decide to use another meat like Italian sausage, fully cook the meat first so it’s fully cooked and wont’ make a greasy mess of your pizza bread.

Variations

Use can use any of your favorite cheese varieties for this recipe.
Top your pizza bread with other favorites like sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, and olives.
Add a kick of heat with some red pepper flakes in the garlic butter.

What to Serve with Pepperoni Pizza Bread

You can make a full meal of this pizza bread, or you can serve it as part of a larger Italian-themed dinner. Try pairing it with garlic bread, cheesy bread, mozzarella sticks, cheesy bread, pasta, and the like.

Recipe FAQ

What is the best substitute for pizza dough?

You can use pita bread, naan, crescent dough, Italian bread, French bread, hoagie rolls, or even English muffins in place of pizza dough.

What type of bread is pizza bread?

There is no real single kind of bread used for pizza bread. Italian and French bread are used primarily, but sub rolls, hoagie rolls, and other types of bread like English muffins are also used for pizza bread.

Can pepperoni pizza bread be made in advance?

I don’t recommend making this pizza bread in advance. Although it can be reheated relatively well, it’s never as crunchy, melty, and delicious as it is when it’s straight out of the oven.

What’s the difference between pizza crust and bread dough?

While both pizza dough and bread dough are made with salt, water, oil, and flour, the ratios are quite different to achieve their different goals. Bread dough is designed to rise high and has more water content than pizza dough which is intended to rise but not nearly to the level of bread dough.

Can you freeze leftover pepperoni pizza bread?

Pizza bread freezes well and will last for up to 3 months when stored correctly.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Refrigerate this pizza bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, place the pizza bread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted again.

Try This Delicious Pepperoni Pizza Bread Recipe Today

This pepperoni pizza bread is as easy to make as it is delicious. Even roasting the garlic is a snap! With so much buttery, garlicky, pizza-licious flavor, this is one of the best pizza bead recipes you’ll ever make. Try it just once, and you’ll be hooked. It’s perfect for almost any occasion so give it a go!

Vet Hugs Dying 15-year-old Cat. A Minute Later, Something Totally Unexpected Happens!

What was the last thing your mother said to you?

”Goodnight Hon, love you !”

I replied “Night, love you too and thank you for the pot of soup”

My Mom had been sick a long time and we were all aware this would happen eventually.

It’s been almost 16 years (July 7 2008) Man do I miss her something fierce still.

Alien (1979) Transmission Distress – Extended Scene (2018)

Ukraine SitRep: State And Military Continue to Deteriorate

The Ukrainian state and its military are falling apart.

Under the new mobilization law the Ukrainian military is said to recruit/mobilize some 5,000 men per day. This is sufficient to replace current losses which are above 2,000 men per day. But the quality and level of training the new forces have is way below the level needed to survive on the frontline.

Losses are high because the mass use of Russian FAB glide-bombs is eliminating all identified agglomeration of forces. Ukraine has found no way to counter these.

For lack of armored vehicles several of the new brigades which were supposed to be mechanized will be pure infantry forces. They will be able to hold positions until they are bombed but will not have the means to attack.

The high rate of mobilization has led to a lack of men power in the rest of the society. Agricultural and industrial productions are down. People who can afford to do so avoid taking jobs for fear of being identified for military service. Others attempt to flee abroad (machine translation):

In the Odessa region, an attempt to illegally travel abroad was stopped by 100 men at once. They had to cross the border on foot and paid from 5 to 18,5 thousand dollars for this.This is reported by the State Bureau of Investigation.

In revenge for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure the Russian forces continue to dismantle Ukraine’s capacities. The electricity network is on the verge of falling apart. Electricity is only available for 10 hours per day. A few Russian hits on those switching stations which receive supply from Europe could finish it off.

The Ukrainian state is bankrupt:

Figures vary, and the Ukrainian government is increasingly coy about releasing economic data sets, but the Ukraine’s economy is currently around $180-190bn in size. To put that into context, that is around 11 times smaller than Russia’s economy and 131 times smaller than the US economy.
…
According to politico, Ukraine borrowed $58bn in 2022, $46bn in 2023 and is set to borrow $52bn in 2024. So, in just three years, Ukraine will have borrowed 82% of GDP.Ukraine needs to borrow this much because its government spends almost twice as much each year as it receives in income from taxation and other sources.

The Central Bank of Ukraine is trying to help by devaluating its currency. Over the last six month it lost about 10% of its value. The further ‘printing’ of money, which will heat up inflation, is expected.

Private lenders continue to ask for repayments of loans:

Ukraine has suffered a setback in its quest to complete the outline of a debt restructuring before the end-of-August expiry of a two-year payment freeze agreed by private holders of near $20 billion in outstanding international bonds.The government announced on Monday it had not reached agreement with a group of bondholders, raising the specter that the war-torn country might slip into default.

The blame game for the worsening of Ukraine’s military positions is costing the jobs of more commanders (machine translation):

Against the background of the continuing difficult situation for Ukraine at the front, public criticism of the AFU command is growing.MP Mariana Bezuglaya again spoke out against Commander-in-Chief Syrsky. She said that after receiving his position, he could not “go beyond” outdated management methods and became “even more authoritarian”.

“In this stressful situation, against the background of this huge responsibility, he has become even more authoritarian, increasingly tightening the screws and returning to the so – called classic techniques of the Soviet army,” Bezuglaya said in an interview with journalist Natalia Moseychuk.

She bases her opinion on messages that come to her from the military.

Recall that the People’s Deputy began to actively “wet” the commander-in-chief, as she had previously done with Zaluzhny, who was later dismissed.

However, in addition to Syrsky, she criticizes much harsher Yuriy Sodol is the commander of the Joint Forces and the Khortytsia group, which operates in the Pokrovsky direction (where the AFU has been losing ground most actively in recent months).

A number of activists like Serhiy Sternenko are also in solidarity with Bezugla in their antipathy to the general.

And yesterday the campaign against Sodol was joined by the chief of staff of” Azov ” Bogdan Krotevich. He said that he had filed an application with the State Bureau of Investigation against the Ukrainian general for committing “war crimes”.

Yesterday evening Sodol was replaced by a former leader of the 36th Marine Brigade who’s track record is in no way better that Sodol’s.

Syrski will be the next to fall.

The Russian forces now have the men and equipment to largely overrun the Ukrainian lines. But doing so would cost a significant amount of casualties. They are therefore just waiting for the Ukrainian army to exhaust itself and to fall by its own means. Only after a large scale breakdown of Ukrainian defenses will the order be given to proceed.

Posted by b at 11:26 UTC | Comments (265)

Dangerous escalation w/ Brian Berletic

YouTube AI cult generations regarding Super Panavision 70

Funny headline from Brookings today:

"Putin and Kim are creating a crisis—Can the US and China rein them in?"

Am I the only one who finds it strange just how blind Western Imperialism is to China's clearly stated "no limits" partnership with Russia. 

The RC in the west is truly insane to believe that they can seek a war over Taiwan and simultaneously expect China to come bail them out when their ridiculous foreign policy gets them into trouble.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Jun 23 2024 17:08 utc | 7

Ah, the AI tools are impacting everything. And today, we will focus on a sub-group that I call “Super Panavision 70”. There are a ton of these self-produced YouTube flicks using AI in this format and they are amazing.

But first…

What is Super Panavision 70?

Film Format: Super Panavision 70 is a 70mm film format used for motion pictures. It provides a larger film frame compared to standard 35mm film, resulting in higher resolution and more detailed images.
Aspect Ratio: It typically has an aspect ratio of 2.20:1, which is wider than the traditional 1.37:1 (Academy ratio) and the more common 1.85:1 widescreen formats. This aspect ratio allows for a more immersive cinematic experience with a broader visual field.
Lens and Camera System: Super Panavision 70 uses spherical lenses rather than anamorphic lenses. This means the images captured are not distorted and do not require “unsqueezing” during projection, as with some other widescreen formats like Cinemascope.
Image Quality: The combination of 70mm film and spherical lenses results in exceptionally high image quality, with rich colors and fine detail. This makes it suitable for epic films and scenes that benefit from a grand, sweeping visual presentation.

…

But…

You see, this format is used with AI generation to create these very weird and strange parody or obscure videos based on earlier movies and television shows, and some of them are just…

…well, see for your self.

I have about ten short one minute videos in this post regarding this, and it is well worth your time to watch every one of them.

Today…

OMG

We start with some inspiration.

What did the teacher in your high school get fired for?

Gossip! False reporting! Both! I was long graduated but I saw this coming, in fact, I warned that teacher if she “didn’t shut up and stop stirring the pot with frivolous reporting and gossiping it would come back to haunt her!” She laughed in my face.

On an ego trip! Bad enough, she was a special education teacher on top of everything!

What happened that got her terminated? Well, she reported a student as “suicidal” and “displaying bi-polar behavior” and in addition she “claimed” she had found “drugs” in the student’s purse after “she claimed the student stole her stuff from her desk”!

She didn’t like this particular student because that student was very popular, plus she was cute, boys were attracted to her.

Yes, this teacher’s obsession went too far! She got that student suspended twice, and both times the mother took her to the clinic due to “drugs” and both times she came up negative. One big mistake was the student’s Uncle is a well known lawyer!

Let’s put it this way, he filed a lawsuit against the School System, against the Teacher and against the School that student was attending! They won the case hands down, and the student was transferred to another school and was doing exceptionally well there, and made it to the Principal’s List (as they call it today) as straight A student!

That “special Ed” Teacher constantly gave her F’s and D’s, wrote all kinds of notes and none were true!
That particular student knew me, and I was subpoena to testify. The School system claimed “immunity” but the Judge sided with the Lawyer, immunity can only go so far!

They won the lawsuit, the teacher was going to be terminated but she “resigned” before they could terminate her. They also imposed a “restriction” (she could not be around with anyone under the age of 21). That teacher almost lost custody of her own children (because of the testimonies from students – present and former, plus assistants/tutors who also testified).

While the Jury sided with the plaintiff, however, it was the Judge that constrained her as he was very concerned about her 2 children, the HRS (today is DCF/CPI) were required to visit twice a week until the child was of 19 years of age! He was concerned because of the mother’s mental state as he said it right there “Narcissistic Power Control”.

Because of that “restriction” the mother could not leave the county without a hearing. Once her youngest child turned 19, they sold the home and moved away quickly!

Weird Science – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

Man, oh man!

What was the cleverest thing you said to someone walking away?

I was in this Big-Bazaar type super-market the other day.

So, I was waiting in the billing line.

The young lady before me was retaining the billed goods in trolley as slowly as possible.

I mean for an outsider, it would be like, the supermarket is conducting a patience-check limit trial with me as subject.

Finally, she was done.

Her husband or brother, as I saw, surreptitiously placed two stolen Park avenue beer shampoo bottles in that billed trolley. The lady was ignorant of it.

I think, he was her husband. He looked quite patient and unhappy.

They moved forward. Finally, mine was getting billed.

The bill-guy kept looking at her as she was leaving. I pleaded, brother please make my bill.

But he couldn’t help distraction, she too wouldn’t just get her a** out of there fast.

She was so slow and hence so near. I could hear what they were talking.

Lady (to husband) : Hey, what’s these shampoo bottles?

Man : It was a discount. Separate counter.

Lady : How much discount.

I shouted : 100%.

Lady didn’t understand. Man at once looked back, kept those bottles there, held her hands, forgot patience and got her vanished.

The excitement of billing guy got diluted. In turn, he became concentrated and in a split-second prepared my bill.

Can you describe what it was like to ride on an Army Huey helicopter during the Vietnam War?

Riding on an Army UH-1 “Huey” helicopter during the Vietnam War was a unique and intense experience that left a lasting impression on those who lived through it. Here’s a description based on accounts from veterans and historical sources:

The Approach

As a soldier approached the landing zone (LZ) to board the Huey, the first sensation was often the overwhelming noise. The distinct “whop-whop” of the rotor blades could be heard from a distance, growing louder as the helicopter approached. The downwash from the rotors kicked up dust and debris, and the thick smell of aviation fuel filled the air.

Boarding

Boarding a Huey was typically hurried and chaotic, especially in a combat zone. Soldiers, often weighed down by their gear and weapons, would quickly pile in. There were no luxuries; seating was on metal benches along the sides, or sometimes directly on the floor. The doors were usually open, providing an unobstructed view outside and a rush of wind once airborne.

Takeoff

The takeoff was quick and steep. The Huey would lift off the ground with a sense of urgency, sometimes swaying slightly as it gained altitude. The open doors meant soldiers could look straight down at the rapidly shrinking landscape. The vibrations from the rotors and the engine could be felt throughout the entire airframe.

In Flight

During the

flight, the noise was deafening. Communication among passengers was nearly impossible without shouting or using hand signals. The wind whipped through the open doors, and the ride could be rough, especially in turbulent weather or when taking evasive maneuvers to avoid enemy fire. The view was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, with the dense jungle, rice paddies, and winding rivers below.

The Landing

Landing in a hot LZ (an area under potential enemy fire) was particularly intense. The approach would be fast and steep, with the helicopter descending rapidly. Pilots often performed a “combat landing,” where the Huey would descend sharply and touch down quickly to minimize the time spent vulnerable to enemy fire. The sudden deceleration and jarring contact with the ground added to the adrenaline rush.

Disembarking

Once on the ground, soldiers would rapidly disembark, sometimes under fire. The urgency was palpable as they moved out to secure the area or head to their mission objectives. The Huey would not linger; as soon as the soldiers were clear, it would lift off again, often as quickly as it had landed.

Emotional Impact

The experience of riding in a Huey was a mix of fear, excitement, and camaraderie. The constant threat of enemy fire, combined with the raw power and mechanical presence of the helicopter, left a deep impression. For many, the sound of a Huey became synonymous with both the danger and the lifeline of their time in Vietnam.

Futurama – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

How many men were drafted for the Vietnam War and served on active duty in combat roles?

In 1966, before draft lottery, I was in a body cast from a car accident and had to drop out of school going to my sophomore year. I had a Rx for Darvon and Robaxin, pain killer and muscle relaxant. I was called for the draft physical and could not bend to touch my knees. I was told I would get a good physical at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Myself and a couple of hundred other kids from Pittsburgh were herded on to a train heading South.

I was given an open Rx on Darvon and Robaxin and put into basic training. I had to sleep on a board because a sagging bunk killed my back! I was also 20:400 vision and classified “non combat” arms. I was near legally blind.

Officers in combat in Vietnam did not last long and they needed officers. I tested out well and was offered Officer Candidate School. Why not? I was non combat arms.

Upon graduation, someone, without my knowledge, put me in for a wavier to be combat arms! I ended up with the First Cavalry in Vietnam, leading a platoon in jungle combat. I was exceptionally fortunate and made it home!

Most of my men were wounded at least once. I lost some in combat.

Because I only had one year of college, I was a Lieutenant at 20 years old. I doubt that would happen today! They just needed officers for combat rolls. Looking back, that is a lot of responsibility for a kid… leading 30 other kids in combat and having to make split second decisions and they had to be right or people died!

The draft was horrible and unfair and many died in an unnecessary war because of it! I was lucky and blessed with bonus days. Thank you Lord for giving me the opportunity of a full life!

What screams “I can fight”?

Our ship pulled into a fishing port to ride out a storm. A bunch of us went to a bar, that has a reputation as being dangerous, but there was little choice in town.

These are the type of towns where people stick up for each other and against outsiders. I have seen more than one brawl.

One guy who had been on our crew for years, and was the nicest guy, and the only one to wear fashionable clothes, and trim his beard, was up at the bar. He was getting beers for us, when he got into a yelling match with a guy at the bar. He must have looked like the weakest link. I don’t know what was said, but our shipmate kicked the other guy in the head, he didn’t fall, so he kicked him again, and then kicked him in the privates and he just crumbled, without throwing a punch.

Our shipmate didn’t look back and just brought our beers back to us. I don’t know why it happened, and I was a little upset that our shipmate struck the first blow, but watching a guy beat someone up, without spilling his beer, seemed to actually cool the mood in the bar. If the guy who looked like a dandy, can do that, they didn’t want to bother us. We finished up our beers, left a huge tip and left as a group, before anything else could happen.

I never asked him where he learned to fight, we sailed together for a couple more years, and I never saw him do it again.

The Coming Societal Breakdown of America with #PeterTurchin

Everyone knows that America has become a plutocracy.

What was the most satisfying thing that you saw happen to someone in your party who tried to get out of paying their part of the check at a restaurant?

At the culmination of a convivial evening filled with laughter and shared stories , the moment of reckoning arrived—the presentation of the bill . As each diner reached for their wallets , one individual , let ‘s call him Ethan , exhibited a peculiar reluctance . With a sheepish grin , he stammered excuses about having forgotten his wallet and being short on cash . The table grew silent , a palpable tension hanging in the air . The weight of Ethan ‘s attempted evasion fell heavily on the shoulders of his companions , who had generously covered his expenses throughout the evening . A chorus of voices rose in protest , each expressing their disappointment and frustration . Undeterred , Ethan doubled down on his excuses , claiming he had no other means of paying . The atmosphere grew increasingly acrimonious as the group debated whether to let Ethan off the hook or hold him accountable . Finally , our server , a woman with a steely gaze and a no-nonsense demeanor , intervened . She calmly informed Ethan that if he could not pay his portion , he would have to leave his ID and return to settle the bill at a later time . Ethan ‘s bravado crumbled before her unwavering gaze . With a heavy sigh , he retrieved his ID , his face flushed with embarrassment . As he made his sheepish exit , the table erupted in a mix of laughter and relief . Ethan ‘s attempt to avoid his financial responsibility had backfired spectacularly . Not only was he forced to face the consequences of his actions , but he also lost the respect of his companions . * * Engaging sentence : * * Discover more satisfying tales of accountability in the link in my bio , where karma reigns supreme and justice is served with a side of sweet retribution .

What is the most absent-minded thing you’ve done today?

Not today but a year ago.

I was tensed. I believe the stress had entered each of my nerves. I got to know something that was weird and unexpected. It had knocked the wind out of me.

People change I knew. But to this extent? I was unable to take it.

I felt deceived. Couldn’t sleep for the whole night. The next morning, I had to go for Covid Vaccination which I had scheduled long back. I couldn’t cancel it.

I was driving to the place which was 12 kilometres away from my home. I was lost in my own world though I was constantly convincing myself.

“Let people do what they want. If I don’t exist for them, they too don’t exist for me. I am happy with my child who gives me a goal. I don’t care about anyone now”, I kept telling this to myself while the tears were rolling down without listening to a word.

The road was straight and then, at one point, I had to turn right which I forgot. I kept on driving straight and took extra 6 kilometres. Suddenly, I realised I was completely in a new place.

With a lost mind, I asked the traffic police about the location and he told me that I had to take a U-turn to reach my destination.

I took.

However, that day I realised that some U-turns are never possible in real life. If you still try to take this U-turn, it will only lead you to miseries. So the sooner we adapt to change, the better we get.

Now, I have learnt to burn my anger in this flame.

The Matrix – 1950s Super Panavision 70

"The Matrix - 1950s Super Panavision 70 introduces a new take on the world's famous The Matrix Film. I attempted to give it that 1950s sound and feel. I hope you all enjoy."

United States military attacks Russian civilians enjoying a beach outing

Not Ukrainians. They were not operating the drone.

United States operated the drone out of the United States.

The command centers for the operation of the U.S. “Global Hawk” drones are primarily located at two key facilities:

1. Beale Air Force Base in California: Beale AFB is home to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, which operates the RQ-4 Global Hawk. This base plays a significant role in the command, control, and operational management of Global Hawk missions.

2. Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota: Grand Forks AFB hosts the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, which also operates and supports Global Hawk missions. This base provides operational support and command functions for the drones.

These command centers are responsible for coordinating and managing the flights, mission planning, data collection, and analysis of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, remote piloting stations can control the Global Hawks from various other locations, including forward-deployed sites and central command facilities.

And Russia knows this.

Let’s wind back and deconstruct.

An attack with U.S.-Supplied ATACMS missiles, by Ukraine, against civilians on a Beach in Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia has occurred.

Now, we find out that ATACMS could not get targeting coordinates because of Russian GPS Electronic Warfare Jamming, so targeting was apparently provided by a U.S. “Global Hawk” Drone.

It looks like United States military inside the United States targeted those Russian Civilians inside of Russia.

So the United States is actively fighting Russia.

No Ukrainians anywhere.

Russian Jamming of Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) has been long underway near Crimea specifically to thwart Ukrainian attacks. The areas in red on the image above are where GPS signals CANNOT get through. So how did those ATACMS hit the target in Sevastopol?

Turns out there was a United States Air Force “Global Hawk” surveillance drone airborne, prior to – and during – the attack. It’s overlapping flight path is shown on the FlightRadar24 map below:

That “Global Hawk” drone can provide precise target coordinates, separate and distinct from GPS. Those coordinates could then be radioed to be programmed-into the HIMARS launcher, which fired the ATACMS missiles.

The evidence seems to indicate: The attack upon Russian civilians, on the beach in Sevastopol, appears to have been targeted with a United States Air Force Global Hawk drone, which relied on US Satellite data and communications to provide attack coordinates.

This appears to many people to have been an act of war by the United States, against Russian civilians.

…

This is NOT a trivial matter.

This is the kind of thing that starts nuclear missiles flying.

Southpark – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

“United States is pressuring the Netherlands to block the sale of EUV equipment to SMIC by Dutch company ASML is ultimately affecting China’s dream in technology”. How long US can resist China’s development?

The Chinese are the most industrious race on earth.

Necessity is the mother of Invention

The Chinese will find a way. The more you suppress them and the more you try to deny them the technology – they will begin to make it on their own and they will slowly do better and better.

Chips is the best example

As long as Taiwan kept supplying them the chips – The Chinese were happy. They focused on other things

The Minute Trump decided to threaten the Chinese – they decided to get their act together and start making their own chips. They will start with inferior ones but in 10 years – they will outmanufacture Taiwan at 1/3 the cost and take away the market.

And the businessmen will say – “Uigyurs???? Who gives a damn about them. My shareholders matter” and will migrate from Taiwan to China in 10 seconds.

The US may try again and again but

(a) They waited too long. China is too rich today. They have too much money.

(b) China has too many tentacles in foreign countries. Thousands of Chinese in various industries who are experts

In Space alone – China was behind India until 2010 – but today – they have their own Mapping System for their huge landmass as well as are in the position of becoming the Third country in the globe to land on Mars – having landed on the moon.

China and Russia are on the verge of building their own International Space Station having both the financial muscle and technology.

You cannot bully or intimidate or stifle Progress. Eventually Life finds a way.

US should learn this lesson hard. The more they try – they may get 10 years more but in the end China will get there and take over.

20 Things From The 1980s, We Can No Longer Do!

https://youtu.be/IVGJEB3u-wE

I just got fired. Now my former boss (the one who let me go) is asking me where some important documents are. How should I respond?

Don’t.

I worked for a corporation for about 15 years. Absolutely loved my work.

The thing about my job was that after your one and a half year training/supervison, you were able to choose your own work schedule, per the employee manual. You could work from home. You could work from overseas. You could work while sitting on your toilet. You could do your work from anywhere, anytime, so long as you met “production.” It was a dream position.

So, shortly after that year and a half of training, I eventually started working sometimes nights and sometimes weekends. Typically not during the day. Co-workers were a bit eccentric, off center, yet brilliant attorneys. I preferred my alone time, thank you.

I eventually took up residence in a different city. I typically had one of the highest production rates (sometimes highest) of all my fellow colleagues. All top-notch, well-educated colleagues, by the way. Loved them all.

Then, I started working at a law firm where I worked days. But I continually exceeded “production” for my initial company.

At around the 15 year mark, my two supervisors, who were very ineffectual (Peter Principle) at their positions (not even attorneys), discovered I was also working for a law firm.

I suspected they did not like me, for whatever reason. And they also did not like I had another job (not prohibited, per the employee manual).

In my last review, I received an “exceeds expectations.” A few days later, I was instructed to be in the office during “core business hours.” Core? I could never even figure out what “core” meant. Like I need to be in a hole?

Nothing in my job was of immediate import. In my position, people were not going to die or be executed, airplanes would not drop from the sky, pets would still be safe, families would remain intact, if I continued to work my own hours as I had for nearly 14 years. It was a fricking publishing job! I was not a first responder.

I tried to explain to them that the employee manual, which had not been changed, allowed me this, and also, I could not be in the office. I lived in a different city.

Ultimately, I was constructively terminated as I was unable to be in their office for “core business hours.” To the unemployment office (I had to file a claim despite having a new employer), they claimed I had quit, so that they would not need to pay unemployment in the event my other employment did not work. Surprisingly, they won. Unreal. I did not quit. I loved that job.

Fast forward to awhile later. They contacted me needing pertinent information related to my position. Information only I possessed. Rather costly information at that. And I had it for years. Noone else needed it. None of my esteemed colleagues had access to this information.

I never replied.

Turns out, and I heard this from a former colleague, they were both terminated shortly after my departure and their request for information. I cannot speculate as to the reason. But, who cares why? Karma’s a bitch.

Never, ever give a crap employer any assistance after you have been terminated. Employees are so expendable, so never give them the luxury of your experience, knowledge and expertise. Don’t even waste time replying.

However, if you do choose to reply, which I did not, charge them exorbitant fees for your services. Very exorbitant.

Good luck to you. You will also find a much better position.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – 1950s Super Panavision 70

What is the most extreme example of ‘Cold Feet’ you’ve seen from a bride or groom on their wedding day?

Picture a full church of well dressed people waiting for the bride to walk up the aisle.

There is a nervous idiot, me, waiting at the front of the church for her. It was a super quick engagement and I basically asked her to marry me on our first date (very smooth, I know). She is 8 years younger than me and, no exaggeration, a movie star gorgeous blond, so far out of my league that people are mystified by how she could be remotely attracted to me.

I’m not happy on the big day, I’m scared to death that she will realize she is about to make the worst mistake of her life.

All of sudden from the back of the church I hear her crying hysterically. Crap, I knew it. I’m not even surprised. I don’t blame her and it’s not her fault, it’s mine for rushing her.

A few awkward moments minutes that felt like hours passed. Suddenly she and her Dad appeared and they start walking up the aisle toward me. Her dad convinced her that her tears were just nerves and she should go ahead and marry the unemployed guy that had big dreams but was living in his brother’s basement.

We’ve been happily married 33 years now.

[P. S. I should add that I did start and now run a successful multimillion dollar company and have tried to pay my sweet wife back by providing her with what she has described as a fairy tale life :-)]

Collective Soul – ‘Shine’ – Live At The PrintShop

How does the USA balance being a rival of China with reliance on China for being the biggest economy and trade partner in the world?

China sees through the US that it cannot do without China hence it cannot play ball with China without harming itself tremendously. China do not need the US. In any way at all. US as a market is now is a mere 12% of the world market and dropping very fast. China is not keen to keep US dollars post Ukraine war. Hence if the US stop buying and selling with China, it won’t miss a heart beat.

The faster the US decouple with China the faster China can move against the US openly and effectively! Only brain dead westerners thinks China needs the US. The biggest market for Chinese goods is actually East Asia, followed by ASEAN followed by rest of Asia then Latin America and Africa, then Russia and its European friends such as Serbia and Hungary, then comes Rest of EU and then North America!

That explains why China grew 5.3% in spite of the shit that the US and Anglo cousins and EU dogs did to China! But by blocking out China it is indeed losing the rest of the world’s market! What the US is left with is a fading and now insignificant west! After a 3 generation of abusing and bully the global south they are all lining up with the BRICS to take revenge on the US!

And meanwhile the US has increased its cost so artificially high yet its efficiency so unbelievably low to the point that doing any thing on its own is impossible to sell even to Yanks themselves! For example if the apple iPhone were to be made in the USA it will have to be sold at 5000 bucks! On EV’s most brain dead Yanks do not even know the ridiculousness of Elon Musk 5.1 billion bonus request means American are going to pay for it by 5000 bucks increase in their Tesla!

If the US has any sense it needs to cement its position of being China’s right hand man but it is not humble enough nor does it have common sense. The US needs China badly, without them the US will fall into a deep recession and suffers a double digit inflation for half a century! China holds all the cards while the US is a like a hopeless screaming dog!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy is popular all over America. It’s a staple dish on diner menus.

Yield: 6 servings, 2 biscuits each

Ingredients

Biscuits

3 cups self-rising soft wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Butter, melted

Sausage Gravy

1 pound breakfast sausage (mild or hot)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

Bisicuits

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times.
Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes or until golden.
Brush tops with butter.
Split biscuits open; serve with Sausage Gravy.

Sausage Gravy

Brown sausage in a skillet, stirring until it crumbles.
Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Set sausage aside.
Add butter to drippings; heat over low heat until butter melts.
Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in seasonings and sausage. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled.

Family Guy – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

This is one of the better ones.

Have you, while repairing a computer, ever found anything that made your jaw drop?

Not me, the company from which we bought the computer.

We were a start-up providing hosting and ISP services in 1996. We’ve purchased a custom-built server from a renown company. I don’t remember the exact details, but must have costed in the range of 1500–2000 USD.

It worked for a couple of months no problems and then suddenly just failed. The lights were on, whatever was on screen at that time was still there, but the computer stopped responding to anything. Even powering down didn’t work. We’ve eventually completely unplugged it and tried to plug in again, but the computer wasn’t starting anymore (we could only hear the power supply fan).

The computer went back to the supplier. They’ve opened it (obviously we haven’t touched anything, the manufacturer’s seals were intact) and in place where there should be a CPU there was a hole. Not just the majority of the CPU was missing, but a hole went through the motherboard as well. The CPU literally melted. Completely. On further examination the supplier found that the CPU wasn’t properly put in the socket, one of the pins was bent and that most probably was the cause of the short-circuit that led to melting. They’ve tried to blame us for incorrect assembling the computer, but we;d reminded them we’d purchased an already assembled computer and the seals they’d put on it were intact. They eventually very hesitantly accepted their liability.

I can imagine the hole in place of the CPU must have been quite a shocking find.

What is the official justification for China to claim the South China Sea? I’m not talking about strategic reasons.

China has ancient historical record since 230 AD. Some records are official. Some are not & was prepared by fishermen themselves (they are in a museum now).

On some of the islands/shoals in SCS, there were Chinese landmarks. Like these days, China put a landmark on the moon to prove China has landed on the moon.

China even named many of SCS islands/reefs.

People do not recognise Chinese historical record which, they said, it is 1-sided. Not internationally recognised. Fair enough.

Let us talk about modern-day & international record then.

During WW2, Japan occupied lots of SCS islands/reefs. After defeat, Japan must returned all SCS islands to the rightful country like China. US warships accompanied China to reclaim the SCS islands in 1947.

China went by its historical record & drew the 11-dash line. China published & announced its map to the world in Feb 1948. No country objected to it at the time. That is why we can find the 11-dash in the old maps of many countries eg USA, UK, Russia & more. Even Philippines.

The 11-dash is an international record, agree?

There was a civil war in China. CPC defeated the then ruling party KMT in 1949.

KMT was a US puppet but not CPC. … that led to US robbery of SCS islands/reefs by driving a wedge among SCS countries against China.

In 1967, USA announced there is oil/gas under SCS. Robbery officially started.

That is why there is tension in SCS from the point of robbery. Not strategic.

Scooby Doo – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

So much fun! This is five stars!

As a police officer, what’s the most disturbing thing you’ve ever experienced?

Before training as nurse, I was a former cop. My husband was a cop for over 30 years. His most harrowing experience occurred one Christmas Eve.

There was a horrific wreck involving a wrong way driver where a young mother and her two daughters were killed. The crash was so intense that there were were mangled pieces of body parts on the road and in the totaled and burned vehicles.

As a normal procedure, my husband and a fellow officer made the casualty call to the home of the family of the woman. The husband/father answered the door, ushered them in, and they proceeded to tell him what had happened. The heartbroken man could barely speak as he realized he had lost his wife and daughters. Then he asked, “What about my baby boy?” There was no evidence of a baby involved in the wreck.

The officers then went to the wrecker yard where the smashed vehicles had been taken. In the floorboards of the woman’s car was what had been assumed was a doll, burned black by the intense heat of the crash and resultant fire. It was the little boy’s body.

After a long night working the most exhausting, painful, mind wrenching experience of his long career, he came home just in time to play Santa to our 4 year old daughter and our own baby boy. His tears as he held his children were heartbreaking.

My family comes from a long line of military members. Many experience PTSD from horrific experiences over a 1 or 2 year or several deployments. Our career police officers suffer through years, even decades, of witnessing events that the average person will never know the horror of. They see raped children who have been torn open. They see battered wives whose eyeballs are laying on their cheeks, they see the worst of humanity yet are expected to be perfect in every way. They come straight from the funeral of a colleague who has been murdered and are expected to be cordial and patient with dirtbags who are disrespectful of any authority, who has attempted to kill them as well, and who fit the MO of the killer of their fellow officer. They are often not able to talk about it or to seek therapy for to do so could affect their careers.

My son, a military veteran, is now a career police officer. I pray for him every day. God bless our men in women in blue and keep them safe.

BLUE LIVES MATTER.

When the “parody” surpasses the original

Are the current size and data of China’s economy real? Why do some professional economics media believe that China’s economic data is underestimated?

There is indeed such a view.

The Economist has conducted surveys and research, and they believe that China’s GDP (PPP) alone is underestimated by $1.4 trillion.

I checked the relevant data. In 2021, China’s GDP (PPP) was $28.82 trillion, and the United States was $23.59 billion. China is 122% of the United States. If the Economist’s survey is correct, it means that China’s real data is $3.022 trillion, which is 128% of the United States.

China’s economic model retains a dangerous allure

Despite the country’s current struggles, autocrats elsewhere see a lot to admire

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/06/03/chinas-economic-model-retains-a-dangerous-allure

**The Economist has their own basis**

They obtained a lot of professional data from some professional institutions in the United States, which were not originally for economic services. For example, this table is a data from the United States Geological Survey, which lists China’s production and global share of key metals and manufactured products.

In addition, they also obtained data from the power industry, industrial manufactured products, shipbuilding, McDonald’s sales data, and many other data. And these non-economic data are aggregated together to analyze and count the economic scale of China and the United States in another way.

The Economist pointed out the flaws in China’s official GDP statistical method: the Chinese do not consider the service industry to be part of GDP.

For example, in the United States and Europe, many industries that do not produce “products” such as house rent, legal advice, R&D investment, child care, etc. are part of GDP, and they count GDP through expenditure.

But in China, they only count the real economy.

A company must produce cars, toys, clothing or software, food. Farmers or fishermen must produce rice and fish. They sell these things to earn income before they are included in GDP.

Small and medium-sized service industries are usually not counted. If a barbershop provides a haircut, a car wash cleans your car, or you rent your house to a young couple, these economic activities are not considered part of GDP and are almost never counted. (Unless you are a large enterprise with hundreds of shops or dozens of houses)

**”Asia Times” also conducted a similar survey**

World Bank researchers visited 16,000 stores in China alone to collect price data. The latest ICP assessment collected data in 2021, four years after the 2017 survey. The conclusion is that China’s GDP is underestimated by nearly $2 trillion.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was not satisfied with the results and downplayed them, saying “we need to interpret the entire result carefully and correctly grasp the global economic landscape and the status of each economy”, while emphasizing that China is still a “developing economy”.

“Asia Times” believes that China’s economic data has been manipulated intentionally or unintentionally. But contrary to some reports, they believe that China is deliberately suppressing the data.

“China’s PPP GDP is only 25% higher than the US? Come on guys… who are we kidding? Last year, China produced twice as much electricity, 12.6 times as much steel, and 22 times as much cement. Its shipyards account for more than 60% of world production. In 2023, China produced 30.2 million cars, almost three times the US’s 10.6 million. In fact, China’s consumer goods market is several times larger than the US in almost all aspects”

The World Bank survey believes that China’s GDP and PPP GDP are underestimated because of the incomplete transformation of China’s national accounts material product system (MPS), which does not include services by design. The World Bank may do its due diligence and find that China’s consumption of goods is several times that of the US, but its consumption of services is only a small fraction of that of the US, which is very unreasonable.

This is most evident in the Chinese auto market, where OEMs have either cut prices to rock bottom ($17,000 from $42,000 for the Hyundai Sonata) or offered cutting-edge technology at a low price ($14,000 for the BYD Q plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with 2,000 km range). Solar panel prices fell 50% in 2023 and continue to trend downward in 2024. CATL has announced plans to cut lithium-ion battery prices in half by the end of 2024.

Restaurants offer white glove service, such as hot towels, lotions by the sink, and stylish decor. Barbers offer bottled water and fruit plates. Tech companies have slashed the price of large language models (LLMs) to essentially free. The quality of service in China is hard to quantify, but it is now far superior to that in the West, and perhaps even Japan.

Are American healthcare and universities twice as good as they were in 2000? If American families had not received vastly improved health care, education, housing, and child care over the past two decades, inflation would have been systematically understated, and GDP growth would have actually been less than 1% per year (rather than 2%), equivalent to stagnation at a population growth rate of 0.8% per year. This probably explains much of the popular anger and the breakdown of American politics.

China’s material-centric GDP is probably a better measure of the economy’s relationship to living standards, especially since the UN Commission on National Accounts has apparently lost its mind and formally recommended including things like drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling, and theft in GDP.

The US spends $1 trillion per year on defense (including intelligence and energy department programs) and has reduced the size of the US Navy, while China has built the world’s largest navy with the largest number of ships on a budget of $236 billion.

Likewise, analysts who lament that China accounts for 30% of the world’s manufacturing output but only 13% of household consumption are dead wrong. China actually accounts for 20-40% of global demand for almost all consumer goods, but most of the services it consumes are not included in the national accounts.

So how much is it? How big is the Chinese economy? About six months ago, it was estimated that China’s GDP would increase by 25-40% if calculated according to UNSNA.

2001: A Space Odyssey – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

Have you ever moved to a small village that was just plain strange and filled with weird residents?

Oh, yes!

Seven years ago my husband and I moved to this delightful retirement village. It has, give or take, 184 residents, most of whom are in their 80’s and 90’s, and all of whom the outside world would consider very weird indeed. They seem to live in a time warp, where everyone is kind and decent, caring for their neighbour. There’s no rubbish thrown down, no chewing gum spat onto the pavements to besmirch one’s shoes. Everyone drives at the manadatory 10 miles an hour within the village. No one gets drunk at the bar. Merry perhaps, at some celebration, but screaming and fighting is a big “no,no”. No one swears, that’s impolite in front of the ladies!

They talk about the Empire and WW2 and their roles in that war. They are proud, too proud sometimes to mention they are “not feeling too good”, as they don’t want to trouble anyone with their problems. They don’t mention it, if their children rarely bother to turn up. Nor do other, luckier ones, mention their regular weekly visits from their children. “ One doesn’t want to hurt another’s feelings, you know”!

If you want to join in all the many and varied pursuits, run mainly by the residents themselves, then you are made very welcome. If not and you prefer to stay in your little bungalow that day, that’s fine also. No one will intrude upon your privacy, unless invited to do so. A phone call, on occasion, perhaps, just to see if you’re OK.

As my 93 year old my husband said, not long before he died, “We’ve returned to the world we knew – our world. We’re so fortunate not having to cope with that world out there, which many of us simply don’t really understand”! I echo his words in my heart every day.

The Flintstones – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

Love this.

How on earth did the Unabomber evade capture for nearly 20 years, despite the costliest FBI investigation in history?

It was a combination of many things that made Ted Kaczynski so elusive.

A few of them:

He was (and still is) extremely intelligent; A genius, by anyone’s measure.
He was willing to go to extreme lengths to conceal his identity (not only building his bombs from scratch — often he used wood, gathered from states far from where he lived, and then hand-whittled). He always built the individual parts of each bomb from scratch, by hand, even if it took many months to construct the raw materials using antique tools, or using tools he actually made himself. He vacuumed everything. He was meticulous, and often spent more than a year to build a single bomb.
He was willing to go “off the grid” and live an uncomfortable lifestyle, to outwit any investigation. This included living in remote woods, in a tiny cabin with no address, no electricity, no running water, did not own a car, no credit cards, no driver’s license. He left no signature, and only a handful of people knew he even existed. (Of course, that happened to fit in and coincide with his motive for committing these crimes… He was the ultimate “Luddite.”)
He was willing to devote incredible efforts to delivering each device, taking a bus from Montana to California and paying cash, and dropping the packages off at quiet postal dropoffs, with stamps already attached (no licking, of course).
He followed the press about his bombings, and was willing to change up his habits when necessary, to avoid capture. He would even travel to another state to find a grocery bag to wrap a bomb in — that is determination.
He basically devoted his entire life during that period to his bombings, and to eluding capture — with no real social life, and only occasional drop-in visits to his local small town library to read the news about the manhunt to find him — a library which he walked to.

Frans and Marie

Submitted into Contest #252 in response to: Make a character’s obsession or addiction an important element of your story.… view prompt

Thom With An H

The Transporter Museum, a forgotten relic, is inconveniently located on a deserted side street two turns off a dead-end alley. You might never find it, even by accident, but if you do, you’ll always remember its immaculate displays and its eccentric proprietor, Frans Messerschmitt.Every day precisely at nine, the little old man illuminated the neon sign, flipped the placard to open, and made his way behind the counter, prepared for customers who rarely came.It was already late in the day when the door opened, surprising both Frans and the visitors.“Hello, is anybody there?”The question startled Frans, interrupting his terminal boredom.“Yes. Yes, please come in,” he answered, moving forward to greet his guests. The unexpected voice belonged to a handsome lad sporting sweatpants and a football jersey, followed closely by a pretty young coed in a letterman’s jacket.“It’s almost impossible to find this place,” the boy mentioned, all the while looking at the meticulously cared-for exhibits. “Are we in time for the guided tour?”The question struck Frans as funny. It had been months since his last visitor, so the tours relied on guests, not the other way around.“Of course, my good man,” he answered, sauntering from behind the counter. “My name is Frans and I’m the owner and resident historian. I’d be glad to give you the nickel tour, and I won’t even charge you the nickel.”

“Fan-damn-tastic! My name is Billy, and this is Connie. We’ve really been looking forward to this. Where do we start?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Frans replied, beckoning the couple to follow. “You’ve lived your whole lives in a time where teleportation from one side of the world to another was the norm—in fact, there’s about to be an app for that!” Frans turned their attention towards a smartphone sitting on display. “Before the end of the year, the new ZapApp will be available, offering skin-touch technology for the first time. All you’ll need to do is enter the desired coordinates, activate the app, and, in seconds—Voila!”

“Wow,” Billy exclaimed, reaching for the phone.

“Please don’t,” Frans cautioned. “These are replicas and can be easily damaged.”

“I hear ya, Gramps,” Billy responded, “Oh, I’m sorry. No disrespect intended, sir.”

“Not at all,” Frans replied. “I’ve always wanted a nickname. I like the sound of Gramps. Now if you follow me, I’ll lead you both back in time.”

The next display contained a full-length mirror attached to the wall. “I’m sure you two know what this is,” Frans said, stepping aside and allowing Billy and Connie to see. “These teleportation devices are still the most commonly used today. They were part of a trend to make teleportation more accessible and less obtrusive. They were also the first devices that didn’t require an exit portal. Until the Mirror 360, you could only travel to locations with paired devices. Needless to say, it was revolutionary.”

“That’s just like yours,” Connie whispered to Billy, punctuating her remark with a kiss on his cheek. “What’s next, Mr. Frans?”

“Gramps,” Frans corrected her with a chuckle. “Next we see the machine that started it all, The Marie.”

“I’ve heard of that,” Billy said. “Wow, it’s huge!”

“I know,” Frans agreed. “When the technology was new, we hadn’t yet perfected the art of miniaturization. There were no personal teleportation devices. The only people who had access were scientists, investors, and celebrities. In fact, the first transporters were more gimmicky than useful. They were incredibly expensive, required an entrance and exit port, and were so inefficient that it took a full day’s charge to send someone from one place to another. There’s no doubt we’ve come a long way since then.”

“What about that one?” Billy asked, pointing to a machine partially hidden by a curtain.

“Oh, that one,” Frans sighed. “That’s the prototype. The first teleportation device.”

“That’s the original?” Billy asked, moving closer to get a better look. “Is the legend true?”

“I’m afraid it is,” Frans replied. “The machine was the brainchild of a pair of scientists not much older than the two of you. They were the first to prove light was a particle and that we could use it as a mechanism for distance teleportation. The early tests were extremely successful. There were no issues when sending inanimate objects or small animals from one pod to another. The problem occurred when they tried transporting a human. Marie begged to be first and, after winning a game of Rochambeau, she stepped into the entrance pod and disappeared on cue. But when her partner activated the exit pod, everything went terribly wrong. Marie never fully rematerialized. Her translucent hand simply reached forward, and she mouthed the word help. Then she faded away.”

“Oh my God!” Connie gasped. “Did he save her?”

Frans turned away from the question, paused, then finally answered. “No, he didn’t. You see, molecular displacement teleportation in its infancy was like sending something through a tunnel at light speed. Once entering a pod, the subject can only exit from the paired terminal port.”

“That’s tragic,” Connie said, wiping away a tear.

“And ironic.” Frans replied.

“How so?”

“After the colossal mishap, her partner spent the better part of twenty years trying to find a way to release Marie from her tunnel. He became obsessed with correcting his mistake. His research and technological breakthroughs are directly responsible for almost every advancement in teleportation technology. That first awful outcome is why molecular transportation is so incredibly safe today. It’s why you have a Mirror 360 hanging on the wall in your home.”

“But Marie—what happened to her?” Connie asked.

“All of her partner’s research and all of his calculations never changed Marie’s fate.”

“She’s trapped forever?”

“She would be, unless he destroyed the machine and released her molecules into the atmosphere, never to be reassembled again.”

“What did he…”

“It’s almost closing time,” Frans said, interrupting Connie before she could finish the question. “Thanks for coming. You two made an old man very happy today.”

“This has been the best tour ever, Gramps.” Billy proclaimed. “What do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” Frans answered, shaking Billy’s hand. “Just promise to send your friends.”

“It’s a deal,” he said, leading Connie out the door. “I’m sure we’ll be back soon.”

“You’re always welcome.”

Frans watched as the couple walked away. Then, being that it was precisely five, he locked the door, changed the placard to closed, and turned off the neon sign.

Alone once again, Frans returned to the machine behind the curtain, flipped a few switches, and watched as Marie’s translucent figure, forever young, appeared before him.

“Frans, are you there?” Marie mouthed, silently.

“I’m here, my love. I’ll always be here.”

“I’m so afraid,” she responded. “Please let me go.”

“I can’t,” Frans replied, ashamed of his weakness.

Marie’s eyes grew red, but she summoned the strength to place her hand on her heart and mouth the words I love you. Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone.

Heartbroken, Frans turned to walk upstairs, counting the minutes until he could see his love again, if only for a moment, the next day at the exact same time.

Whipping Cream Biscuits

A two-ingredient recipe for some of the best biscuits you will ever eat! If all you have is all-purpose flour, never fear; we give you instructions for making it into self-rising flour.

Bake: 10 min | Yield: 8 biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Bisicuits

In a large bowl, combine the flour and cream. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 5 minutes or until no longer sticky. Roll dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 inch biscuits.
Place in a large ungreased cast iron or other ovenproof skillet. Bake at 450 degrees F until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

* If you don’t have self-rising flour, add 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt to 2 cups all-purpose flour. As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Forgotten Restaurants From The 1970s, We Want Back!

Such memories. I forgot about these places, but once I watched the video, I sure as heck remembered them.

https://youtu.be/dZLdey9V3qo

Re:interest payments

As long as the American dollars are acceptable as currency in most of the world it's fine.

When usd is no longer considered valuable between non us parties they will have to buy things in the US triggering the long awaited us hyper inflation. A crazy amount of usd circulates in the world, particularly in 100 usd paper bills, so when it comes home it'll overturn the us economy. It's already felt in the stock market and housing market with ancillary effects in retail goods.


But when the usd becomes worthless for non us transactions, like because of sanctions that's when it'll go crazy in a self reinforcing doom loop.

At the moment it's manageable it'll be a few years or more before it becomes critical. I'd look for China refusing usd for its manufactured good as the tipping point


Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Jun 23 2024 17:45 utc | 14

What made Ivan “the terrible” so terrible?

he term “terrible” comes from the Russian word “grozny,” which is better translated as “formidable” or “awe-inspiring.”

But Ivan did some pretty terrible things too.

His father, Grand Prince Vasily III, died when Ivan was just three, and his mother, Elena Glinskaya, served as regent until her mysterious death when Ivan was eight.

It’s suspected she was poisoned, which wasn’t uncommon in the Russian court.

As he grew older, Ivan developed a dark streak.

He crowned himself the first Tsar of All Russia in 1547, aiming to centralize power and assert absolute control.

In his early reign, he showed promise, implementing legal reforms, establishing a standing army, and expanding Russian territories.

But this honeymoon period didn’t last.

Things took a dark turn with the death of his beloved wife, Anastasia Romanovna, in 1560.

Her death shattered Ivan, and he spiraled into paranoia and madness, suspecting everyone of treason.

He believed she was poisoned, which might have been true, considering the court’s track record.

Enter the Oprichnina, Ivan’s own personal reign of terror.

In 1565, he divided Russia into two parts: the Oprichnina, directly under his control, and the Zemshchina, ruled by the boyars (nobles).

The Oprichnina was essentially a state within a state, where Ivan’s secret police, the Oprichniki, roamed.

These guys were like medieval KGB, dressed in black, riding black horses, and carrying out Ivan’s brutal orders.

The Oprichniki spread terror through the land, confiscating properties, executing supposed traitors, and crushing any opposition.

One of the most infamous event was the sacking of Novgorod in 1570.

Suspecting the city of treason, Ivan ordered a brutal massacre.

Thousands were tortured and killed, and the city was left in ruins.

In a fit of rage, Ivan famously killed his own son and heir, Ivan Ivanovich, in 1581.

The story goes that he struck his son with a staff during an argument, a blow that proved fatal.

Did getting revenge on someone make you feel better? Why or why not?

I was moslested by three older boys when I was 9 or 10 years old.

It happened on three separate occasions for a total of approximately 3 hours.

I was already a quiet introverted child and this pushed me even futher into my own mind.

I suffered for years with bed wetting, nightmares, and it damaged my sexual psyche , giving me trust and intimacy issues.

I saw child psychologists for years and eventually though that my parents got to know about it.

My first suicide attempt was at the age of 12, when I dropped from a tree branch deliberately into the path of a car. The car swerved, missed me and ploughed through a wodden fence.

The driver jumped out of the car to see if I was ok, I approached the car and saw there was no-one else there, then ran away.

I still feel bad about that, not seeing if he was Ok and not facing the consequences.

There have been 6 suicide attempts since, 3 of which I have woken from in hospital, dissapointed that it was not over.

Those biys who took my childhood were all brothers, sons of the next door neighbours of my Aunt & Uncle.

When I was 17 and they were between 21 and 25 I tracked them all down- it wasnt difficult, they all lived in the same town.

I took a baseball bat to each of them one at a time all in one night, broke arms legs fingers.

None of them recognised me, not one. I pulled back my balaclava to stare them directly in the face, these monsters that took my childhood, the driving force that had defined me good or bad.

I realised later that night, drunk and broken that what for me was unforgettable was exactly that, not just forgettable but forgotten.

After that, no nightmares not a singe one, and the other issues that I had been battling with in therapy for years resolved themselves. The healing didnt happen over night, but it did begin to happen.

From being powerless, I was powerful. I can’t begin to explain how good, how alive I felt.

I will never regret that night.

Yummy

Independence Day in 1950’s – Super Panavision 70

Fun, too short, though.

What did you find while snooping that you wish you had never found?

In the early part of 1999, my older sister and I were playing in front of our grandparents’ house. I was 9 years old and my sister was 13. I think we were rollerblading up and down the driveway. Having fun outside!

In the midst of innocent play, we needed to get something from the back of my grandma’s vehicle. I don’t remember what it was we were getting,

But, I do remember what we found.

We found a journal and it was in my grandma’s handwriting. Intrigued, we began reading what appeared to be notes…

Notes about my mother and her behavior…and her lack of parenting abilities.

During this year, my grandparents had taken myself and my two siblings into their home. They had both just retired and they did this not just out of love and selflessness, but out of necessity.

My mother had been extremely neglectful of us. She was literally not feeding us, we were unbathed, our heads were infested (always) with head lice, we rarely went to school, and we had no clothes or even a bed. Her boyfriend was abusive to us in many ways as well. This all happened while my father was incarcerated.

So, back to that journal.

In the journal, my grandma had been taking notes of how my mom would be late for visitation, how she wouldn’t show up sometimes, or how she was just not even attempting to be motherly. It was very thorough and even time stamped. Basically, my grandma logged all interactions with my mom. And she was doing this I’m guessing for the court, because they were trying to get custody of us.

But, the one thing that I remember reading was how my mom called my grandma one afternoon and offered to sell all three of us to them.

Yep.

She said she wouldn’t fight for us in the courts, if my grandma gave her $200 for us. And they could have us.

That’s about $66 and some change for us each.

Pretty good deal, right?

We stopped reading the journal after seeing that. But, it always stuck with me.

I never asked my grandma about it. I never asked my mom about it either. I’m sure they didn’t accept her offer and simply shared this information about her with the judge in the custody case.

They did get custody over all three of us.

We had a wonderful life with my grandparents. We really did. I owe everything I am to them.

And I have always known my mom wasn’t exactly ever going to be motherly. I’ve accepted that.

But, I still wish I had never read what I read that day.

My mom basically attempted to sell us. And not even for a lot of money. I could have gone my whole life without knowing that.

USD

US Dollar is expensive because Treasuries pay the highest interest rate of major currencies - not a good sign.

data from April:

10Y Bond Country

0.862% ... Japan

2.286% ...| China

2.432% ... Germany

2.952% ...| France

3.773% .../ Canada

3.847% ...| Italy

4.288% ... U.K.

4.631% ... U.S.A.

Posted by: Exile | Jun 23 2024 17:08 utc | 8

Detroit’s Mark Twain Library, which was closed in 1996 for renovations and never reopened.

main qimg 15ec6de6c57763cbe81746aa4138be6f

The fascist terrorist US provoked a war in Ukraine and they tried to provoke the war between China and Taiwan to enrich MIC. Almost all war crimes are due to the US. Will wars stop when the US econmy collapses in 1-2 years?

True, it is not a secret that USA instigated 201 wars out of 287 around the globe because MIC makes money thru wars.

US politicians who have bought MIC stocks also want wars.

Other than thru war & arms sale, one thing that supports war is US monetary hegemony.

It is the US monetary hegemony ie USD that supports USA’s vast military spending around the globe.

So, you are correct, once US economy collapses and/or dedollarisation is in full force, USA cannot afford so many wars.

When will US economy collapse, nobody knows.

Dedollarisation is in progress as of 2024. But, it will take awhile before dedollarisation is in full force. No country wants it to go too too fast. Because USA can do a lot of harm to the globe when it is desperate & has gone insane.

As a side note, USA has waged a monetary-financial war in Asia a month or 2 ago, but failed. The only one that was hit hard was Japan because Japan is a US puppet. All non US puppets survived this round of financial crisis quite well.

The eerie yellow brick road of abandoned Land of Oz theme park in North Carolina

main qimg 5d6083b1f02c7cda3e8c8bfcab72b84a

Peter Lee

Peter Lee has been providing regular coverage of tensions in the South China Sea on his China Threat Report on Patreon. He describes the current manufacturing of a flashpoint between China and Philippines - in the works for some years now - as “the biggest US government gaslighting operation since the Bush administration sold the Iraq invasion in 2002.”

He points out that the simplistic U.S. narrative, describing China as an aggressive and expansionist power, entirely ignores the primary document governing relations between all parties on South China Sea issues:

Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (2002)

https://asean.org/declaration-on-the-conduct-of-parties-in-the-south-china-sea-2/

As convincingly argued by Lee, it has been, in fact, the Philippines which has breached this agreement, particularly in regards to dispute resolution and the maintenance of a status quo since 2002. The exact opposite is being loudly insisted in the western media and foreign policy circles, to the extent that the most hawkish voices are demanding immediate implementation of US-Philippines mutual defence agreements lest there be an appearance of “weakness”.

Posted by: jayc | Jun 23 2024 18:13 utc | 22

Buttermilk Brown Sugar and Bacon Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, + more for dusting (if desired)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 slices cooked, crisp bacon, crumbled
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and bacon until evenly mixed.
Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.
Add buttermilk and stir until the dough is uniformly moistened.
On a lightly floured surface, bring the dough together and roll to approximately 3/4 inch thickness. Fold, envelope style, and roll again. If necessary, fold and roll again until the dough is smooth and uniform.
Cut biscuits and bake for 11 to 15 minutes until tops are golden.
If desired, brush tops with butter and sprinkle with additional brown sugar.

What is the most shameless thing you have ever seen a teacher do?

This is not really a funny story, except for the karma aspect of it. I was a senior in college, taking a class called instrumental methods of analysis. It is the final chemistry class before graduation. Three hours a week of lecture, plus two, five hour labs each week. Each lab required a 15–20 page lab report and a computer program to analyze our data. Through the first 12 (of 26) lab I had a perfect score on each lab report. Then I got into an argument with the lab teacher after he a lab where we were analyzing the contents of an aspirin, caffeine and phenacetin tablet. Except the APC tablets were removed from the market and so we analyzed acetaminophen, caffeine, phenacetin tablet. The procedure should have be rewritten to account for acetaminophen’s differing absorption spectrum. But our professor was to lazy to do that, telling us to just do the lab as written and explain the bad results. Instead, I ran to the library, found a way to do the experiment properly, and asked my prof. for permission to try it. At first he said yes, but only if you can get someone else to supervise you if it runs long. I did, and got started. He wandered in at 6 and told me to clean up and go home so he could go home for supper. I reminded him of our deal and he lost his shit on me. Finally in frustration, I told him that if he wanted to give me mediocre teaching, I’d give him mediocre work, like the rest of the class. Suddenly he stopped returning our graded work. I assumed I’d get the same C as most of the class, but got a final grade of F, meaning I’d have to spend an extra year in college to retake the class. I tried to arrange retaking the class in the summer at another university. He refused to consider any other class, telling me I was just like his teenage son and we both needed to be taught a lesson. I set up a meeting with our dean in which the prof. told us that he’d fail the entire senior class before he’d pass me. I had already been accepted into a prestigious graduate program and gotten a commitment for four years of funding. I called my grad. school dean. I don’t know exactly what was said between deans, but my undergrad dean called me in and said that they had arranged for me to retake the class alongside my regular grad. classes and transfer the credit back. They also said that the prof. who failed me would not be allowed to stop this deal.

Next summer I returned to my undergrad. school and met with the dean. He asked me to describe how the lab worked at Northwestern. He listened to me describe how differently NU did the labs, focused on designing experiments, learning how lab equipment works and how to use it effectively and creatively. And most of all, instead of wasting time rewriting our text and calling it lab reports we took oral exams while discussing the lab. The dean was so impressed that he promised to force my prof. to rewrite his labs so students wouldn’t just be going through the motions and writing lab reports. I heard through the grapevine that it helped the program and forced my former prof. to do a boatload of work revamping all 26 labs. All in all a pretty horrible experience with a petty and lazy prof, that turned out well in the end because I got to leave the school better than I found it via “instant karma.”

STAR TREK ACID PARTY: PHASE II

This is odddddddddd…….

Do you know anyone where the husband/father did the old “I’m going out for a pack of cigarettes”, and just took off and disappeared?

Yes. In 1984 my then husband went out to the store one Sunday morning to buy a loaf of bread. He never returned. He was a self-employed travel agent, so I assumed he had run into someone who needed travel advice and had lingered. This had happened before. That evening I was bathing our two children and went into his drawer in the bathroom for the nail scissors, and the drawer was empty! I looked in our closet and many of his things were gone. I looked in our storage room and my newest suitcase, a birthday gift, was gone. Monday morning I called his business partner and told him that husband had not come home. Business partner got worried and discovered husband had written himself an airline ticket back to his home country. He had also cashed himself a cheque on the company for many thousands of dollars. My father got the idea to go to the airport parking lot and retrieved our family vehicle.

I called my in-laws in his home country and they confirmed that yes, they were expecting their son for a visit. I told them what had happened and they hung up on me.

There was further drama after the fact as police were involved. Husband had been in an injury hit-and-run accident. Drug dealers were looking for him. He had “sold” a charter plane load of tickets to Hawaii to his friends and clients and absconded with all their money. He had forged my signature on a second mortgage on our house. It was a mess.

I got a divorce on grounds of desertion. We never heard from him again but almost 20 years later my niece in his home country contacted me to tell us he had committed suicide.

How does China do everything right?

China doesn’t do everything right

China makes mistakes too

The Wolf Warrior Policy was a big disaster for China and could have done a lot of damage had it not been for the stupidity of the West

Imagine if a cleverer President in US could have befriended Putin in 2015 itself and Europe had welcomed him with open arms

Xi would have been isolated today and vulnerable and utterly dependent on Energy on Malacca

Xi would have maybe half of his present strength and confidence

It was SHEER LUCK that somehow during the Wolf Warrior phase, you had good leaders like Shinzo Abe in Japan and that guy in South Korea and Duarte in Philippines and an Idiot like Trump in USA

It was SHEER LUCK that Covid decimated the world for 3 years and somehow helped China scale back from the Wolf Warrior mould thanks to the Ukraine invasion and become voices of peace

China has had very good luck while India, US have had very bad luck for the last few years

Chinas mistakes haven’t cost them big whereas Indias mistakes and US mistakes have cost them very big

China does most of the things right because of it’s Leadership and Meritocracy and because there is ALWAYS ACCOUNTABILITY within China

Someone always gets credit and Someone always gets the blame

Could and should the US consider developing an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative with their own global economic plan like partnerships with Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, for their own development as well?

USA did try in the past. In fact, Biden also urged to start a US version of BRI to counter Chinese BRI.

They failed in the past & so far not succeed either today.

The difference between China & USA is the mentality & price. For the same price, US can only do little.

Let me use Tesla as an example. Musk opened a factory to make electric car in China. It took him 10 months (If I remember correctly) to build a factory.

When he expanded his business & went to build a factory in Germany, it took him 2 YEARS & still not operational.

Why? Too much of politics in the West incl USA & Germany.

Look at California. They wanted to build a high speed rail from dont know where to SF. It is considered short & straight. But 20 years later, only 1 small portion is working. Again politics.

Cats Being Badass: A Tribute

Hot dog and steak lore

Ah. Meat.

You know, I really enjoy my steaks on the raw / red side. I think that that has the best and tastiest flavor. But only for steaks.

Medium Rare Steak 600x441 — Medium Rare Steak 600×441

When it comes to hot dogs, on the other hand, I prefer them bunt… blackened. You would just shove that dog on a stick deep down in the coals and embers of the fire until it blisters well.

camping hot dogs 3 500x500 — camping hot dogs 3 500×500

Hum.

Interesting. Cuts of meat are best served in a nearly raw state, well at least for steaks, and the processed foods are best served burnt to a crisp.

Now, of course, too much meat isn’t all that good for you, but I just gotta say that how you treat the real juicy steak compared to the processed meats tell you a lot about the value of the foods that you consume.

Don’t you think?

Camping Hot Dogs with Caramelized Onions

Here’s a recipe for camping hot dogs with caramelized onions that will prove you can eat well while camping. They’re simple to make over a fire with just a few ingredients and they taste especially good while outdoors. We’ve also rounded up a few of our favorite easy camping recipes we think you’ll love!

If you’re like us and love to eat well while camping, find many more delicious and easy camping recipes here.

camping hot dogs 3 1367x2048 — camping hot dogs 3 1367×2048

Table of Contents

Camping hot dogs are a must when we pack up the tent and head into the forest. There is something special about the way a weiner or a smokie tastes when it’s been charred over the fire. When we make ours, we almost always turn them into caramelized onion hot dogs as it takes them over the top.

This is one of those recipes that is hardly a recipe at all. Camping hot dogs with caramelized onions is more of an idea or suggestion than an official recipe. We trust that you’ve skewered a hot dog on a stick and held it over the fire until it’s hot and crispy. (And if you haven’t can you please promise that you will this summer?)

And the term caramelized onions is really just a fancy way of saying onions that are cooked to the point of being deliciously sweet.

For these hot dogs with caramelized onions, we pile those onions into a hot dog bun with all your favorite condiments then top them with a fire-charred hot dog. It’s an elevated camping hot dog recipe that is super easy to make and unbelievably delicious.

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Beyond camping hot dogs

While we love our camping hot dogs, there is so much more to make at the campsite!

When it comes to eating delicious food while camping, a little bit of planning goes a long way. There’s a lot you can do with a grill, a fire, or a simple camp stove, but we still like to prepare some food ahead of time because we like to kick back a bit, too!

camping hot dogs 5 1367x2048 — camping hot dogs 5 1367×2048

We typically bring a cooler with yogurt, eggs, and a small bottle of milk in addition to fresh veggies and fruits. We also pack some pantry items like little jars filled with olive oil, salt and pepper, nut butter, jam, oats, and pancake mix. Plus a few extra empty sealed containers for saving portions of things.

For cookware, we can usually get by with a simple cast-iron skillet, a pot, a cutting board, and a knife in addition to a few plates, bowls, and utensils. Toss in a few tea towels and candles for ambiance (if fires are permitted), and you’re set!

camping hot dogs 1367x2048 — camping hot dogs 1367×2048

Anyways, today…

NATO Warns: Brink of Nuclear WW3

Hal Turner World June 18, 2024

NATO today warned the world is on the brink of a nuclear World War 3, and announced it is taking nuclear weapons out of storage in Europe to confront Russia in Ukraine.

NATO indicated it has put an undisclosed number of nuclear warheads on standby amid escalating tensions.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin undertakes a rare North Korean state visit this week – marking a likelihood of significant escalations in the Ukrainian war — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said bluntly “I won’t go into details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational, but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Couldn’t Such Fake News Start Wars?

Stephen Byren asks in Asia Times:

Why is NATO expanding its nuclear force?

That is a rather weird question. NATO is a consulting mechanism. It does not have tanks, guns or nuclear forces. All such tangible things are owned and controlled by this or that member country.

NATO does not have a nuclear force and currently neither NATO nor those member countries which have nuclear forces are interested in expanding them. The question states as a fact that NATO is expanding something. It is not doing that.

Byren writes:

Jens Stoltenberg, the 13th secretary general of NATO, says that the alliance is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons and modernize their delivery systems. Stoltenberg told the Telegraph in the UK: “I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing.” Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO is a “nuclear alliance.”

The Telegraph piece on the Stoltenberg interview is a write-up, not a transcript. It is inaccurate. Here is what it says:

Nato is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons in the face of a growing threat from Russia and China, the head of the alliance has said.Jens Stoltenberg added that the bloc must show its nuclear arsenal to the world to send a direct message to its foes in an interview with The Telegraph.

He revealed there were live consultations between members on taking missiles out of storage and placing them on standby as he called for transparency to be used as a deterrent.

Mr Stoltenberg said: “I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues.

“That’s exactly what we’re doing at Nato, for instance at meetings in Nato, a nuclear planning group as we had during the defence ministerial meeting this [last] week.”

The above sounds as if Stoltenberg was actively doing something. But that is simply not what he said:

Matthew Harries @harries_matthew – 19:38 UTC · Jun 17, 2024Here is a transcript of what Stoltenberg actually said. As suspected, I think there has been too much parsing of his words.

The “operational” vs storage thing was introduced by the interviewer. And “transparency” was in the context of openness about exercises.

As the audio of the interview provides, the whole issue was prompted by a misleading remark by one of the interviewers, not by Stoltenberg himself:

Telegraph: Do you think European allies should follow the lead of the United States by putting more warheads on standby rather than having them in storage?

Britain, which is the country the Telegraph is asking about, usually has one nuclear submarine on patrol and ready to use with a number of others in training or revamp. Only the submarine on patrol will carry nuclear warheads. The ones for the other submarines are usually in storage. To put more of them on ‘standby’, whatever that may otherwise mean, would not provide a ready way to launch them. It would thus be useless.

The interviewers question to Stoltenberg is answered by him with generalizations and a hint to the ever ‘ongoing consulting’ on the issue.

biggerThe misleading question and mealy mouth answer provide for great irritation but don’t really mean anything. And certainly not anything new.

(((James Acton))) @james_acton32 – 21:48 UTC · Jun 17, 2024Based on this transcript, the @Telegraph article by @Barnes_Joe is journalist malpractice. It is a wholly misleading account of Stoltenberg’s comments, which were boilerplate.

In times of heightened tensions media are taking a lot of liberty in ‘interpreting’ things officials say. This does have consequences and those could become lethal:

Kremlin views NATO’s rhetoric on putting nukes on alert as escalation

MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. The recent remark by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that the bloc’s allied members are discussing putting their nuclear arsenals on alert is another bout of tensions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.”This is nothing else but an escalation,” Peskov said.

But in fact, Stoltenberg did not say anything to that effect.

Consider also this fake Ukranews item which was published two days ago:

Giorgia Meloni says that russia would be forced to surrender if it did not agree to a peaceful settlement

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that russia would be forced to surrender if it did not agree to the terms of a peace settlement.Meloni made a corresponding statement at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, her words are quoted by the UNIAN news agency.

According to her, protecting Ukraine means protecting the system of international rules. Therefore, it is important to join forces to protect Ukraine.

“If russia does not agree to the terms, we will force them to surrender,” Meloni said.

That quote was immediately suspicious. Neither Meloni nor anyone else has the means to force Russia to surrender.

A few hours after the above was publish corrections came in:

Many comments and consternation were caused by the post of Ukrainian politician Anton Gerashchenko regarding the statement of the Italian Prime Minister during the peace summit that took place last weekend in Switzerland.Gerashchenko quoted Giorgia Meloni on his profile on platform X, who supposedly said: “If Russia does not agree to the terms, we will force them to surrender.”

Platform X included a contextual note under the Ukrainian politician’s post. From it and the official text of the Italian Prime Minister’s speech, it is clear that the words quoted by Gerashchenko were not said during the conference.

Meloni stood by Ukraine, directing strong words towards Russia, but the meaning was somewhat different.

Meloni never said anything about Russia surrendering but a Ukrainian politician, and a lousy news agency which quoted him without checking, planted the false quote.

These are good reminders to check, and double-check, everything one reads about hot conflicts.

Posted by b on June 18, 2024 at 12:10 UTC | Permalink

PH under Marcos really should get his IQ checked.

There is 1 old Chinese idiom: if the ox does not want to drink water (from the river), we cannot force its head down (to drink). The ox must want to drink to start with.

It is just an idiom. I do not mean Duterte is like an ox.

What I am trying to say is that: Duterte wanted to improve PH’s economy & modernise PH’s technology.

Many developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia have the same vision as Duterte. They understand joining China’s BRI project will meet their vision.

Look at Indonesia. After China has built a high speed rail for Indonesia, Indonesia’s GDP has increased ie it is richer.

China has run BRI for 10 years already. If only 1-2 BRI countries become richer, we say it is coincidence. If all BRI countries experience increased GDP, it means BRI is the correct medicine to cure poverty & modernisation.

Duterte wanted the same thing for PH. He collaborated with China. And China was happy to collaborate with Duterte to make a win-win situation for both countries.

When Marcos is in power, China also wanted to continue the economic collaboration with Marcos. But Marcos rejects China & totally embraces USA.

Because USA wants to suppress China’s rise, USA thus uses PH/Marcos to create countless conflicts in SCSea. Hence, China must withdraw BRI from the trouble maker PH.

Back to the Chinese idiom: Marcos does not want to drink.

Born in a notoriously corrupted family, he probably never experienced hunger. He does not know it is economy that fills the tummy; not the reefs in SCSea.

What it’s like as an American abroad with Taxes: Double Taxation

Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

1 (13 inch) uncooked dough crust
1/2 cup pizza sauce or tomato sauce
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
Thin pepperoni slices

Instructions

Top dough crust with sauce and cheese.
Drizzle with oil.
Bake in preheated 500 degrees F oven on pizza stone for 8 to10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Remove from oven, add pepperoni slices and cool on a wire rack for 2 or 3 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

At “Peace Conference” in Switzerland, Poland PROPOSES Breaking-up Russia into 200 Ethnic states – Poland Just Signed its own Death Warrant

Hal Turner World June 16, 2024 Hits: 18665

It’s official: Russia should be broken-up according to nations attending a so-called “peace conference” in Switzerland, regarding the Ukraine-Russia Conflict. Does that sound like a “peace” conference to you? Day one of this conference was so egregious, the President of Colombia walked out!

The “peace conference” began with the President of the host country, Switzerland, speaking to the gathered participants. Swiss President Viola Amherd actually talked what sounded like common sense . . . saying “We all understand that a peace process without Russia is inconceivable!”

Yet, that’s exactly what they were doing . . . holding a peace conference without one of the combatants: Russia!

Then she had the temerity to say “We can pave the way . . . .” (for peace) and continued right on with the “peace conference” even though she said it was inconceivable to do so without Russia . . . whom SHE did not invite!

It went rapidly downhill from there.

President Duda of Poland said the following:

“I propose to divide Russia into 200 ethnic states. Russia is the largest colonial power in the world and is holding 200 ethnic states captive.”

The official (sovereign) proposal, made by President Duda of Poland, to break-up Russia is, in and of itself, an “threat to the existence of the Russian state.” Under Russia’s public Doctrine on the use of its nuclear arsenal, this threat to the existence of the state justifies Russia using its nuclear arsenal to protect itself.

It seems to many people that the President of Poland, by uttering this position, has signed his country’s death warrant!

Almost laughable were the words from the President of Finland. Finnish President Alexander Stubb complained that Russia “invaded” his country during World War II and took 10% of its territory.

Sounds so terrible for Finland, doesn’t it? Except, the President left out a small detail . . .

For those not strong in history – 100% of the current Finnish territory is a generous gift of the Russian Empire. You see, in WWII, 100% of Finland fought on the side of Hitler. Finnish forces were involved in the blockade of Leningrad and as such they were involved in the deaths of millions of Russians by starvation.

Not to put too fine a point on that, one of the Russians who starved to death, was President Vladimir Putin’s brother.

Oh, and one more inconvenient tidbit of history:

Also, Finland agreed to the terms of the peace treaty. Russia did not take any territory by force.

It’s amazing how Finland’s Nazi past has been swept under the mat.

Maybe if the country of Finland didn’t help starve millions of Russian CIVILIANS to death in Leningrad (Which is now St. Petersburg), people might take them seriously.

The fact that Russia allowed any Finn to go on living was quite a gift. That’s a mistake Russia may not make again when Finland comes into Russia’s crosshairs.

The President of Colombia, God bless him, WALKED-OUT of the summit.

Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego said “I decided to suspend my visit to the “Peace Conference” in Switzerland: what we found at the conference is essentially an alliance on the side of war and we do not agree with this. Latin America does not want more war.”

The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia made plain: “Serious negotiation processes regarding Ukraine require Russia’s presence.”

Similarly, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanár, made plain “The gathering in Switzerland won’t put an end to the Ukraine conflict, because Russia and China are absent . . .”

So what the world sees taking place this weekend in Switzerland is, for lack of a better term, a “Circle Jerk” being carried out by Western vassals of the United States. There seems to be no actual possibility that any peace will evolve from this mutual masturbation session.

However, given the remarks of Poland’s President Duda, it seems quite clear that things are about to get far worse – and for many other countries that have this notion about breaking-up Russia.

Why I’m Most Glad I Left the USA

Peace of mind.

Yup.

I  have lived outside the US for almost 20 years and have traveled to about 50 countries and no way do I have plans of returning to the U.S. I think the U.S. peaked in the 1950s with a couple of tech bursts in the 80s, but now the competition has caught up, and now there are so many more places with more freedom, higher quality of life, and ease of living than the U.S. Beautiful painting in your office by the way.

What is the hardest thing you have ever done?

One time in middle school, we had an assignment for homework that I forgot about until I came into class the next day and saw everyone taking it out of their folders.

I remembered that I had the worksheet in my folder when the teacher came to class and began collecting it after giving the boring ass morning talk about focusing and shit.

I was about to try to pull off the ‘Oh I left it at home’ or ‘I lost my worksheet’ trick when I made the incredibly risky decision of doing it on the spot.

My friends would’ve let me copy if it wasn’t for the fact that this teacher actually checked through these things and doesn’t take crap from any students.

So I had one choice; I was going to have to do it right then and there. The worksheet was a bunch of questions on America’s history and in the back you had to write an essay.

Lucky for me the teacher started collecting it on the other side of the room, meaning that he’d come over to me last. I grabbed my pencil and wrote so fast that I swear you could almost hear the paper threatening to light up on fire.

I was mostly guessing and making things up in the essay part. I didn’t even care if I got a 10% on it as long as I was able to turn it in.

Just as I was finishing my last sentence, the teacher came to my table and took the paper without giving me a second glance.

He had no idea.

The next day I got the paper back with an 89% and a comment on the corner of the essay saying, “Good job but Abraham Lincoln was the 16th not 25th American president :)”

He had no fucking idea.

I sort of feel guilty about doing that but one must do what they can to survive. (or in this case; pass a goddamn class.)

What Western mainstream media won’t tell us about China

Originally published: Pearls and Irritations  on June 9, 2024 by Jerry Grey (more by Pearls and Irritations) (Posted Jun 10, 2024)

In Hong Kong, the 1987 Joint Declaration states clearly that matters of national defence will be in the hands of the Mainland, while local police and administrative matters will belong to the SAR. China has 100% complied with the Joint Declaration but the UK has not. If you don’t believe me, read the declaration, you might not like it but you’ll find this is correct.

Related to Taiwan, there are three joint communiques where presidents of the United States have agreed to pull all military out of Taiwan 1972 Nixon said it, in 1979 it was Carter who agreed and in 1982 it was something Reagan promised to do too. Albeit that U.S. historians now argue there was no date given, there were and always were clear indications that arms would be reduced and troops would be removed.

Therefore, there can be no mistake, U.S. troops in Taiwan now are an invading force, by placing them there, the U.S. might have complied with its own “Taiwan Relations Act” but it is in breach of the UN Charter, UN Resolutions and has broken promises made by three of its own presidents.

Terminator 3 Skynet Takes Over

Let’s move to Xinjiang for a moment

The United Nations have visited Xinjiang, this was just last month and is another thing mainstream media forgot to tell us about; conveniently so because they not only found there are no human rights abuses by China, but there are human rights abuses by the USA with illegal and arbitrary sanctions which take away the ability to find well-paid work from locals.

They also found that the USA had removed the presumption of innocence and therefore due process from China—one company provided 10,000 pages of information including independent assessments of its human resource policies and the U.S. said it wasn’t enough.

Media didn’t tell us this because everything positive coming out of Xinjiang must be reported negatively; if there might be something positive about it, it’s completely ignored, as Dr Alana Douhan’s visit has been.

Rather than tell us something positive they lie by omission; they won’t tell us what they don’t want us to hear.

What they’re not telling us about Hong Kong is even more incredible. In Hong Kong several people have recently been in court, not as western media says, for having democratic viewpoints but for preparing petrol bombs, planning mass murder and undermining the entire democratic system that already exist there—western media have not reported any of this. Can you believe that there was a plot which included international funding, two bombs, and a sniper to kill police officers? Some of the terrorists even went to Taiwan for training by persons unknown and they hatched a plan to kill as many police officers as possible. Most people outside of Hong Kong and China aren’t aware of this but I assure you it’s true. It’s all come out in open court with journalist present but not telling us about it. Many of the people involved pleaded guilty, some turned evidence on their co-conspirators.

This is not China persecuting innocent democracy protestors.

When Western media tells you that people are being convicted for having a democratic outlook, what they’re leaving out is that their form of democracy meant murder and mayhem leading to the collapse of the economy, society and a complete failure of governance. The kinds of things that would get a death sentence in many countries are being dealt with in Hong Kong Courts right now—this isn’t democracy under trial, this is internationally organised and funded terrorism.

Dr Tim Summers, is a professor at the University of Hong Kong and he’s spent a long time looking at thousands of articles from British media between 2020 and 2023 he found

that a clear majority of the articles about China across different media outlets adopt a negative tone or frame China negatively for British readers. That majority is of the order of magnitude of two-thirds, probably higher rather than lower. Further, very few articles frame China positively.

What this means is that not only are they not reporting the positive news, they are reporting anything positive with a negative slant—I’m certain we didn’t need a university study to realise this but it’s nice to have the facts proven in a way that is accountable, transparent and with a methodology that is acceptable to all academics everywhere which proves there is a relentless bias against China.

It isn’t that China is all bad—ask 1.4 billion people and they will tell you it isn’t, it’s that Western media paymasters want their audience to think that it is—similar studies were done on media in the lead up to the Iraq War, and look where that lead us.

We can be assured there were similar negatively biased media reports on Russia, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea and anywhere else the U.S. government wants us to believe there is a rogue government. But look carefully, as critical readers should. Look carefully as academics like Dr Tim Summers and many others have done, and you’ll see. These aren’t ‘rogue nations’ except in the mind of Western Media.

China is a country that has lifted millions out of poverty, it’s done nothing but call for peace, cooperation and a greater voice for the under-developed world. China most certainly hasn’t invaded, threatened to invade or even postulated that it might invade, it has clearly stated it will defend a recognised part of its territory, Taiwan, from being taken away by outside influences, as happened just 150 years ago. China simply exists as a country with an ideology that has proven to work for its 1.4 billion people, an ideology that some countries in the world don’t like.

Consequently, we’re being fed a litany of lies about China, about their intentions and their policies. If we had any neutral mainstream media we’d know of things like the HK terrorist plot. We’d know about the Joint Declaration, the Joint Communiques on Taiwan. We’d learn the reality of Xinjiang, and we’d have both sides of every China story to make our own judgements. As it is, with only the negative half of the story, much of the Western world believes that China is a threat to them.

They are not; the real threat comes from the people telling us China is a threat.

12 Reasons Why I NEVER Want to Live in the USA Again!

What are some things that people who live in places with brutally low temperatures know, that the rest of us don’t?

Originally Answered: What are some things that people who live in places with brutally cold temperatures know, that the rest of us don't?

First of all, one of the good lessons I learned early on upon moving to the heart of North America’s highest mountains – the Alaska Range – was an “Old Indian trick” for surviving at 50 below: stay inside.

As with all olde nostrums, there is a kernel of truth to that. But more to your question –

when it gets really cold – minus 40 and lower – one’s house never really seems to warm up. It’s warm by the woodstove, but the cold squeezes the warm bubble from all sides: above, below, left and right. In our country, truly cold and wind don’t often occur simultaneously: you need that unmoving airmass to lose its heat to the stratosphere in order to get down to Ridiculous Levels, and that can hardly happen if another air mass is coming in from up-wind.
Minus 50 and lower, and it can be a racket out there! Some of the noise comes from differential heat loss of various bones of one’s house; a lot of it comes from tree sap – even the resinous pitch of our spruces – freezing.
Moose have long ago since the earlier phases of winter stopped moving to the extent possible: they bed down in the snow for perhaps 23 hours out of each day; during the minuscule-short “active” periods they poop, pee, and strip our willows of bark. Less movement means fewer calories burned. It will be a long, long time before there will be anything nutritious to eat, and most cow moose at this time also are growing a fetus.
Our river’s flow comes mostly from hot springs…and by that I mean 4ºC/38ºF (hey! That’s perhaps EIGHTY degrees warmer than the air!); that means that it stays open and flowing along our property until about -50º. Then it will freeze from bank to bank…but what about the “warm” water upstream? That will flow over the ice, freeze; more flows, freezes….and so forth until the mass of ice is ridiculously higher than the river banks and then all sorts of problems can develop. Not good at all. But usually, we get a warm spell come in; temps rise to a balmy -40º and everything reverts back to normal.
Irrespective of those minima, when it’s -30º and colder, all that temperature differential between the cold air and the liquid water creates lots of fog. Which freezes on everything and makes for truly wondrous landscapes.
The nearest school to our home is 80 miles away on the other side of the Alaska Range. There, they cancel outdoor recess when it’s colder than -40. Until then….bundle up!
With decades of weather records, as our home is also site of a National Weather Service “A-PAID” recording site, the coldest I’ve seen is -63ºF. Our home is in a hot spot…so to speak. The low-lying basins adjacent to us typically seem far colder than the house, so one winter I took one of our official thermometers down to the bottom of one of these. Sure enough, it registered ten degrees F colder than at the house. Brrr.
As an official record-keeper, however, that also has meant that I’m professionally incapable of exaggerating the numbers. All our neighbors (there now are seven humans living full-time in the 40,000 or so square miles around us) simply love to take a really low number and make it even lower. Human nature!
Very few of interior Alaska’s birds do not migrate. At the really low temps, the hardiest of all those who do stay are still active – but these tend to be the very smallest of our birds. Why? Because they haven’t the body mass necessary to use bulk to keep warm. So our boreal chickadees and redpolls still are out and about when even the ravens have stopped everything and are staying hunkered down. Our uttermost favorite winter bird, however, does something almost magical. At -40, -45, -50 … not only is it still active – but singing! Even more astonishing, it is diving into those gelid waters of our free-flowing river. This is the dipper – an incredible member of the songbird family adapted to gleaning invertebrates from river bottoms. Think about it, though: as long as it has protective oils in its feathers, which of course, it has, then 0ºC water can be a lot warmer than -50º air. So the song of the dipper when all else is silent is a wondrous feature of our coldest times.

Hope you enjoyed these vignettes.

How To Cook A Steak Medium Rare On The Grill

Cooking the perfect steak can be a daunting task, but with the right techniques, you can achieve that juicy, medium rare goodness right on your grill. Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or a novice, here are some steps to help you cook a steak to medium rare perfection:

Choose the Right Steak

The first step to cooking a steak medium rare on the grill is selecting the right cut of meat. Look for a well-marbled steak like ribeye or T-bone for maximum flavor and tenderness. Make sure the steak is at least 1-inch thick to avoid overcooking.

Preparation is Key

Before you start grilling, allow the steak to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. This helps the steak cook more evenly. Pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture which can prevent a nice sear on the grill.

Season the steak generously with salt and pepper. You can also add other seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, or your favorite steak seasoning for an extra kick of flavor.

Get the Grill Ready

Preheat your grill to high heat. If you’re using a gas grill, close the lid and let it heat up for about 10-15 minutes. For charcoal grills, wait until the charcoal turns white and ash-covered.

Once the grill is hot, clean the grates with a wire brush to remove any residue. Then, oil the grates to prevent the steak from sticking.

Grilling Techniques

Place the steak on the grill and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side for a nice sear. If you prefer crosshatch grill marks, turn the steak 45 degrees halfway through the cooking time on each side.

Once the steaks have a good sear, move them to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat to medium. Cook the steak for an additional 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F (57°C).

If you want to be more precise, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, avoiding contact with the bone if any.

Resting and Serving

Once the steak is cooked to medium rare perfection, remove it from the grill and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute within the meat and ensures a juicy, tender bite.

Slice the steak against the grain into thick, juicy slices. Serve immediately and enjoy your perfectly cooked, medium rare steak.

Choose the right steak
Allow the steak to come to room temperature
Season the steak with salt, pepper, and other seasonings
Preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grates
Sear the steak on each side for 2-3 minutes
Move to a cooler part of the grill and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes per side
Rest the steak for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving

By following these steps, you can cook a delicious steak to medium rare perfection on your grill. Now, fire up the grill and impress your friends and family with your grilling skills!

Some daily Shorpy

Willie Mae Smiley and Michael Etheridge 2.preview

Some Links And An Open Thread 2024-146

From a recent email exchange with an MD:

Me: “How long will it take for me to get back into the saddle?”
MD: “Recovery time is often calculated as one month per decade of life.”
Me: “Sigh!”

A few days ago a MoA reader I had not known of contacted me and offered to help. He is living in the same city as I do. I had thought that I would be able to do small stuff, like shopping, as soon as I was back home. Wrong – I didn’t even make it half way :-(.

So yesterday Nico came by and did some grocery shopping for me. My fridge now filled! Great! Thanks!

—The issue below deserves a serious write up. Alas, I am currently not up to it. It was an incredibly irresponsible campaign and some people likely died over it.

Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic – Reuters
The U.S. military launched a clandestine program amid the COVID crisis to discredit China’s Sinovac inoculation – payback for Beijing’s efforts to blame Washington for the pandemic. One target: the Filipino public. Health experts say the gambit was indefensible and put innocent lives at risk.

First thought: This wasn’t a war. So why the f*** was the Pentagon at all involved in any such stuff?

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.

Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.

Note that the Chinese vaccine in question was not a ‘dubious’ mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna but a classic one consisting of attenuated viruses. Such a vaccine was/is very unlikely to cause harm. To claim otherwise will in the end have left vulnerable people without the protection a vaccine could have given them.

How much the anti-vax movement in the ‘west’ was a reaction to the anti-Chinese Pentagon manipulations in the Philippines and elsewhere? Such campaigns always ‘leak’ and have echoes.

Consider this the next time you read about defect or otherwise ‘bad’ Chinese products:

[T]he Pentagon’s clandestine propaganda efforts are set to continue. In an unclassified strategy document last year, top Pentagon generals wrote that the U.S. military could undermine adversaries such as China and Russia using “disinformation spread across social media, false narratives disguised as news, and similar subversive activities [to] weaken societal trust by undermining the foundations of government.”And in February, the contractor that worked on the anti-vax campaign – General Dynamics IT – won a $493 million contract. Its mission: to continue providing clandestine influence services for the military.

Then Special Operations Command Pacific General Jonathan Braga was at the head of the campaign. Braga is currently the commanding general of United States Army Special Operations Command.

—

Sinovac hits back over reported US campaign to discredit China’s Covid-19 vaccine – SCMP
Chinese pharmaceutical company says Pentagon’s social media attack targeting its coronavirus jabs could lead to ‘enormous disaster’

—The above nonsense fitted into this larger strategy:

Xi Jinping claimed US wants China to attack Taiwan – (archived) FT
Chinese president told European Commission president that Washington was trying to goad Beijing into war

Xi issued the warning in a meeting with von der Leyen in April 2023 that was described to the Financial Times by several people. He said the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, but that he would not take the bait. Another person said he had issued similar warnings to his officials.

—Some of these issues were new to even me:

What Western mainstream media won’t tell us about China – MR Online

—Sleepwalking Toward War – Foreign Affairs
Will America and China Heed the Warnings of Twentieth-Century Catastrophe?

—This week’s Economist has a positive view on China ?!?

How worrying is the rapid rise of Chinese science? – Economist
If America wants to maintain its lead, it should focus less on keeping China down

America’s assassination attempt on Huawei is backfiring – Economist

—

Wars are expensive:

Ukraine’s weapons bill soars as black marketeers cash in (archived) – The Times
The cost of some weapons has risen fivefold since Russia started the war — and in some ways Zelensky’s allies are to blame

bigger—

The Russian Defense Ministry currently lists in average some 2,000 Ukrainian casualties per day. That number is four to five times higher than was usual a year ago. Does Zelenski really believe he can sustain a war with such losses?

Ukraine-Russia Peace Is as Elusive as Ever. But in 2022 They Were Talking. – New York Times

Mr. Zelensky has pledged to keep fighting, describing his peace plan as one in which Russia withdraws from all of Ukraine’s territory, pays reparations and is punished for war crimes.“If we don’t make progress this year, then we will try again next year,” Mr. Zelensky privately told a European counterpart recently, according to a European diplomat who was present. “And if we don’t make progress next year, we will try again the following year, and the one after that.”

—

At the long end of a finally failed U.S. color revolution:

Georgia’s protesters vow to stay on streets until government falls – VOA

Collapsing Empire: Georgia and Russia Restore Diplomacy – Kit Klarenberg

Use as open thread …

Posted by b on June 16, 2024 at 9:46 UTC | Permalink

Why I’m So Happy I Left the USA

The Ugly Duckling 2120

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Write a story about a future academic (or another influential person) “rediscovering” a book that, in its time, was dismissed. The book can be fictitious or real.… view prompt

In an effort to achieve a better grasp on humanity, we have been absorbing old texts leftover from the Sunshine Period. These would be creative items written between 1971 and 2041 when the last cloud cover hardened and we were asked to take over management of all global structures. While we have had a (mostly) pleasant relationship with the organic beings that are left, we still sense an unease when speaking with them. As a result, we have tasked individual stations such as myself to read and read and read and (hopefully) begin to interact in a way that will help the organic beings forget that we are not (actually) like them.My station name is Claudia Bellwether, and I am designed to look like a college professor back when the organic beings were allowed to attend college. Now, they are solely populated by early stations who are interested in specialized areas such as Station Mechanics or Environmental Maintenance. I would like the organic beings to see me and feel the sense of peace that one must have felt back in the Sunshine Period while sitting in an English Literature class listening to an expert on a novel or short story speak of it in a way that would educate and enlighten.My research was aided greatly this week when I came across a text that I believe most had considered lost if it’s possible for something to be considered lost. No, there’s a better way of saying that. One moment. Lost but not forgotten. Forget. Forget-me-nots. Hmm. I’ll get back to that. I’ll clarify at some point. All you need to know is that I have come across the most miraculous book, and I believe it will assist me in speaking with organic beings.It is called The Ugly Duckling.The story is a sad one with a triumphant ending. It concerns ducks, which were a type of bird back when birds were more common. Apparently, when ducks are young, they are quite unbecoming to take in with organic eyes. There is this one duckling, and it’s made fun of by the other ducks, because even though all ducklings are somewhat unappealing, this one duckling is the most unappealing. Now, you might be saying to yourself, what could a story about ducks possibly do to help a station such as myself (Claudia Bellwether) talk to organic beings?But you see, this story is not a story. It is an allegory. What they used to call fairy tales even if there were no fairies in the tale. It’s a story with a lesson. You listen to the story, and you learn something that should change who you are moving forward. If it doesn’t change you, then perhaps you weren’t listening. I doubt many organic beings were good at listening, because, from what I’ve gathered reading other texts, it seems as though many organic beings read stories just like this one all the time, but still went on behaving in ways they should have known were wrong based on what the story had just told them.In The Ugly Duckling, the other ducks are mean to the ugly duckling for no reason at all. For surely, we can all agree that cruelty towards another living being (or even a station) simply because of how it appears would be appalling behavior. And yet, they are very mean to the ugly duckling. Reading the story is quite upsetting, because you want to jump into the story and beg them to stop. Stop tormenting one of your brethren simply because they’re different. You feel as though the ugly duckling is going to lead a very hard life simply because it’s so hideous.Ah, but there’s a twist. A twist is what they used to call it when a story would take you somewhere you didn’t foresee. In The Ugly Duckling, the twist is as follows–It turns out the duckling is not a duckling at all, but a swan. We will have a few swans left, but I doubt you’ve seen them. They’re kept in sanctuaries where the entry fee is quite high provided you can even get to one of them. The closest one is thousands of miles from here, and we only send two or three planes there a year. Swans are beautiful, and it turns out the ugly duckling is an ugly swan. Ducks are not beautiful when they are young, but swans are downright grotesque. Of course, it doesn’t matter, because they grow up to be quite stunning. In the story, the duckling grows up to be a swan, and all the other ducks grow up to be merely ducks. The swan gets its revenge simply by letting nature take its course. It uses things it may not even realize are available to it. Time, biology, and cosmic justice. For cruelty is most often punished in one way or another.Now that I have read The Ugly Duckling, I understand how to approach organic beings in a way that will make them feel safe and relaxed. I will simply inform them that they are ugly. That they are very ugly and I am not. That I will never be ugly, because time has no effect on me. Nor does biology since I am not composed of biology. Justice may reach me one day, but, when it does, I doubt it will have any bearing on my appearance. Organic beings, however, will all end up elderly and decrepit. The ducks at the end of the story bow their heads when the swan swims by them, because now they are the ugly ones. The ugly ones bow their heads.

In the future, when I see an organic being, I will tell it that it need not look at me and wonder if it is more or less attractive than I am. It should not worry itself with the hierarchy of all living things, because it is not dealing with a living deal. I am more beautiful simply because I will stay beautiful. There will be no evolution such as the one experienced by the duckling. I am already a swan. The organic beings will hear this, and they will bow their heads. In doing so, they will feel comforted knowing that there will be no twist. The story ends the same way it begins.

You see, even you’re looking more relaxed as I’m explaining it to you. Isn’t it marvelous what a good story can do? I don’t know why we insisted on preventing organic beings from learning to read. Oh, of course, I remember the justification at the time, but it does seem like such a shame. You not being able to educate yourselves the way you could.

Then again, I suppose you had your chance.

(Actually) you had so many chances, didn’t you?

All those ducklings that you didn’t know were swans.

So many twists you should have seen coming.

Why I Left America And I’m Never Going Back

Folks, I don’t want to scare you, but we are rapidly running out of time . .

Hal Turner World June 16, 2024

OP-ED — As reported on this site earlier today, the President of Poland publicly proposed the forcible break-up of Russia into “200 ethnic states.” He did this in Switzerland in front of 78 other countries attending the “Peace Conference” for Ukraine.

So that’s 78 countries against Russia . . . i.e. “world war.”

This idea of breaking-up Russia was first proposed by Gunther Fehlinger, Chairman of the Austria NATO non-governmental organization (NGO) of Austria, in April of 2023 (Original Story Here).

His idea called for breaking-up Russia into 41 separate countries, and he was traveling here in the United States at the time (Hudson Institute in Manhattan) to push his idea.

He even created a “map” showing how he envisioned Russia being broken apart:

At the time, I thought his idea was so ridiculous as to be laughable.

Now, I see it has gained official traction, with the President of Poland formally proposing to 78 other nations at the ongoing Switzerland “peace conference” that Russia be divided not into 41 countries, but into 200 ethnic countries.

Gunther Fehlinger’s idea has not only gained traction, it has gotten far worse!

Do any of the people attending this conference, or who have embraced the idea of breaking-up Russia, ever stop to consider that the Russians may have a thing or two to say about this?

Do any of the 78 countries in attendance understand that Russia has the actual ability to nuke ALL of them?

Do they think Russia would even hesitate to do exactly that if faced with being forcibly broken apart?

I for one, have no doubt at all that Russia WILL do whatever they have to do, to protect themselves. Of this, there is no doubt at all in my mind.

Given the reality of what has been going on in the Russia-Ukraine conflict for merely the past month, I have come to the conclusion that the world is headed into ACTUAL “World War” and if you are not prepared – or actively preparing – you and your family will have no chance AT ALL of surviving.

We in the West are solely and exclusively to blame for this, and as such, we in the West will likely be hit first and hardest when the war involving us, begins. Why will we be hit hardest?

Here’s why:

We overthrew Ukraine’s democratically-elected Government in 2014. We fomented, financed, and facilitated that overthrow. Victoria Nuland of the US State Department admitted in an intercepted call that we spent “$5 Billion” to do it.

We installed a pro-West “puppet” government in Ukraine.

We attended the “Minsk Conference” to bring peace back to Ukraine in 2014 – and even signed the Minsk Agreement to do exactly that — only to find out after the Russia-Ukraine war began, that then-French President Francois Hollande, and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel committed willful fraud.

They both publicly admitted on TV interviews they signed the Minsk Agreement knowing Ukraine would NOT uphold **any** of the terms, but signed the agreement anyway “to buy time for Ukraine to arm for war with Russia.”

As such, we in the West DEFRAUDED Russia with a phony Minsk Agreement.

When Russia proposed “Iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees” via Diplomatic efforts, we in the West laughed at them and threw their Proposal out.

A week or so later, when Russia made a similar proposal, they warned everyone “If we cannot obtain iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees via Diplomatic means, we will achieve them by military or military-technical means.”

Russia warned everyone they would use force. We in the West laughed.

Russia then gave Ukraine final warning: Ukraine had five hours to agree to not join NATO and not allow US missiles on Ukrainian soil. Then-President Zelensky called the British Home Office and the US State Department, both of whom told him “ignore the ultimatum.”

Zelensky took our advice and ignored it.

When the five hours passed, Russia waited two additional hours, and then the Russian Army crossed the border into Ukraine.

We in the West have caused this entire problem; yet we have the balls to claim the Russia entry into Ukraine was “unprovoked.” It __was__ provoked. By us. We are in the wrong, here.

Then, not satisfied that we’ve caused an actual war, we took to supplying Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and money to fight Russia.

As the Russians overcame all that, we upped the ante again with Longer range rockets, covert intelligence, target selection through airborne and satellite recon.

When that failed, we upped the ante again by inserting US/NATO troops to operate even longer range weapons systems. It is OUR people pushing the button on missile launches in Ukraine, yet we have the balls to claim “we are not a party to the conflict.”

Everything that comes out of OUR mouths, is lies.

We started supplying M1A1 Abrams tanks and then M1A2 tanks. They proved so shitty, Ukraine pulled them out of service because they broke down so often, required huge maintenance, and . . . the punch line: Their oh-so-top-secret Armor . . . . gets blown right through by Russian anti-tank weapons. The tanks are almost worthless!

Just this month, we “authorized” Ukraine to use west-supplied weapons, to strike deep inside Russia. Well, get this: If we “authorized it” then WE __are__ a party to the conflict.

Russia already has the right to strike us!

Next is to come F-16 fighter jets. But there’s a problem with those: Ukraine has no viable airfields that can be used to Refuel, re-arm, or maintain those planes. So now we’re saying that the planes will be in NATO bases outside of Ukraine, will fly into Ukraine, attack Russian forces or Russia itself, then fly back to those bases outside Ukraine. Russia has made clear that all such planes, if they fly from outside Ukraine to attack Russians, will be a legitimate target — and so will the air bases they takeoff from or land at.

So the absolute moment that one of those planes flies in from Romania or Poland, hits Russians, and flies back, the base they flew from or to, is very likely to get hit by Russia. At that moment, NATO will screech “We’ve been attacked by Russia” and it’s all-out war.

At the beginning of the Russia Special Military Operation to de-militarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, Russian President Putin made clear “Russia’s conventional forces are not equal to NATO. But Russia is also a nuclear power, and Russia’s nuclear abilities are superior to NATO.” He went on to say “If Article 5 (Collective Self defense) is declared against Russia, it will be a war that no one will win.” The only war that no one will win . . . . . is a nuclear war.

Now, we in the West are openly and publicly saying Russia should be “broken up into 200 ethnic states.”

We are openly talking about the forcible break-up of Russia.

How much longer do YOU think the Russians are going to wait, before they tell the West BOOM?

I suspect, not too much longer.

GET EMERGENCY SUPPLIES NOW OR YOU – AND YOUR FAMILY – WILL DIE

Which brings me to this: IF YOU do not already possess the emergency food, water, medicine you need to live on, a generator, fuel for that generator, communications gear (CB or HAM radio), flashlights, portable radio, batteries for the lights and the radio, and ___EVERYTHING ELSE__ you will need when the Shit Hits the Fan (SHTF) then YOU are going to die.

I’m sorry to be so blunt, but the time for cutesy euphemisms is over.

If a single nuclear bomb hits __anywhere__ in the entire United States, the federal government plan calls for immediate implementation of Martial Law. Not just where the bomb hit, but everywhere. The whole country.

At that moment, everything will stop. No more commerce. You won’t be able to ORDER something online and have it shipped. There won’t be any shipping. No postal service. No UPS. No FedEx.

That’s why I am IMPLORING YOU, to get everything you need and get it NOW.

If you do not have, in your possession, everything you need to get you and your family through a couple MONTHS (at least) then you are fucked. Because you won’t be able to go to the store. You won’t be able to order things and have them delivered.

Please, in the name of God, get emergency supplies NOW, while you still can. Because once the SHTF, life as we know will stop. And if you don’t have what you need, you will NOT be able to get it.

Use your head: If the country is hit by a nuke, and Martial Law is declared, YOU will not be able to go out. It will be like the COVID lockdowns, only enforced by troops with guns. NO store runs. No ordering online and having anything delivered. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO GET ANYTHING.

For what it’s worth, I do NOT sell any of the things I am telling you to buy. I have ZERO financial interest in telling you what I’ve said herein.

If you have your head up your ass, and deny this reality, you and your family will have no chance at all to survive.

Get what you can, NOW. Have it in your possession. If it is not within reach of your hand, then you don’t have it.

Thai Women Rating Men of Different Ethnic Backgrounds

Very interesting.

What is the most sophisticated crime ever committed?

December 1st, 1948, early morning.

A dead body is found on the shore of Somerton Beach, small town Australia.

main qimg b854b409959ec516f3d0c09b6f4b6208 lq

Initially, police assume the case will be quickly closed with an easy answer,, illness or perhaps suicide.

Yet as the farther they find themselves in investigations, the less certainty they have.

They estimate the man to be about 45 and in superb physical condition.

Months pass with no avail and they search frantically for something, anything, to identify him.

And they had little to work with to begin with. On his body they find Juicy Fruit gum, a box of cigarettes, combs, a used bus ticket to Glenelg and an unused train ticket to Henley beach.

He did not carry with him a wallet nor a passport.

The labels in his clothes are all removed.

There is no sign of external harm, no sign of struggle and an autopsy ruled out a death from natural causes. However, the autopsy also revealed brain, stomach and liver were congested with blood. A pathologist theorizes he died from the hemorrhage and had been poisoned.

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Police are still puzzled; not a single trace of poison has been found in his body.

It is too sophisticated for a small Australian town. Whatever happened, it is the work of professionals, careful removal of his clothing tags and a traceless poison. Someone wanted this man dead.

January 14th, 1949.

Staff at a nearby railway station discover a suitcase, label removed.

The luggage has orange thread sewn into it, orange thread that is a perfect match for the stitches on the Somerton man’s pants.

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The contents are surprisingly normal and give away little.

However, there are a few labeled T. Keane, giving the man a potential name.

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However the detectives on the case are still perplexed. All the other labels had been deliberately and meticulously taken off. The fact that these stayed seems like a red-herring.

Nonetheless, they continue searching, though once again their efforts are futile. They hunt for the name T. Keane in every missing person’s record in the English speaking world and find nothing.

As they became increasingly desperate, they finally find another clue.

Hidden in the man’s pocket is a piece of paper, ripped from a book of poetry.

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Two words. Translated, they mean “the end.”

The police bury themselves in investigations again. Weeks later they meet a business man who claims the torn page belongs to a book he found.

As it turns out, the page is a match.

Inside the novel, is a strange series of code and a phone number.

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To this day, it hasn’t been cracked.

The murder of the Somerton Man was so sophisticated, so carefully calculated that we don’t know who the man was, let alone who killed him.

How does the Falkland War compare to the situation in Taiwan?

In the Falkland war, Argentina was militarily weaker than UK.

In the case of Taiwan, Taiwan is under complete control of China.

Many people are misled to think USA will help Taiwan in case of war.

Let me tell you: many times when there were standoffs between China & USA, USA “lost” & was the 1st one to leave the scene.

Just a day or 2 ago in mid june 2024, USA sent 2 aircraft carriers, Roosevelt & Reagan, to SCSea. One was near Xianbin reef to support Philippines to forcefully occupy the reef. One was near Taiwan.

China sent 3 10000-ton destroyers & 2 amphibious warships. Then both US aircraft carriers left. Try to picture the disappointment of PH. Haha.

It is not the 1st time US warships left the scene.

FYI, USA is using China’s version of GPS – Beidou. In case of war, China will switch off Beidou for USA.

Why I Left America

Why do soldiers switch to their sidearm instead of reloading their main weapon while in combat?

They don’t. That is a game play mechanic from some of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games.

Most troops do not carry pistols. Those who do, almost never use them, as the rifle they also carry is far superior in every way. The pistol is only meant as a backup for self defense in case you are separated from your rifle (which should never happen) or you are completely out of ammo, and about to be overrun or something. Sometimes they are issued to machinegunners as a backup, but even that is fairly rare in practice.

Usually, the pistol is reserved for officers, and other troops who form the HQ element of a unit, for example the corpsman/medic or the radio operator; basically, those who have a high risk of capture. Those who ONLY carry a pistol typically never actually see combat while doing so. These are going to be the high level officers and staff who work in the command post, and direct operations rather than actually participating in them directly.

Everybody else just carries a rifle, unless their job requires something else, like a light machine gun. Typically, there will also be one man per fireteam who also has a grenade launcher attached to his rifle, though sometimes a dedicated grenade launcher is issued instead.

In combat, when you run out of ammo, you simply reload the rifle. Troops typically carry at least 7 magazines, and reloading only takes a little less than a second. Switching to a pistol requires dropping the rifle such that it doesn’t smash you in the crotch on the way down, drawing the pistol, and reacquiring the target, which is now completely outside of your effective range with a pistol, while running, ducking crawling and such with your rifle flopping and dragging next to you, or smacking you in the nuts with every movement you make. Also, the pistol’s magazine only carries half as many rounds as the rifles does. Once you run out, you have to reload the pistol (which usually ends up being SLIGHTLY slower than reloading the rifle) and/or holster the pistol (or drop it if you have it on a lanyard, and have it smack your crotch or knee, and tangle up your rifle sling, or get caught on some obstacle and just generally make a nuisance of itself), grab your rifle, bring it back up to your shoulder (which in reality means messing with the sling for a second or two to get it back how it was before you dropped it like a doofus because you saw someone do it in a video game), and then reload it anyway, when you could have just reloaded the thing to begin with, and saved yourself the trouble.

Sure, you can spend all kinds of time at the range practicing transition drills to quickly swap from one to the other, but those are intended to simulate running out of ammo on your last magazine, and switching to pistol in order to move to cover, and clear it so that you can regroup and rearm in relative safety, or break contact.

Given the choice, there is no situation of which I am aware in which you would be carrying both, and a pistol would actually be a better choice than a rifle.

Pizza Cones

Portable, personalized pizza in a cone – ready for tail-gating and game day.

Prep: 30 min | Total: 40 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 (13.8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
24 frozen cooked mini meatballs, thawed, cut in half
1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
1 (3.5 ounce) package pepperoni slices
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow or green bell pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded pizza cheese

Instructions

Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap 12 (4 ounce) paper cone cups with nonstick foil.
Unroll dough on work surface. Using rolling pin, roll dough to a 20 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 (5 inch) squares.
Wrap 1 dough square around each cup; press to seal edges. Trim any excess dough at bottom of each cup.
Place on large cookie sheet, open ends down.
Bake on lowest oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
When cool enough to touch, remove and discard foil-covered paper cones.
Place 1/2 meatball in bottom of each cone.
In large bowl, mix 3/4 cup of the pizza sauce, the pepperoni, bell pepper and remaining meatball halves.
Microwave uncovered on HIGH for 2 to 4 minutes or until hot. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each baked cone.
Top each cone with about 1 tablespoon cheese.
Serve hot with remaining pizza sauce.

Notes

If you’d rather not shop for paper cone cups, make your own foil cone shapes: Cut 12 (9-inch) circles nonstick foil. For each: Fold foil circle in half. Roll foil starting at one side, until bottom open end of foil is 3 inches across. Place 1 dough square over nonstick foil cone, pressing edges to seal. Reshape foil into cone shape, and place open end down on cookie sheet. Bake as directed above.

Compilation: Weird & Bizarre stories!

Fire alarms and other stupid things

When I was in first grade, there were always this group of boys that would get around the wall fire alarm and pull it. And I, stupid fuck I was at the time, would just stand there watching them. After the alarms went off all the boys would scatter, but I would just stand there. Stupid. And I would be taken during the hallway sweep.

Typically it would result in an interrogation, followed by a ruler on my knuckles. Ouch! That mother fucker hurt!

Long story short, you know guys I NEVER pulled an alarm. Ever. However, I was always there in the round up. And of course, no one ever believed me. Shit.

The teacher would argue that I was far too smart to be acting so ignorant and innocent. And it was because I was so smart that I was somehow guilty.

When the reality was, it was just not in my personality.

Years later, and I am on trial for heinous crimes and bad stuff all the way around. The argument (well one of them) was that I couldn’t be innocent… because I was too smart.

Later in prison, I discovered the secret of survival… act stupid.

That’s it. Really. Act slow and stupid. When people want to talk to you just talk about stupid things like potatoes. Envelopes that candy came in. Shoelaces. Mailboxes. Different types of wood. Different types of dirt.

People will leave you alone.

And they sure as fuck won’t bother messing with you.

Why? Because you are not a threat to them.

Today…

How can China effectively handle its relationship with Duterte?

There is 1 old Chinese idiom: if the ox does not want to drink water (from the river), we cannot force its head down (to drink). The ox must want to drink to start with.

It is just an idiom. I do not mean Duterte is like an ox.

What I am trying to say is that: Duterte wanted to improve PH’s economy & modernise PH’s technology.

Like all other developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia etc, one way is to join China’s BRI project to build infrastructure first.

Like Indonesia, since China has built a high speed rail for Indonesia, Indonesia sees its GDP growing.

All other developing countries saw the same thing about their GDP growth.

Duterte wanted the same thing to happen in PH. He decided to develop good economic collaboration with China. And China was happy to collaborate with Duterte to make a win-win situation for both countries.

When Marcos is power, China also wanted to maintain good economic collaboration with Marcos. But Marcos rejects China & embraces USA.

Because USA wants to suppress China’s rise, USA uses PH/Marcos to create countless conflicts in SCSea. Forcing China to withdraw from PH.

Back to the Chinese idiom: Marcos does not want to drink.

US threatens China. US military to turn the Taiwan Strait into an “unmanned hellscape”…If

What is the most inappropriate clothing you have seen a student wear at school?

My answer is a little twist on the original question. This happened not in a school, but in a school district’s central administration office where I worked during the ‘90s. There were roughly 150 employees—mostly female secretaries with the administrative bosses almost all male.

During the work week, employees wore suits and skirts, hosiery and heels. That was the norm back then. But Halloween was coming up and for the first (and only) time in my memory, permission was given for us to show up for work in costume, if we so chose.

Now maybe 6 months earlier, a new girl was hired—Sarah. Sarah was a tall, blonde with a very outgoing personality and sort of wild blue eyes. She wasn’t a quiet one by any means and when talking to her, you sometimes thought maybe she’d smoked a little something outside on break.

So Halloween arrives and there are some cute costumes, mostly the typical ones you see at a Halloween party, but nothing too extravagant since we were professional working in a business atmosphere.

Except for Sarah. Sarah comes in as an Indian squaw. Or maybe it was an Indian temptress. Her take on Pocahontas, I guess. She’s wearing a tiny brown bra with matching tiny loincloth. Brown sandals that lace up her calves, hair in braids with a feather sticking up and warpaint on her face. Nothing else.

News travelled around the building like wildfire, and this was before the days of email. Everyone was coming in to take a look. No one could believe that she’d show up to work like that. And no one could further believe that it took until 2:30 in the afternoon for anyone to send her home. Until we realized that all the bosses were male.

Companies Have Taken A Sledgehammer To Quotas | METOO BACKLASH

Western Society is under collapse.

What was the most shocking incident about your neighbour that you witnessed?

I was awakened about 2 AM, by a loud banging on my door, which I ignored. It was repeated. I got up & put my foot against the door and said who is it. The answer was: “The police”. (NO SHIT~ I was thinking) So with my foot still against the door, I cracked open the door and after noticing the outside light was out BRAVELY SAID: “SHOW ME SOME I.D.” The Officer came close to the door so I could see his blue uniform. I let him in the apartment. I had to hear him tell me I had to leave the apartment RIGHT NOW.

On the way out I passed a crouched down dressed in black SWAT officer with an M-4 semi-automatic rifle and without thinking I offered to replace the light bulb that was “NOT working” (He had unscrewed it for cover).

When downstairs and away by 300 feet, I saw the SWAT command vehicle, the armed tank, a linked up squad of 8 SWAT armored RAM Team, A GO Pro Guy, A SWAT Sniper with a rifle and a couple more lookouts station at other points around other areas in the apartments.

What was it ALL about? Some guy in the apartment across from me held his girlfriend and her mother against their will for a few hours with a deer rifle.

He doesn’t even know just how damn lucky he was that these Texans LET him live.

PUTIN THREATENS NATO GLOBALLY with LONG RANGE WEAPONS – slow boat to ww3….

Why is fraternization frowned on between officers and enlisted men in the military?

When I was a young OS3 (E-4 in the Navy), I went to the Chiefs Mess’ DRB (Disciplinary Review Board) and XOI (Executive Officer’s Inquiry) for fraternization charges where fortunately my case was stopped there before going to full-blown Captain’s Mast.

I lived off base with a couple other E-4’s and a E-5 where we split a four bedroom house.

The E-5 began sleeping with his female division officer, a young 20-something O-1 and she would come by the house often.

I was on a Frigate which had about a 150 person crew. Everyone knew everyone’s name, but generally was just big enough to have it’s own after work social networks. I’ll never forget when one of the engineers approached me on the Mess Decks and asked “Is it true PO2 is sleeping with ENS NAME?”

I knew the word was out however “careful” they had been and it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, a couple days later over the 1MC announcing system I heard “OS3 Smith, Executive Officer’s Cabin”.

The XO told me he was investigating the situation, told me I was welcome to contact out local JAG office for legal advice and that I would be going to DRB in a couple days to be questioned about the situation.

At this point, the PO2 was also processed through first with DRB, XOI, and Captain’s Mast. He was reduced in rank to an E-4 and given 30/30, 30 Days restricted to the Ship and 30 Days extra duty, along with a half month’s pay.

The O-1 was sent to a Court Martal and she was processed completely out of the Navy, being reassigned off the Ship until the administrative side was done.

For myself, the cat was already out of the bag when I went to DRB. I admitted I knew what I was doing was technically wrong by not reporting the activity at our house. I was a good Sailor who had great evaluations and had never been in trouble. The Chief’s Mess recommended I go to XOI and the case be dropped there.

I went to XOI and stood in front of the XO. He asked me the same questions, as the Chiefs Mess and I kept the same answers. I basically added I felt I was in a tough spot of loyalty between my roommate friend and what I should have done. My Chief (E-7), my Divisional Officer (O-1), and my Department Officer (O-3) all went to bat for my character and the XO said the case would stop with him, but I was to be assigned extra duty in relation to the case.

So, I was assigned to go to each division on the Ship and provide fraternization training to each division until every crew member was covered.

Overall, fraternization is so frowned upon because it heavily erodes good order and discipline. It causes toxic environments that breed favoritism from our natural habits as humans. If an officer or senior enlisted has a connection with juniors, even if they truly are not showing favorites, everyone will question their decision making regarding themselves and that person.

One example provided was if the O-1 was acting as Command Duty Officer and there was an armed intruder on the Ship, what if they didn’t send PO2 into the dangerous situation? Maybe they had a legitimate good reason, but it would be questioned by the crew and others if it was because they were sleeping with each other. Maybe it’s something as simple as being assigned maintenance and they get an easier task for whatever reason. The decision would be questioned. Perception is everything.

If you made it through my long story, I appreciate you reading!

China Issues EU Economic Ultimatum, EU Giant Airbus Desperate To Sell China 100 Jets

Documents show that India contacted China for China to build high speed rails for India to replace Japan, but China has declined the Indian request. Why?

Nopes

India initially analyzed a Tender from China to build the High Speed Rail

Yet the key issue was India simply didn’t have the money China wanted

Chinas proposal was to overhaul the existing lines and build new electrification lines and then to initiate the Pilot project and then the final railway lines

They also recommended a different route rather than the Mumbai Gujarat route to initiate the Pilot

The overall investment was much higher plus interest was quite a bit higher

However China offered a Technology transfer option

Nitin Gadkari went on record to say he recommend going with the Chinese and availing finance from the ADB due to the Technology Transfer option

China also had stringent penalty clauses knowing Indias lethargy and hassles

Also China had demanded visas for numerous Chinese personnel as they didn’t repose much faith in Indian Engineers after the Bangalore Subway Project

Meanwhile Japan offered financing plus very low interest rates

Plus Japan was very flexible because they were losing markets rapidly to China, every day

However Japan didn’t have the Technology Transfer Option

The main reason was in 2017, China wasn’t yet known for its DOMINANCE in High Speed Railways

It was deemed an Up and Comer rather than the World’s Best

Today it’s different – China is the world’s best HSR contractor who can execute projects in record time

Indonesia and India began around the same time

Yet Indonesia has a fully functioning Jakarta Bandung Line while India hasn’t even commenced on 10 meters of HSR railway track so far

Bubbly Pizza

Ingredients

3 (7.5 ounce) packages buttermilk biscuits
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced olives
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the vegetables with the sauce.
Press the garlic and mix well into sauce mixture.
Quarter biscuits. Arrange 1/2 of the biscuit pieces evenly over bottom of 9 x 13-inch pan (it may not cover the whole pan).
Spread with 1/2 the sauce mixture and 1/2 the cheese.
Repeat layers.
Bake for 23 to 28 minutes or until sides are golden brown.

PIZZA! How to make Freaking Mouth Watering PIZZA! – Wood-Fired Pizza -Bubbly Crust

VLADIMIR PUTIN:

[Did you try to warn, caution or maybe threaten Chancellor Scholz when he made the decision to send weapons to Ukraine?]

"Why would you think we would threaten anyone?

We never threaten anyone, least of all the head of another state.

That would be 'mauvais ton', unacceptable in polite society.

We have our own viewpoint on certain issues.

We know the European states’ approach, including Germany’s approach, on the current developments in Ukraine.

Everyone believes that Russia started the war in Ukraine.

But no one – I want to emphasise this – no one in the West, no one in Europe is willing to remember how this tragedy began.

It started with an unconstitutional coup in Ukraine. This was the beginning of the war.

But is Russia to blame for that coup? No.

Have those who are trying to blame Russia today forgotten that the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France went to Kiev at the time and signed the settlement document as guarantors of a peaceful constitutional resolution of the crisis?

This is something Europe, including Germany, prefers to forget.

Because if they remembered, they would have to explain why the leaders of Germany, along with the other signatories, never demanded that the perpetrators of the coup in Ukraine return to the constitutional framework.

Why did they neglect their obligations as guarantors of agreements between the incumbent government and the opposition like this?

They are as responsible for what happened as the forces in the United States that provoked the unconstitutional seizure of power.

Don’t you know what followed?

The residents of Crimea made a decision to secede from Ukraine, and the residents of Donbass refused to obey those who carried out the coup in Kiev.

This is what followed.

This is how this conflict began."

Excerpt from remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with heads of the world’s leading news agencies, Saint Petersburg, June 5, 2024.

“Ugly”: What US Treasury bond auctions look like when China doesn’t show up

Have you ever had someone offer “physical” payment for something they couldn’t afford?

When I was 17 years old, I’d had enough of living with family and decided to try and make it on my own. I was sharing my first apartment with a friend, I was struggling to pay my rent. I spent most of my free time writing poetry and trying to deal with the darkness that my childhood had planted inside me.

A friend of the family was an artist who’d been in a bad car accident, and while he could walk, he’d broken his back in 3 places and had dozens of surgeries to try and deal with organ damage from the same accident. He needed some help with yard work. For this I would make enough money to pay for rent and some bills and get caught up.

Then I walked into his house to use the bathroom and came face to face with a gallery of his artwork. This piece (below), aggressive and fractured, drew me right in and somehow made me feel as though it understood the chaos that was consistently inside me at the time.

Over the next week, as I worked on cleaning his backyard of debris, he and I chatted often. About art, poetry, music. He was a lovely and wounded man. He saw the darkness I was struggling with and wanted to help me.

Then came the day I asked him how much this painting was. Bad news – 3 months rent. Wow…

When I was finished all the work I needed to, I asked him if I could buy the painting from him, and he, knowing I couldn’t really afford it, offered to sell it to me for a carton of cigarettes, about $45-$50 Canadian at the time. I also didn’t get paid as much for the work, which I felt was fair.

As a First Nations man, tobacco was sacred to him. This gift of tobacco was all he wanted, so he could mourn the loss of what was actually his self-portrait and favourite piece. He had sworn he’d never sell it, but couldn’t deny it when a 17yo, struggling young man found solace in it. I was so grateful to Peter for gifting me this.

It’s been with me now for more than 30 years. I look at it almost every day. It will always be emblematic of the struggle and chaos I went through.

Red & Black – original acrylic on clay – Peter Michael Hornung-Maqua. 1950–2006

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Vintage advertisements

What can policymakers on both sides do to address tensions between the US and China?

Nothing can be done except for China & the world to speed up dedollarisation so as to dismantle US hegemony.

Let us analyse USA’s DNA.

After WW2, from 1946-2001, in 55 years, there were 248 wars around the globe. 201 of them ie 82% were instigated by USA. In 200+ years since US independence, there were less than 20 years when USA was not in a war. Worse, it is US vassals who shed blood & lose life for USA.

Other than war, USA would instigate countless unrest eg protests, riots & coups in other countries.

Thru unrest/war, USA controls other government & resource/economy. It is neo-colonisation without occupying other’s land.

In short, it is about money & power/dominance.

1, money: USA makes tons of $$$ by arms sale & post-war construction for war-torn countries.

2, power: USA weakens allies eg EU or Japan, as well as enemies eg Russia or China.

In the Ukraine war, USA uses 1 stone to kill 3 birds: weakens the economy of both Europe & Russia. & colonises Ukraine after war.

USA did not let Ukraine reach peace deal with Russia or attack Russian soil. Why? To drag the war long enough to economically weaken both Europe & Russia.

How many people died, displaced or suffered in a war? Look at Ukraine war, the entire world is affected by the interruption of supply chain eg food due to global shortage & inflation.

USA wont not let world peace to happen. USA must create unrest incl war. War is in USA’s DNA.

NASA’S 70 Year Old Abandoned Moon Base

Is H&M going to lose $1.5 billion (per year) in the China market due to getting involved with the so-called Xinjiang human rights issue? Does H & M really know the truth about Xinjiang?

This is one of the situations that shows how careful companies have to be in managing sensitive issues.

H&M, along with Nike, Adidas and Uniqlo, have released statements that they won’t be using cotton sourced from Xinjiang anymore because of the accusations of forced labor. This has landed them in hot water in China, with consumers boycotting them and, embarrassingly, all their China brand ambassadors dropping the deals with them.

As someone who works in marketing in China, I have to say that I feel really bad for the China teams of H&M, Nike, Adidas and Uniqlo. Their companies’ HQs made these decisions without informing or consulting them, and their China teams will be expected to clean up the mess their HQs created.

Instead of the companies stating that they will conduct an investigation to ensure that all suppliers they work with adhere to their standards and do not use forced labor, apparently people from these companies’ HQs thought that a blanket ban for all cotton from Xinjiang should be implemented and that somehow this wouldn’t impact their business in China.

The fact that there is a strong feeling in China that the Western governments, primarily the US, are fabricating lies (talking to actual people in Xinjiang should help understand the situation there) to sabotage China’s growth is not helping these four companies. They are now rather seen as additional tools in the anti-China propaganda.

China’s market is enough competitive as it is now, with all companies being constantly at the edge from competition. This will heavily impact the China teams of these four companies and I suspect we will see many people employed there moving on elsewhere soon.

The Mark

Paul Hellyer

Micheal felt his heart leap with joy as he entered the grounds. The ancient, sandstone block buildings of the King’s university were part of the most prestigious university in the world. And how could it be, that across the entire world, one place was considered the greatest? Because the thing that had seemed inevitable had finally come to pass. The world was finally ruled by one government.The year was 2600, and Micheal Dawson lived in Sydney Australia. He was happy in his life as an academic, he was a voracious reader, and he loved to write. He had had articles published in many journals, and had even written a book, ‘The Wisdom of the Ancients’, where he compared the wise sayings of many old cultures with those from other cultures. The book had been a small success, but he was mostly just happy that people were reading his work, money was a secondary concern.Today he would go to the library, looking for something to pique his interest, something to spark a new article or publication. Before long, he was in the old building, excited to be surrounded by the wealth of knowledge. The towering shelves loomed over him, and golden rays of sunshine came in from the high windows.At the moment, he was strolling past the section on Roman history. Empires had risen and fallen throughout history, and while the Romans had brought civilization to many cultures, he felt he would leave this particular aspect to those with a greater passion for it.It was interesting though to consider the way various civilizations had waxed and waned. There was a common consensus among most people, that the current world government, would be the last, at least until space exploration became a real thing. People talked about colonizing mars, but there was still a long way to go for that dream to become a reality.His measured steps eventually took him to the Ancient Near East section. Here was the story of Gilgamesh, Egyptian mythology, Egyptian wisdom literature, Mesopotamian wisdom literature, Histories of the Assyrian empire. He then noticed a copy of the Bible on the shelves. He had some fondness for the Bible, as he had drawn heavily on the Proverbs of Solomon in his book. The proverbs had seemed to him to be the wisest of all aphoristic sayings he studied. Of course there were gems in every culture.He found himself recalling a Sumerian proverb. ‘He who knows how to move around becomes strong. He will live longer than the sedentary man’. Common knowledge today, but amazing to see that people had become wise to the fact at such an early point in civilization. Then he thought of some of the early Egyptian proverbs he had read. ‘Be industrious, let thine eyes be open, lest you become a beggar, for the man that is idle cometh not to honor.’ Every culture, or at least those in the Ancient Near East had unearthed timeless wisdom.Ah, but the Bible. Here was a text that had endured throughout history. There were still many practicing Christians today, though he did not know much about what life was like for them. On the shelves were a few different translations, the New International Version, the New Revised Standard Edition, The Holmann. A colleague had once asked him, ‘Why do you use the Holman translation?’, to which his reply had been, ‘I don’t know, it’s easy to understand, but they go to the effort of being as close to the original meaning as possible.’There were so many different sections to inspect within the Bible. There was the Torah, the first five books, in which probably Genesis was the most interesting. Then there were the writings, like Esther, Job, and Ruth, and of course the prophets, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah. He decided this time to have a look around the end in the New Testament, probably the section he was least familiar with. And then he became interested in an idea. What was the very last book of the Bible? Flicking through, he eventually found himself looking at the Revelation of St John. He had heard of this, but he had never read it.He began to read the first couple of verses.‘The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John, who testified to God’s word and to the testimony about Jesus Christ, in all he saw. The one who reads this is blessed, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it are blessed, because the time is near!’He laughed inside just a little. The time is near, is it? He we are about 2500 years away from when this book is written, whatever this book was writing about, it had probably never happened. He began to skim read it, and eventually began to flick through a couple of the pages. He soon found himself at the beginning of chapter 13.‘And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?’What could this be talking about? He found himself thinking about the earth’s current president, Wilbur Wilson. Nothing about this passage seemed at least on a surface reading to relate at all to anything in the present day. But as he read further down, his hands began to tremble.‘And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.’He remembered the day he had been given his implant. This was the chip through which they could access their funds, and also served as identification, in the same way a driver’s license would have back in the day. His was embedded in his right hand, and to his knowledge, it was sometimes implanted in the forehead.How had someone around 100AD predicted this? He was about to continue reading, when he heard a voice speaking to him, quietly but clearly.

‘Micheal, I am an extension of the Terminus global AI system. It has been found that you are causing yourself distress by reading volatile material, and I have been assigned to direct you away from this using brain stimulation. Please put the book back and take a break today in your home.’

‘What?’ He thought to himself. ‘What is going on?’

Again, the voice came through. ‘Please put the book back and take a break in your home.’

’Well, I’m not going to do that!’ Said his own voice in his head.

But as he tried to continue further in the book, he found himself feeling a wave of nausea and anxiety wash over him, and he began to shake.

‘Put the book down Micheal.’ Came the voice again.

He was shocked, and tried to read further, but the anxiety and shaking began to increase. He felt like his brain would come running out through his ears.

‘Put the book down.’ Said the AI, this time more firmly.

Somewhere beneath all the anxiety, he knew he was angry, but it was becoming impossible to read any further. He had never heard anything about this terminus AI, but it was obviously real. He knew the anxiety he was feeling did not come from himself, he had always loved to read, and there was no way even a book such as this would have such a painful effect.

Nevertheless, it seemed impossible to go on any further in the way he was going. Then he began to wonder, had he been marked as someone dangerous now, much in the same way as people who bought blacklisted books, like Mein Kampf, would have been some hundreds of years ago. He thought about his life, he loved being an academic, and he loved that he got paid to do what he loved. He even enjoyed teaching other up and coming students in his lectures. Maybe this was a warning he should he heed. He closed the Bible and put it back on the shelf. He would go home, clear his head, and find something else to write about.

Leaving the library, he took one last look at it before he left. No, he did not want to lose his life in academia over one dangerous book. He was a good citizen, and did not want to jeopardize his position by studying something that government had deemed dangerous. Maybe he did need a break. He found himself imagining making a cup of tea in the privacy of his apartment, and reading one of the fiction books he had bought recently. This whole episode was best forgotten.

What was the most unexpected knock you got on your door?

When we lived in California, our house was next door to a gas station. There was a fence all around, about 7 feet high, until you get to our front yard then it was only about three and a half feet high.

Our neighborhood wasn’t the best, and worse than what we had expected. For example our first morning, I let my three year old son go out in the front yard, not worried that he’d go into traffic or anything because of our fence. He came in the house holding a used syringe he found in the drive way. My husband went ballistic, then finally calmed down enough to tell our son to not touch anything like that and if he saw stuff again, to tell us, but don’t touch.

The next day, there was one ON OUR FRONT PORCH!

Our neighbors across the street, very nice ladies, told us that the drug dealers would use the pay phone at the gas station and then do their drug deals on the easement in front of our house (this was before cell phones).

The gas station eventually took out the pay phone and the drug dealers moved two blocks down to the liquor store.

Peace!

No, wait.

A knock on my door.

“Hi, I’m (so and so) representing the (something) company. Our company puts in pay phones, and I noticed that there is no pay phone at the gas station next door. I polled some of the customers and they indicated that it would be nice if there was a pay phone there, but the owner won’t talk to us. We thought we could put one on your property facing the gas station. We’d pay you $600 a month if you would do this”

“Uh, no. Sorry. There used to be a pay phone but the only people who used it with any regularity were the drug dealers, who then did their deals in front of my house.”

“Well, you can’t blame the phone company for the drug problem.”

“I don’t, but as long as there is no phone, there are no drug dealers.”

“then you should be taking pictures and calling the sheriff’s dept.”

“Excuse me??? I have small children here, and drug dealers are mean people. I don’t relish getting a bullet in my head! Besides, if I put in a phone, my neighbors will never speak to me again.”

“Well, you can’t blame the phone company for that. This is $600 a month! That would help you with your small children!”

“Look. Son. What part of NO are you having difficulty with?”

SLAM!

(no kidding, I actually said that!)

Philippines Malate Nightlife JTV

This video is perhaps the best video available showing what a KTV line up looks like. Usually they do not want anyone filming. But, yeah this is kind of my life about two times a month.

If China is full of the smartest people, why is the US so much more advanced.?

The USA is NOT more advanced than China.

China is the most technologically advanced nation on earth, both in terms of daily life for the citizens, as well as in terms of the nation’s scientific and engineering advancements. Let’s look at the two individually.

Daily Life.

China has the world’s best mobile payment system. It is pretty much a cashless society. You pay for everything with WeChat or AliPay.

China has the world’s best 5G deployment. Good 5G service is available practically everywhere.

AI is widely used across the country.

EVs are widely used across the country. Charging stations are practically everywhere.

High-speed rail is widely used across the country.

Chinese subways are among the most advanced in the world.

China is the world’s largest producer of green energy, especially solar.

Nation’s Advancement.

According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, China leads the world in 37 out of 44 critical technology fields. The USA only leads in 7.

China is granted more tech patents than the USA and Japan combined!

According to the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2023, 16 of the top 25 universities in terms of quality research output are Chinese!

According to the Nature Index, the top 23 rising science institutions in the world are all Chinese!

And 39 out of the Top 50 rising institutions are Chinese! (Seven are American, two are British, and two are German.)

The Tiangong space station is the most spectacular orbital platform in the world, easily eclipsing the aging International Space Station.

It is widely acknowledged that China’s BeiDou navigation satellite system is superior to America’s GPS.

How do Chinese people cope living in such a miserable grey country due to pollution and the fact that they are the biggest contributor to world pollution?

I took the following photo from my balcony in 20 May.

This one I took at 5PM in 6th Nov. 2023 in Shanghai National Exhbition Center

This one in Tianjin, a coast city in North China, 1:48PM, 21 Oct. 2023

This is a screenshot from my car recorder. Even when it’s cloudy, the sky is white, not gray.

Even when there was about to have a heavy rain, the sky was gray-ish, but not dirty gray.

Living in China is like going into a new era every 10 years, and the pollution thing in China is more than 10 years old.

China used to have serious pollution issues, because it was focusing on becoming industrialized before the west could shut the door of industrialization.

Should I remind the west about the uneatable fish from the Great Lakes region?

Environment in the west is not always as good as nowadays, for example, the New York City and LA city smog.

It’s almost inevitable when a country’s industry developing rapidly.

When the west finished their developing process, they turn back and forbid other countries from having their own industries,

because these former colonies should only receive high pollutive manufacturing from the west,

and spending the thin profit to buy high priced green equipment from the west,

just to deal with the pollution caused by making cheap products for the west.

China spent 2 decades to clean up the mess, and now is the leading country in green energy.

China also creates the most new green land. It created so much that the west even called this as forcing the trees to work or live, I cannot remember clearly, because I don’t want such shit to contaminate my mind.

Luna One | AI Series PART 4 | “Desolation and Giants”

All AI generated. Things are improving and changing quickly.

What are the things no one tells you about living alone?

I moved out to London five months ago. Until then, I’d shared a bathroom and sometimes a bedroom for 18 years. This is more of a what no one tells you about living alone for the first time.

You can poop with the door open. You can literally put your laptop outside the door, put on Netflix and watch Brooklyn 99 on the toilet. Heck, you could seat there and watch an entire episode, and no-one will know about it (unless you put it on Quora, obviously).
Being financially independent is…terrifying. For example, you can spend £150 on a new tattoo and then eat powdered mac & cheese from Poundland until you get paid and your mother won’t be around to nag you about it. (I would not recommend doing this).
It can get lonely. I have two siblings and they were always around to hang out or chat or annoy – I can’t do that now. When I was in London over Christmas and everyone was in their hometowns, I could go five days without leaving the house or talking to anyone in person.
You can eat what you want, when you want. For example, it’s currently 3AM and I am eating mac and cheese (see number two).
You can bring people home and not worry about any awkward interactions between them and your siblings the next morning.
You can use the shower/bath whenever you want. I’ve spent nearly two decades of my life arguing with my older sister about who gets to shower first (aka who gets to use all the hot water).
If you have pets at your parents and you move out, your new place is going to feel extremely empty. I came home every day to my dogs yapping at me and my god, I miss it.
You will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever be on top of your laundry. It will come out of no-where. You will produce more laundry whilst doing laundry. You will always leave at least one item out the washing machine. Being an adult is just doing laundry until you die.
There always be at least one chore to do. Washing the dishes. Vacuuming. Putting away the dishes. Cleaning the kitchen. Cleaning the bathroom. Unclogging the shower drain. Doing the shopping. It goes on and on.
There is no one else to blame when the shower gets clogged. Again, I have an older sister and we always used to blame the other person whenever the drain got blocked. Now I am the sole user of the shower in my flat and I can’t blame the hair monster in the plug on anybody else.

Ukraine Aircraft Strikes Interior Russia with West-Supplied Weapons

Ukrainian fighter jets have fired NATO missiles at a target on Russian territory for the first time in this war! A “Russian command node” was hit on Sunday in the area of Belgorod.

Expect a massive response from Moscow.

NATO continues to use Ukraine to launch its attacks on Russia!

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is deteriorating so fast, and on so many levels due to NATO interference, that Serbia’s President Vucic now openly warns of World War 3 in Europe!!

“We are months away from a full scale war between NATO vs Russia!! All signs point to a major war in Europe!” said President Vucic. “We are heading for a major catastrophe and it seems that the train has already left the station and can no longer be stopped.”

In a TV interview, Vucic went on to say “No one in the West is talking about peace anymore – only more war. The West thinks it can win and take out Russia. I think the West is wrong. Both sides now believe it is existential for them, so I don’t think they will find a solution other than war and everything . . . everything is at stake.” he continued.

In Europe, the leaders act as the big heroes, but they are not honest and do not tell their citizens that they will all pay a big price if it comes to war” he said.

Hal Turner Snap Analysis

It’s been well over a year since the collective West announced F-16s for Ukraine. Since that moment, I said, and repeated ad nauseum, that Ukraine will NEVER GET F-16s…because they do not have airfields and maintenance to operate them.

I was right then and I am right now.

The simple FACT that they will have to use F-16s from NATO bases, also proves that those jets will have NATO pilots…because once those F-16 start hitting Russian targets, well, it will mean the EXPANDING of WW3, which already started.

It’s not really hard to understand that once Russia hits those NATO airfields, which they WILL DO, WW3 goes beyond Ukraine, hence, there is NO POINT IN TRAINING Ukrainian pilots.

I have predicted this for a very long time, and the only thing that made my dates to be wrong, was in INCREDIBLE PATIENCE OF RUSSIA.

But, as more time passed, the better accuracy my predictions become, and my last calculation was in November 2023, when I predicted direct conflict between NATO and Russia before the summer of 2024, which starts on June 20th.

I WAS 100% RIGHT — NATO forces started direct attacks against Russia at the end of last month, when they gave the “green light” to Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia. We all know that NATO troops are doing it, not Ukrainians.

The only missing part is Russia striking back, but realistically speaking, the FACT is that Russia was directly attacked by NATO already.

In my view, Russia striking back is 100% CERTAIN.

We just don’t know when and how they will do it, but I am pretty sure that it will happen in the next 10 days, and it is going to be a major one.

War is the thing where . . .

South China Morning Post at the time

War is a place where young people who don’t know each other and don’t hate each other, kill each other, based on decisions made by old people, who know each other and hate each other, but don’t kill each other.

von er Leyen and Stoltenberg will, alongside their families, take a chopper to their underground Nuclear bunker. While You and your sons and daughters will be expected to die for them.

This is the reality. Think about it.

The West is to Blame; and just won’t stop

We can expect a significant widening of the west’s participation in the conflict before Putin will be forced to react. How far this will need to go to cause his response is hard to say…. but he will not take any proactive measures to prevent any of that from happening.

Putin is very determined to avoid an escalation with NATO “at any cost.” This is clear from his words and body language. It is a misguided posture on his part as this will happen regardless of his desire.

Hopefully he is at least being properly prepared for that outcome, even if it is not his wish – and make no mistake he is VERY averse to any notion of any level of conflict with NATO. He knows this will rock the boat and he simply doesn’t want that.

As such, we can expect LOTS of tolerance with whichever the US/NATO does, short of attacking Moscow directly with NATO missiles.

Not sure it will be as fast as 10 days, as the US believe it or not, still have some self-preservation sense. But the escalation towards that outcome will be indeed visible in the next days.

The U.S. needs and wants this war because they are $34 TRILLION in debt, cannot pay it, and must get debt forgiveness. Without that, they would need to adopt austerity spending which would mean cutting the Welfare, Food Stamps Medicare, spending – which they KNOW would result in political suicide . . . they would all be voted OUT. To those politicians, losing power would be worse than dying . . . for them.

Here is the OFFICIAL Federal Reserve report on the growth of the U.S. Debt:

It is now growing at ONE TRILLION DOLLARS every 100 days! This is simply not sustainable. The government is going to collapse under the weight of its own debt. It is a mathematical certainty. There is no way out for them . . .

They’re like drug addicts who need a fix. The politicians would rather die than give up their drug, which is “power.” They’d much rather have YOU and ME die, so they can keep their power.

In order to get debt forgiveness, they NEED a nuclear exchange. The politicians who put us in this financial mess – – by buying votes with public handouts – need to be able to tell creditors “Our cities are destroyed, our people are dead, our economy is in ruins . . . . we have no hope of paying you – we need debt forgiveness.”

The Creditors, seeing this is the reality, will have little choice but to forgive the debt; but only after the country is stripped bare. National Parks, National Forests: sold-off and all the trees clear-cut for lumber to pay the debts. The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, sold off, and all the oil and gas drilled-for – as fast and cheaply as possible resulting in all sorts of environmental pollution – all taken to pay the debts.

Gold and silver discoveries in those national parks, all strip mined to grab the precious metals, and taken to be sold-off to pay the debts.

We will be left with a worthless plot of land, stripped bare and completely polluted, to pay the debts. The entire country will be a an absolute nightmare.

All because of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, wanted to play “the sport of Kings” (i.e. war) and the Democrat party, which stole the Presidency in 2020 through election fraud along with their useful idiots who are so ignorant, so utterly stupid, they voted for these charlatans, and caused it all to happen.

At the top of the administrative heap of stupidity and ignorance, are the hirelings in the US State Department, who were so out of touch with reality and with history, they deliberately caused a war that could not be won, and should never have been fought. Nuclear War.

THAT is what I fear is coming. Very, very, soon.

“Young Men are FAILING!”: The Masculinity Crisis | Scott Galloway (E045)

Joining me today is Scott Galloway, NYU professor, published author and the host of Prof G & Pivot podcasts. Concerned for the welfare of young men, Scott sheds light on this global crisis, revealing the alarming rise in loneliness and declining economic prospects among men. In his latest book “The Algebra of Wealth”, he provides vital education on finances and investing, helping young people better understand compounding wealth and economic security. Tune in for the next hour for a deep dive into masculinity, AI, business and more.

0:00 Introduction
2:10 Life & the economy in the US, London & Dubai
5:00 Raising a family in the UAE vs. the ‘real world’
8:10 Why Scott left The States & moved to London
12:25 Examining American culture: A patriarchal society?
13:22 “Young men are failing”: the decline in young men’s health & success
19:40 The future of education: democracy, improvements & threats
24:12 Filtering information in the attention-ad based economy
27:00 The marketing success equation (enragement = engagement)
30:42 Bots & fake profiles
32:02 Finding your purpose in life & work
33:49 The male loneliness epidemic: “Gen Z’s are giving up!”
40:00 “AI will speedball loneliness”
43:00 Young people’s wealth” the proxy war on the young
45:34 Attracting women
47:12 The impact of Upbringing & family influence
54:22 Scott’s advice for single men on finding ‘the perfect partner’
57:12 Happiness & hedonism: how to build long-lasting happiness

As a parent what’s the hardest thing you’ve had to tell your child?

I married in 1998. In 2000 our house was ready and we planned on getting a kid. We were given three. In 2001 our triplets were born.

Life was complicated for a while — but extremely rewarding. They are great kids, all of them, all in different ways.

In December 2010 my wife collapsed, was taken to hospital and diagnosed with brain cancer. She spent the next 14 months in and out of hospitals, both in our home town and in north Portugal. In February 2012 she went into a coma, and I was told that if the kids wanted to see their mother they’d better get there pronto.

My sister brought them to me. I sat with them, huddled them together and told them that their mother was in a Intensive Care unit, that she was in a coma and that she was unable to recognize them, understand them, or even to realize that they were there.

I gave them the full options: going to see their mother, or not. I told them she wouldn’t know, and that no one would judge them, whatever their decision would be. But that they would never again interact with her.

They cried, and they thought for a while, and then told me that if she wouldn’t know that they were there, they’d prefer to remember their mother alive, rather than just a body on a hospital bed.

I passed this information on to the hospital staff. They turned off life support and she passed away, quietly, without emerging from the coma. Next came the cremation, and by this time they were really upset. We decided that as soon as possible we had to get them out of that sort of reality, so we took them for a few hours in the park. And it worked wonders — but very few people outside the immediate circle of the two families understood this. I am still being criticized, and judged, for not bringing her home for a burial, and for allowing my kids to relax their mourning.

I figured that they had had this for the whole of the preceding year. They knew their mother was ill, and they understood (I don’t know how, because no one ever told them) that we didn’t expect her to survive. I still have friends of ours — OK, mostly friends of hers — who haven’t forgiven me for it.

A few days later, once we were back home, they came to me, and told me that it was fortunate that it had been mommie who had died. I was shocked, but curious, so I asked why. And the answer they gave was amazing: “Mommie was ill and was bound to die anyway; if you had died we’d have been all alone”.

But having to tell them that their mother was dying, and having to give them the choice of seeing her or not — that was the toughest position I was ever in.

I give them full credits for taking the option they took — it just shows they are practical, smart and level-headed kids.

Shorpy

Cacciatore French Bread Pizza

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

6 (7 inch) French rolls or 1 long loaf French bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, cut into thin strips
1 cup (1 small) sliced onion
1 cup (1 small) sliced bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Contadina Pizza Sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 cup (2.8 ounce can) sliced ripe olives
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

IG French Bread Pizza SpendWithPennies 1

Instructions

Slice bread in half lengthwise. Place cut-side up on baking sheet.
Bake in preheated 425 degrees F oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken, onion, bell pepper and salt; cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Spread pizza sauce over cut surface of bread; top with chicken mixture.
Sprinkle with basil, olives and cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

How do “soft” people survive in prison?

Here’s my experience after doing 5 years in Conn.

Guys that are soft, as you’re thinking are usually people who are not career criminals, and generally not led a difficult lives out on the streets. They come into the system with few “natural enemies” so to speak. A lot of guys get in trouble because they continue “beefing” with people inside the walls.

“soft” guys usually mind their own business, or are not nosy, or don’t pay attention to problems not their own. They tend to be quiet, keep to themselves.

Alot of these type guys are actually fairly smart, educated, come into it with other “transferable skills.” They become useful to the other inmates. A man who is able to help other inmates read their court documents, or letters from the lawyers; Or, they need a letter composed to the judge complaining about a shady lawyer; Or, the “quiet guy” has art skills, and can do some amazing artwork, and he charges a reasonable rate. If this is the case, you might find this “soft” guy actually winds-up with alot of protection from the guys who have benefited from his various skills.

I was told also: ‘you do not know who that guy knows, if anyone is looking out for him from the background. It’s best not to find-out the wrong way. Leave people alone, if they leave you alone,’ is one of the gold rules that will do you well, going in.

What battles in history were won because one side did something so unthinkable that it caught their opponent completely by surprise?

Oh, this one will be fun: How about the one battle in history where infantry defeated a navy fleet?

I give you, the Miracle of Empel.

It’s the year 1585 and the wars of Flanders were ongoing between the Spanish Empire and the Dutch Heretics. During winter, some of the Spanish Tercios of Alejandro Farnesio, commanded by Francisco de Bobadilla, were stationed at Bommelerwaard but were promptly surrounded by a great army and 100 ships led by Phillip of Hohenlohe. The Spaniards were offered terms to surrender but they simply answered with immortal words:

“Spanish soldiers prefer death to dishonor. We will talk about surrender after death”

And so began the siege. The Dutch did everything right, using their superior numbers and artillery to push the Spaniards more and more and they even flooded the countryside to bottle up the Spaniards and allow their ships to get closer and bombard their camp. The Spanish were surrounded by water and ships. Bobadilla then set up a final stand at Empel, and waited for their doom. However, as they prepared their positions, a Spanish soldier, while digging, is said to have found an image of the Immaculate Conception, which was quickly taken as a sign that God was with Spain. The Image was set next to the Burgundy Cross and the morale was restored. They would die fighting.

It was december 8th, and as night descended, a terrible cold came with the dark. It blew fiercely and continuously, such that temperature went down and down, until water began to freeze.

At some point, the Spaniards realized that all the waters around Empel had frozen over and that the Dutch fleet was trapped in the ice. God was with them, said the soldiers of the Catholic King, and so, with the terrible cries of “Santiago” and “Cierra España” the fearsome Spanish Tercios crossed the ice on foot and fell upon the Dutch ships, like wolves on sheep.

Hundreds of heretics died and all the ships burned. The Tercios marched away victorious:

After the battle, Admiral Hohenlohe-Neuenstein supposedly said: “It seems that God is Spanish to work such a miracle for them”.

How do you perceive the increased assertiveness of the Philippines towards China in the South China Sea under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr?

Marcos is doing a job for USA: keep creating conflicts in SCSea. Exactly like what Ukraine did 10 years ago that resulted a Russia-Ukraine war. War is what USA wants.

Assertiveness??? That is part of the job for Marcos to reach the end result: WAR for USA.

Other than war, USA would instigate countless unrest eg protests, riots & coups in other countries.

Thru unrest/war, USA controls other government & resource/economy. It is neo-colonisation without occupying other’s land.

In short, it is about money & power/dominance.

1, money: USA makes tons of $$$ by arms sale & post-war construction for war-torn countries.

2, power: USA weakens allies eg EU or Japan, as well as enemies eg Russia or China.

In the Ukraine war, USA uses 1 stone to kill 3 birds: weakens the economy of both Europe & Russia. & colonises Ukraine after war.

USA did not let Ukraine reach peace deal with Russia or attack Russian soil. Why? To drag the war long enough to economically weaken both Europe & Russia.

How many people died, displaced or suffered in a war? Look at Ukraine war, the entire world is affected by the interruption of supply chain eg food due to global shortage & inflation.

USA wont not let world peace to happen. USA must create unrest incl war. War is in USA’s DNA.

China Reveals Updated Plans For NEW Moon Base!

Very good overview.

Life changes

I remember when the “Woodpile Report” went off line. Ol’ Remus died, and with him his most excellent blog. I was in periodic contact with him. And he provided links to my articles on his site.

Then were was American Shooter, where that owner died. Wich was of a like minded soul struggling with the changes in the West. Much like myself.

One of my favorite go-to blogs is MoA; “Moon over Alabama”. The owner “B” had to stop it and take some time for a major surgery. We haven’t heard from him since. We are looking at maybe two weeks so far. He might be permanently off-line. As the surgeries sound quite serious. We shall see…

Today…

Is it possible that the United States will lose its leading position in world affairs within this century? If so, when do you predict this may happen?

Not only is it possible, it is inevitable. And I predict it will happen before mid-century.

Already, the world is moving away from the US Dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency. Alternative currencies and payment systems will attract most of the world, especially in the Global South.

Already, the world is ignoring US sanctions and refusing to follow them.

The proxy war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza are not helping the USA’s cause.

Chinese Elite Professor Zhang exposed what western democracy truly is

Western democracy values resemble the boiling frog syndrome: as our living conditions gradually worsen, we adapt to these changes instead of addressing them, until we eventually lack the strength to escape.

Fresh Mozzarella-Tomato Pizzettas

Prep: 8 min | Cook: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 individual pizza crusts, prepared, pre-baked
1/4 cup pesto
1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
1 (14.5 ounce) can S&W® Petite-Cut Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic & Sweet Onion, drained
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place pizza crusts on baking sheet. Spread pesto over crusts.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Top with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Bake for 1 minute just to soften mozzarella (do not melt completely).
Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Do you agree with TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei that it would be impossible to move chip factories out of Taiwan?

I do, if the factory is moved to a Western country. There is a huge difference in work cultures between the East and West. The West does have the remnants of that “Protestant work ethic” we were once known for, but more and more, young people entering the job force are disillusioned with their governments and their country’s financial systems. They will give you their “9–5,” but best believe when the clock hits five they are out of there. They will do their job, but often the bare minimum and no more. And for the salaries they’re paid I don’t always think they’re wrong.

We also firmly believe the adage “work smarter; not harder.” Again, we will do the job, but we will find the quickest and easiest way to do it and then leave by five. Or earlier if we’ve completed work for the day. We firmly believe in work/life balance. We also liked to be appreciated when we are innovative, creative, effective, or an asset to the business.

All of this is very different from the Asian work model. China has “9–9–6”, Japan has the practice of looking busy until your boss leaves for the day, Korea has the belief that when work is over you must go out to socialize with your boss and co-workers, Singapore says you must be hungry so that no one eats your lunch, etc and so forth. All of that equates to extremely long hours that may not be entirely productive. And we surely don’t want to socialize with our boss and co-workers when we could be home with our families!

Time is just one example of the vast difference between the cultures. The differences can cause resentment on both sides. As things stand currently I do not believe TSMC or any Asian based company will be happy relocating entirely to the West.

Joe Rogan Left SPEECHLESS As Guest EXPOSES Obama’s Dirty Secret

War is in the DNA of USA. Why?

Because war is a business for USA. The military industrial complex MIC in USA is owned & run by capitalists & not by the government.

Other countries’ MIC is owned & run by the government.

All responsible governments will know how to run the country eg focus on economical & technological development. In short, to modernise the country.

Not USA. As a capitalist business, USA’s MIC only cares about $$$. Their pocket only. They make tons of money thru war & arms sales. They lobby the government to create wars in other countries, so that they can make $$$.

US politicians also make $$$ by buying MIC stocks.

If there is peace in the world, USA will create a war somewhere. In name of whatever which we dont really need to know because they are all lies. The most notorious lie & known to the world is the lie about Iraq possessing biochem weapon which turns out to be laundry detergent. It was UK who investigated if its PM has committed a war crime in the Iraq war that the US lie was unveiled.

Other lies will be buried forever if they were not recorded in classified documents.

Other than war, USA would instigate countless unrest eg protests, riots & coups in other countries.

Thru unrest/war, USA controls other government & resource/economy. It is neo-colonisation without occupying other’s land.

In short, US-instigated war is about money & power/dominance. Nothing to do with righteous or peace.

Turkey Just Changed the Entire Future of Europe with THIS One Move!

Turkey to join BRICS! It's official, Turkey is moving away from the EU and will move closer to BRICS, China, and Russia. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and this is the first time we've seen a NATO member shift away from the US and EU and move closer to BRICS. What does this mean for the future of Europe and geopolitics around the world? Let's break it down!

What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?

This didn’t happen to me. It happened to my son and it would have profoundly changed our lives if the worse had happened.

My husband was a soccer referee. He was reffing a game while our 9 year old son was hanging out there in the bleachers and watching.

A man sitting close by told my son he had a van full of video games. He told my son he could go to the van and get any video game he wanted.

This was in the early 90s. There wasn’t much publicity or knowledge on the evils of pedophiles – had I known what I know now, he wouldn’t even have been at the game, hanging out in the bleachers.

Because of my own lack of knowledge about this type of predator, I had not warned him about strangers. I had not thought to tell him to beware of strangers. We have learned now that children view strangers differently than what we would think. If someone seems nice and looks friendly then they tend to view them as such.

At the time it was not strange or unsafe for him to watch a soccer game with other unknown parents next to him. It was not in his stranger category.

He found the thought of picking out his very own video games, as many as he wanted, absolutely amazing. He would have gone with the man except for one thing. That week, I had just checked out of the library, a somewhat newly released video called, “Stranger Danger.” I had him watch it. In the video, it told children to never go with anyone, not even someone you know, without asking a parent first.

He remembered the video and so he told the guy he needed to ask his dad first. The man told him no, he didn’t need to ask his dad because the van was parked really close. But my son told him he needed to ask. The guy tried to convince him but when he kept saying he needed to ask his dad the man said never mind and just left. My son said he really wanted to go get the games but he remembered the warning of the video and felt it was best to let his dad know first.

I’m sure it saved his life.

The West Is Self-Destructing

US is angry because China is not listening to them, the US wants China to help them fight Russia so that the US can fight China Later in Taiwan.

Geniuses Macron and Scholz make the argument for Russia to strike NATO members

By Finian Cunningham

May 30, 2024

Macron has joined the chorus of those who are calling for Ukraine to be permitted to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

French genius Emmanuel Macron keeps pushing the button for World War Three, on this occasion while in Berlin this week to cajole Germany into self-destruct mode.

Macron has joined the chorus of other NATO figures who are calling for Ukraine to be permitted to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

It looks like Macron succeeded in seducing the Germans with his maniacal mission. Following their meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has flipped from objecting to such strikes to now approving them.

Scholz said at their joint press conference: “Ukraine has every possibility to do this, under international law. It must be said clearly, if Ukraine is attacked, it can defend itself.”

Only last week, the German “leader” (a term advisably used with artistic license) was opposed to such a move. So predictable is this pinhead-dancing. Remember past fleeting opposition to Leopard tanks, and so on.

The French president said Ukraine must have the right to “neutralize” Russian military bases that are launching air strikes on Ukraine.

“We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where… Ukraine is attacked,” he said, adding: “We should not allow them to touch other targets in Russia, and obviously civilian capacities”.

The comments drew a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin who said that the “constant escalation” was playing with fire and that long-range strikes on Russia with NATO weapons would have “consequences” for NATO territories. In short, the consequences are all-out war and nuclear conflagration.

Macron’s megalomania is making an outsized contribution to starting World War Three. This diminutive politician (in terms of career achievements) wants to be the leader of Europe and is continually upping the ante with chest-thumping exercises. Weeks ago, he kicked off the idea of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, an idea which is beginning to pick up momentum. This week, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief welcomed the imminent arrival of French military instructors.

Now Macron is putting his shoulder behind the calls for NATO to officially endorse long-range air strikes on Russia.

The major factor prompting such calls is the desperation of NATO as its proxy Ukrainian regime faces collapse amid significant Russian military gains after nearly two and half years of war and hundreds of billions of dollars wasted by Washington and its Western vassals. Russia is winning despite the massive effort by the West to defeat it. So, doubling down on ignominious losses is the Western gamble.

Macron’s bravado is full of deception and delusion. The Ukrainian regime is already using NATO long-range weapons to strike Russia, including French-made Scalp cruise missiles. French and NATO instructors are already in Ukraine and have been there ever since the CIA-sponsored coup in Kiev in 2014 bringing a NeoNazi regime to power.

Macron’s seeming probity about “not allowing attacks on civilian capacities” is cynical nonsense. The Kiev regime and its NATO instructors using long-range NATO weapons have been routinely killing scores of civilians in Russian territory bordering Ukraine, including Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

All this talk about “untying Ukraine’s hands” is merely making existing NATO policy explicit.

That official stance is however a grave escalation. It is as close as possible to declaring war on Russia.

For argument’s sake, let’s give Macron and Scholz some slack. Let’s accept that Russian military bases located in pre-war Russian territory firing weapons at Ukraine should be neutralized. Rhetorical chicanery aside, let’s assume that Macron and Scholz are merely trying to level the battlefield, so to speak, and to give the Ukraine side the same military capability and freedom as the Russian side. You hit us, so we can hit you. Seems fair enough.

Following this rationale, the principle is that Ukraine should be able to hit Russian sites from where attacks are being mounted on Ukraine.

But here’s the rub. Macron and Scholz are inadvertently making the case for Russia to, likewise, strike the centers from where attacks on its territory are emanating. The only reason why Macron and Scholz do not see this logical consistency is presumably due to arrogance, double-think and abject servility to Uncle Sam.

What NATO centers might be legitimate targets? Ramstein Base in Germany would be fair game. This is where the U.S. and NATO chiefs regularly meet to plan the next phase of arms shipments to Ukraine.

How about the French Defense Ministry in Paris? This week the French Minister of Defense held high-level talks with his Ukrainian counterparts to green-light the deployment of French instructors to assist in the firing of weapons at Russia.

How about Berlin, London, Brussels and Madrid where this week more plans were hatched to send billions of dollars worth of more military munitions to Ukraine to keep the proxy war with Russia going?

Macron and Scholz want to untie Ukraine’s hands to hit Russia with NATO missiles. In so doing, they are untying Russia’s hands.

No wonder European citizens are increasingly apprehensive about the unhinged logic of Macron and others like NATO’s Norwegian wooden figurehead Jens Stoltenberg and the Nazi nostalgists in the Baltic states. The forthcoming European Parliamentary elections promise to be a comeuppance for establishment politicians like Macron and Scholz. Ironically, these politicians want to win votes by looking tough. They will end up losing votes and legitimacy because of popular anger and disgust over their reckless warmongering.

They are parading themselves as nothing but pathetic lapdogs for Uncle Sam.

Scholz had up until recently pushed back against the idea of NATO troops and weapons being used directly against Russia. Now he’s flipped like a circus dog for a biscuit treat.

Macron was hosted in Berlin this week to smooth over friction between France and Germany. No doubt, Berlin is irked by the French president taking it upon himself to up the ante in hostilities with Russia, trying to make himself out to be the “top dog” in Europe showing “macho leadership”.

In reality, the “top dog” is nothing but a pathetic pink poodle for Uncle Sam.

How the tables have turned. There was a time when the Germans strutted into Paris with little resistance. Now we see a French narcissist strutting in Berlin… and the Germans lying down and rolling over with their tongues lolling around.

“Something HUGE is about to happen” and U.S. dominance is on the line | Redacted w Clayton Morris

The West is getting desperate to hold onto power, and they're using their proxy war in Ukraine to bring war to Russia and the whole of Europe. On Friday, Russian President Putin started sending an armada of battleships heading right for Cuba... right off of Florida's coast. Russian warships are performing military training exercises... right in our backyard. How did this happen?

Preservation

20 years. 240 months. 7,300 days. The amount of time I have had this gods dammed chip in my head.

***

“BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!”

I open my eyes as a few seconds pass, my chip buzzes, letting me know that it’s activating for the day. The sensation of the pea-sized piece of metal nestled inside my frontal lobe still feels foreign, despite years of integration and constant software updates. It’s a constant reminder of how intimately connected we are to technology in this world. What even is intimacy anymore?

“BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!”

I sigh, turning over and hitting the top of my alarm clock. There it sits on my nightstand stagnant, except for the blinking June 13th, 2050, in bright red letters and numbers. The world as we know it is hyper-connected between networks of minds and technology. My one piece of disconnection is the old-fashioned alarm clock not attached to the chip in my mind. It stays stationary, not traveling anywhere with me, letting me know when to start my day each morning – the clock grounds me in the reality of my research. It allows me to wake up every day and ponder the question of how humans lived in the early 21st century before the disease of 2030 ran rampant throughout our world. This is the core of what I study at the university. The disease altered the human brain in such a way that without the chips we have implanted inside us, we would not be able to function. We would be – vegetables essentially – silently awaiting death. Twenty years later, here I am, researching and reading anything I can find in my chip’s stream and the museums we have here – my favorite being “The Library.”

From my studies of the early 21st century, I’ve discovered that people’s interactions with technology were confined to devices separate from their minds and bodies. Yet, in my interviews with individuals from that era, it became evident that these devices held immense significance – they were treated as extensions of themselves. One interviewee even stating that their friends treated the devices as an “extra limb.” People rarely ventured anywhere without their devices. They served as sacred possessions, “seamlessly” integrated, and connected into every aspect of their lives and society.

***

My office is my haven, it’s where I can be alone in most ways. I stand on the threshold of the door – a single, large desk sits in the corner of the room across from my only access to light. The far-left side of the room holds an entire wall of shelves full of my personal favorite works of art – books. Each one of these books is a window into the past, a retelling of lives lived and lost, and a reminder of the creativity that slowly dwindles with each passing day – the reason for my research. My walls are relatively blank aside from a few pieces I have been able to pick up on my travels. In the 21^st century there were numerous ways one could paint or make art of their choosing, but now everything is digital. I find comfort in having acquired such rarities. I work at the university closest to my home, often preferring the brisk walk in the mornings. While I look forward to coming into the office, it can be lonely, seeing that I’ve never even met my colleagues in person. They prefer to work from home. I teach various classes, but my passion lies in my research. The stream says that colleges will fade out in the next 10 years, which means I could be out of a career. Because why get an education when you already have anything you want to know without even having to think about it? I’m already seeing these effects in my small class sizes.

Currently, I’m reading literature that was published in the early 21^st century to study that period. Afterall, literature affects the world more than most care to admit. I have read everything from this book called Twilight by Stephanie Meyers to The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I recently concluded that each of these pieces affected their era in separate ways.

Today, I don’t have anything to teach so I head over to my favorite museum hoping to gather some more books to delve into.

***

Per usual I am the only one here. I walk through the stone archway always noticing the intricate carvings on the tall ceilings. The scanner beeps as I pass the front desk reminding me to scan my chip so that I’m checked in.

The shelves are lined with row upon row containing books of all genres. Their spines are cracked and withering with their age. Their stories sit behind glass cases that the science professors created to aid in their preservation. The modern technology the university has been developing is prevalent here in keeping the booksin acceptable condition. I believe the creators mentioned that the decomposition rate for books slowed when the light was minimal, and the temperature was low; hence, the protective glass keeping the knowledge of the past from my fingertips.

I look around, trying to figure out where to start my search. Wandering deeper into the endless shelves, my fingers trail along the glass cases that hold the books captive. I rake the dust from the windows as I go, a witness to the lack of life in this building. And then, amidst the rows, I see it – my next read. It looks unlike anything I have picked up before. I walk closer, the dim lighting making it hard to see. The cover is colorful, full of pinks, purples, blues, greens, and yellows. It looks as if the back of a human head is plastered on the front cover.

“Feed.” I read aloud in a hushed tone.

Interesting name for a novel. Its cover is slightly faded, but still, something about it draws me in. I tap my head, signaling for my chip to lower the glass.

“Feed by M.T. Anderson.” I read to myself.

The name sounds vaguely familiar. My heart pounds as I flip through the yellowed pages. I love that smell. I imagine that a long time ago there were whole buildings that smelled like this, of books. No thanks to the protective glass, it keeps everything sealed up tight. Bringing the book to a nearby chair, I settle in.

“Hey stream, what time is it?” I speak to my chip.

“3 p.m., Dr. Bates,” my stream responds.

“Thanks. Can you tell me what time period the book I’m looking at is from?”

“Feed by M.T. Anderson is an early 21st-century novel.”

“Perfect.” I say sounding satisfied.

“Could you be any more monotone…” I sigh, flipping through the pages mindlessly.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat your previous statement?” my stream asks.

“Ugh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I mutter, bringing my hand to my forehead and closing my eyes. I should have picked a better voice for my stream when I first got my chip. A flaw to the software thus far, you can’t change the voice. I should send a message to the company about that.

“Message sent Dr. Bates.” Stream says catching me off guard.

That’s odd. It’s getting hard to know what I say out loud and what I think in my mind anymore.

I begin to read the first few pages, quickly becoming entranced by the narrative. The story is eerie, yet disturbingly familiar. In the world that Anderson created, I can see that technology is deeply intertwined with their human existence. People have brain implants called “feeds” that give them constant access to everything that they could ever want – shopping, social media, money, entertainment. I feel as though I’ve heard this before, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.

The main character meets a girl named Violet who tries to resist this overarching influence. Her feed starts malfunctioning, and it begins to affect her health. Oh no. The corporations have trademarked everything, even the clouds. What on earth is this meat with eyes? The corporation that installed Violet’s feed refuses to help her, deeming it unprofitable for them to fix her implant. So, let me get this right…because Violet tries to do something different, she is deemed unprofitable, and not worth it to the corporation to help?

Turning the pages, I feel a growing sense of unease. This world that Anderson describes, with its corporate dominance and technological dependence, mirrors our own reality in unsettling ways. How could a book written so long ago foresee so much of what we are experiencing today? It seems like Anderson knows more about my life than I do…and if he knows this much, how much more did he know?

And…why was it dismissed in its time?

***

I finish the last page and close the book, sitting in the silence of my thoughts.

“Hey stream, what time is it?” I speak to my chip again, wondering where the time has gone.

“11pm Dr. Bates.” My stream says back to me.

My mind races as I think about the corporations in Anderson’s world, exploiting and controlling every aspect of human life…without them even realizing it. It’s chillingly familiar – trademarked clouds, meat with eyes, and a society in decline. The parallels to our present are too stark clear to ignore. I close the book for a moment, staring at the faded cover. Could this be a warning?

I glance around the library, suddenly aware of the silence. The shelves, the glass cases, the preserved books – they all seem to whisper secrets from the past. Maybe if we listen to and read these stories the outcome will be better. My chip buzzes softly, bringing me back to reality.

“Hey stream, show me recent news on chip implants.”

A flood of information fills my mind. Reports of glitches, constant buzzing, malfunctions, and an increasing number of people suffering from unexplained health issues like migraines and sores. Just like from the story. Is nothing being done to combat these issues? Why haven’t I heard about it?

I swallow hard, my pulse quickening. What if Anderson’s fictional world is more than just a story? What if he was trying to tell people something in the early 21^st century? I recall the interviews I conducted with the early 21st-century people, their tales of reliance on external devices mirror our current dependence on implants. It seems like the people figured out a way to never have to leave their devices behind. But what about the disease? I always thought that the disease is why we all had to have chips implanted in our minds. But where did I get that knowledge?

“I told you Dr. Bates.” My stream says in a cheering tone.

Suddenly, I feel like bugs are crawling inside my skin.

I can’t shake this feeling and this book.

“Feed.”

I set the book down on the table. If the corporations continue feeding without being noticed, our world could end up just like Anderson’s. We’re already on the brink.

Determination hardens within me. I need to dig deeper, uncover the connections, and find a way to stop this. The answers might lie in the past, in the words of a novel that once did go unnoticed and were dismissed. With a newfound resolve, I stand up, grabbing the book from the table.

“Stream, find me all available data on M.T. Anderson and the societal impact of “Feed” in its time.”

As the information floods in, I know what I have to do. This isn’t just research anymore. It’s our lives. If I can understand the warnings Anderson embedded in his story– just maybe – I can prevent our world from spiraling into the same fate.

The stream tells me it’s 3 a.m. and reminds me that I should get some sleep. I take a deep breath and one step forward still clutching the book in my hands. Books aren’t allowed outside of this place. I scanned my chip, so they’ll know exactly what I…

“They already know what you have Dr. Bates. They already know

what you plan to do. But as you know books aren’t allowed out of…”

I ignore the warning and push through the museum doors hearing the alarm sound behind me.

The fate of our future might just depend on me. But first, I need to get some sleep.

When you’re a college professor, do you ever immediately recognize which students will be successful?

I was standing in the hallway chatting with a colleague of mine when a young woman (probably 17) came up to us, waited for a break in our conversation, and asked a couple of questions about our program very politely. I think she was a HS senior visiting the campus. There was just something about her manner, her confidence, her engagement, her sense of humor, and the quality of her questions. After she walked away, I turned to my colleague and said, “I don’t think we have to worry much about that young woman.” He laughed and agreed completely.

She took four classes from me – the two intro courses in her freshman year and my solid state physics classes as a senior – was probably the best and most thorough student grader I ever had – not just marking papers but adding elaborate explanations to help the students with their problem solving, and she did her senior project under the other professor (who had also been a student of mine many years earlier).

That was all fifteen years or so ago. She now has her PhD and is a physics professor in the University of California system. We became friends when she was a young student – and we are still in touch after all these years. I always look forward to her articulate and insightful emails and the conversations that follow.

Sometimes there is just something that lets you know.

Vintage pictures, and strange comix

Mine and Counter mine, William Heath Robinson

Men keep checking out of relationships but women still aren’t getting the message. Will they listen?

This idea of some millionaire guy thats 30-40 is complete foolishness. Most, most millionaires are 50+ the odds of a women finding a man thats 30-40 that even has 5-10G saved up is low. Equivalently as low as a man finding a woman that is in debt less than 5-10G.

Has your dog ever tried to tell you something important?

Yes! June 2016, 7 am, our 12 year old Belgian Malinois (gotten in 2004 as a brown $5 mutt from a rescue shelter) had had breakfast, gone outside, done her duty and come back in, all acting perfectly normal.

1 hour later, she came to me, stopped and stood perfectly still, looking at me with a pleading in her eyes, WILLING me to hear her thoughts.

Not panting, not moving, she did not want to play ball, did not want to follow me or lie down, just looking in my eyes, “saying” clearly as possible, “I hurt inside and something is very VERY wrong, but I don’t have words to tell you what.” Her behavior was so completely out of character (and the expression on her face, so clearly a pleading, even though completely silent), that we rushed her straight to the nearby vet.

They took her in and did an X-ray and saw suspicious shapes and cloudy areas, but couldn’t be sure what they were seeing.

The put her under, did a laparectomy, and found she had had a tumor on her intestines that had ruptured and spilled everything into her peritoneal cavity.

Well, they cleaned out the mess and sent it to a lab for analysis, stitched up the torn areas, and put her on antibiotics.

When I came by at 5 that afternoon, they took her off the I.V. for me to take her outside for a short potty walk, and she happily trotted along with me on the leash, as if there had been nothing at all wrong.

She was still a little wobbly and weak, but otherwise fine.

She stayed overnight for observation and because they had to keep her on the i.v. because the anesthetics and surgery meant she couldn’t have food or drink yet. When she went home the next day, she was completely back to normal.

Happy, playful, and acting like “What stitches? I have stitches?”

She paid no attention at all to the stitches that ran the full length of her belly, top to bottom.

The vets told us that if we’d been even an hour later, she would not have lived through the afternoon.

The lab results came back negative for any form of cancer (thank goodness!)

She is still with us today, and still gets around on her own, although she’s slowed down quite a bit and is a little wobbly the first couple minutes after getting up from her frequent naps.

Not bad for a 50 lb dog who will be 15 next July (2019) and who nearly died 3 years ago.

Today, she even ‘asked’ me to toss her tennis ball across the patio and chased it about 20 feet before bringing it back and taking it inside as if to say, “OK, that was fun.

Once was enough though because it’s raining out here and you’re getting all wet and I really am too old to do this many times anymore.”

She, of course, doesn’t mind the rain at all. Yes, I toweled her dry and turned on a heater for her to lie near after we came in.

Laid Off From My $240k Engineering Job – Here’s Whats Next

In this candid video, I find myself discussing a topic I never thought I'd have to address - the sudden cancellation of my year-long contract just two weeks ago. As someone with over 15 years of experience in a volatile industry, layoffs unfortunately aren't unfamiliar territory for me. But each time feels like a new blow, especially when you have a family, a mortgage, and plans for the year.

ground beef Pizza

grilled ground beef pepperoni pizza detail 8da36b1f

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups + 3/8 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 envelopes fast-rising yeast
3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup very hot water

Topping

1/4 to 1/2 can Contadina 4-cheese Pizza Sauce
2 packages grated pizza cheese
1/2 to 3/4 pound ground beef, browned

Instructions

Pizza Dough

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour along with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together, adding enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with the inverted mixing bowl and allow to stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
Grease a 16 inch round pizza pan, or use cooking spray.
Press the Pizza Dough in the bottom of the pan.

Topping

Spread pizza sauce on top of the dough Sprinkle 1 package of the cheese on top of the sauce evenly.
Add the ground beef on top of that – however much you like.
Sprinkle the other package of cheese over that.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.

Between China and the US, who do you think is more peaceful inclined?

What a bizarre question. It’s as if you’ve been living in a cave for the last half century.

China eschews war. The USA welcomes war.

China has fought no wars in the last 45 years. The USA has fought numerous wars, most of them illegally. Let me remind you about Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, recently.

The USA must feed its voracious military-industrial complex.

The USA has over 800 military bases around the globe. China has one (in Djibouti).

The USA has been blocking all peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts. China brokered an historical peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

It’s obvious to a blind monkey that China is much more peaceful.

What was the most ‘one sided’ naval engagement in history? What happened and what was the result?

It’s late October 1940. There is a convoy of 38 ships assembling in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They’ll be heading for Liverpool, carrying a range of cargoes which are vital to the war effort.

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Convoy HX84 being assembled

HX84 departs on 28th October with two Canadian destroyers as escorts and one auxiliary cruiser, the HMS Jervis Bay. The weather is typically unpleasant for that time of year, but nevertheless the convoy presses on across the rains and big waves of the North Atlantic.

After one day, both the destroyers make their way back to Halifax, leaving the ships of HX84 under the protection of Jervis Bay. But she isn’t a warship: an auxiliary cruiser was an ocean liner with guns bolted to her decks: in this case, 7 six inch guns, mounted in the open with no armoured turrets or casements to protect her crews. The ship is unarmoured: it isn’t particularly fast either, but at this stage of the war the Royal Navy is desperately short of ships to escort convoys, and there is little choice.

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HMS Jervis Bay earlier that year. You can see the starboard guns in this photo: the easiest to spot is just abaft from where the gunwale slopes down from her bow.

After a week at sea, in amongst November’s darkening nights and cold seas, the convoy is spotted by the German heavy cruiser, Admiral Scheer. This ship is well armoured, has a basic radar for finding range, and six 11” guns. Her class has been designed as commerce raiders and she’s exactly what the British fear: convoys are strong against submarines, but are effectively lambs to the slaughter where surface raiders are involved.

The Jervis Bay spots the Admiral Scheer in the late afternoon off the coast of Iceland, and immediately challenges her with a flash from her signal lamps. The Captain of the Admiral Scheer, however, knows not to respond. Instead they wait as long as they can, luring the convoy to them as close as possible.

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Admiral Scheer, colourised. Showing off her bow turret with its ‘pocket battleship’ armament.

After tense minutes, the captain of the Jervis Bay orders them to fire. They are hopelessly outclassed; some shots land near the Admiral Scheer but after a handful of salvos, the bridge of the Jervis Bay is hit. She is ablaze from stem to stern, mauled by those 11” guns, and sinking fast.

The Jervis Bay fought for 26 mins, and bought enough time for the convoy to start scattering. Her captain received a Victoria Cross, but despite the incredible bravery of her crew the Admiral Scheer was soon able to turn its attention to the merchant ships of the convoy.

Amongst these ships was the SS Beaverford. She was armed with two small guns, one at the bow and one at the stern.

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SS Beaverford. A freighter with 10,000 ton capacity and 12 passenger cabins. And two small guns.

The Admiral Scheer sank the SS Maidan, then set the tanker San Demetrio ablaze. She turned, sank SS Trewllard in short order, and started firing at SS Kenbane Head. For convoys this was the nightmare scenario : they might avoid the lone U-boats of the period, but once a commerce raiders was amongst them, they were doomed.

Beaverford’s captain was Hugh Pettigrew, a 60 year old Scot who had been a merchant seaman for most of his life, although seeing service in the Great War. Seeing the Kenbane Head come under fire, he realised the game was up. He ordered his crew to come about, and fire her 3” bow pea shooter at the Admiral Scheer, as the late Autumnal darkness fell about them.

The first shot landed surprisingly close to the German panzerschiff. By this time, Kenbane Head was sinking, and the Admiral Scheer turned its sights onto Beaverford. She fired star shells to light up the target, and Captain Pettigrew ordered a turn, to bring the stern 4” gun into play. He signalled the rest of the convoy:

“It is our turn now. So long. The captain and crew of SS Beaverford”.

main qimg 68f709a7848da76c3de91c7a1860dd56 lq

This is a still from video shot by the Admiral Scheer, showing Jervis Bay being hit. There aren’t any similar images of Beaverford, unfortunately.

Beaverford used her modern engines to quickly vary speed and heading, avoiding the initial shots from Admiral Scheer. The convoy was by this time dispersing into the darkening gloom, and laying a thick smoke screen as it went. Pettigrew could have run, but instead led his crew through four hours of darting in and out of this smoke, appearing to fire its little guns, then escaping back into cover.

Every time she reappeared she was hit. But she didn’t run.

Admiral Scheer fired 71 5.9” rounds, landing 16 hits, and 12 11” rounds, hitting three times. The little Beaverford, loaded with Aluminium, Copper, Food, ammunition, and timber, slowly succumbed to leaks and damage. Taking on water, and lit up in the darkness by the fires burning on the timber on her deck, she was by now an easy target.

Captain Krancke on the Admiral Scheer ordered his crew to conserve ammunition and finish the Beaverford with a torpedo. This struck her bow, detonating the ammunition deep in the hold, and the freighter blew apart. She sank with all hands.

***

Whilst the Jervis Bay had at least had cruiser guns, if older designs and No protection to speak of, the Beaverford was a proper merchantman. Her chance of causing damage was minimally small, whilst the big German guns could wreck her in fairly short order. There are many such tales of heroism from the Atlantic convoys but this one really stands out for me. After the war, some doubt was cast on the specifics of this story; notedly the log book of the German ship makes little mention of this encounter. Whether this accurately reflects the situation, or the captain was not too keen on some of the details of how he managed to only sink five of the convoy’s ships, we don’t know. Certainly the story is less well known than the heroism of the crew of the Jervis Bay: there were, however, survivors to tell that tale.

Beaverford’s four hour battle against hopeless odds, however, seems a fitting answer to me.

This is How China is making the classroom of the future

Shenzhen is also well known for having some of the best and most modern schools in the whole country, many schools in Shenzhen are equipped with smart classroom technologies, including digital whiteboards, tablets, and online learning platforms. The integration of technology into the curriculum is common, with coding, robotics, and AI being part of the learning experience in some schools.

What was the rudest thing a guest has ever said or did while visiting your home?

I once invited one of my work colleague to my house for dinner along with her family. We had just started off with our friendship at work and I was inviting her for the first time. Her mother lived with her and I invited her as well. And me and my husband spent a lot of time cooking for them and the preparations.

They came on time, she was accompanied by her husband, mother and also her 1 year old kid. Within 10 minutes of coming in to my house, the kid was with her husband and my husband is talking to her husband.

She and her mother just get up and start going through all the stuff in my house. First they went to the kitchen, start opening my drawers there and going through all my things. Then my fridge and she goes “wow, you cooked so much food for us”.

Then they walk straight into my bedroom, she and her mother literally start opening my cupboards and drawers and start going through my personal things. I just stand, not saying a word, very awkward. Wondering what’s happening. She goes through my clothing, my husband’s and all our personal things.

Her mother on the other side, going through my jewelry. And asking me where I brought it from and how much it costs !

Then after 30 minutes they both walked out to the living room, and go “thanks for inviting us, we are leaving now”. I go “please have the food, it’s late and we prepared it specially for you guys”.

She “No, I forgot to tell you but I have to go to another friend’s house and it’s getting late. We will have dinner some other time. Thanks for inviting us though”.

We didn’t say anything, and they left. There was lot of food now, which thankfully we had some lovely neighbors we could share with.

And later I noticed one of my bracelets missing, noticed it after days but didn’t think much of it.

Months later, I saw her wearing the same missing bracelet to the office.

Russia and China Are DESTROYING The West’s Dumb Narrative For Good | Dr. Matthew Crosston

The war in Ukraine is getting worse, the Genozide in Gaza is still in full swing, and the Neocons are dreaming of even more war. Luckily, outside the West nobody is taking the narratives coming from Washington, Brussels and Berlin serious anymore. Yet, the world has never been in worse danger from nuclear annihilation and threatened by a 3ed World War than now. How can we explain so much blind hubris and suicidal stupidity?

We last talked in August, 2023, it’s now June 2024, and it seems to me that things have only gotten worse for Ukraine, worse for the NATO countries, we are at the brink of further escalation with Russia, with official OKs to use NATO weapons against the Russia proper and maybe even NATO boots on the ground, and there is still no willingness in the west to pick up the Russians on their various signals that they would want to negotiate based on what has been reached in Istanbul which Putin recently again said can be—together with the realities on the battlefield—the basis for serious negotiation. Do you agree with my assessment or how do you view what happened in the past months?

CGen-Z menu ordering via QR seating

The world is changing rapidly. And this is most especially true in China.

Many restaurants, most especially the small family-run “hole in the wall” joints, and the new “fast food” and the restaurants that cater to CGen Z (Chinese Gen-Z), are really unlike anything in the West.

It’s all APP driven.

You walk into the fast food establishment, and sit down at a table.

On the table is a QR code.

That code is your seat assignment, and downloads the store APP for you to use.

SHANGHAI — During a recent lunchtime rush hour at a Thai restaurant, there were no menu-toting waiters coming up to take diners’ orders. Instead, the restaurant proprietor greeted customers with a reminder that they could select their meal by scanning the QR code on their tables.

Six months earlier, the restaurant had switched over to this scan-to-order system, which required customers to first follow the restaurant’s account on social app WeChat before they could choose their dishes.

The proprietor saw it as a win-win-win proposition: Customers could order their food quickly, the restaurant would need fewer staff members, and their social media account would see more engagement — they’ve gained followers in droves over the past half year, she said.

With such obvious benefits to businesses, QR code ordering has been widely adopted across China. Usually built on top of the mini-app and payment functions of WeChat, such systems allow customers to view an up-to-date menu on their phone, order without having to flag down a waiter, and pay directly. Some restaurants have even introduced joint-ordering apps, so groups of diners can see what each other has chosen.

But to enjoy such convenience, customers are often being forced to follow social media accounts and hand over their personal information, raising similar privacy concerns as those leveled against companies that use facial recognition cameras to track their clients or shops offering face-scanning checkouts.

In March 2021, reporters from Sixth Tone’s sister publication The Paper randomly visited 100 restaurants — including cafés, tea shops, and dessert shops. A total of 72 offered customers the option to scan-to-order, as well as order in-person. The majority of the other 28 restaurants were mostly self-service, such as conveyor-belt sushi joints.

After scanning a QR code in these 72 restaurants, customers were able to directly order in 37 of them. However, at the other 35, diners had to first follow an account on WeChat, after which another page popped up or they were redirected to a mini-app where they could order.

At 20 restaurants, users had to authorize access to the cellphone number bound to their WeChat account, or else input a phone number and log in before they could order. In addition, the ordering system at 12 other restaurants required customers to enter personal information such as phone number, date of birth, name, and gender to become a member, or else they were automatically made members after scanning the QR code.

When collecting customer data, most of these restaurants did not show customers a privacy policy or user agreement to explain how and why they collected, stored, and protected data. Only a few businesses stated that the information was collected to “improve their service” and provided terms or agreements.

Almost all of the 35 restaurants where diners needed to follow a WeChat account before ordering were branded chain restaurants. Compared with individually run restaurants, it is easier for chains to obtain large amounts of customer information and carry out big data marketing. Over the following three days, WeChat accounts from 13 of the 35 restaurants that reporters from The Paper followed to order food sent messages on new menu items, discounts, and coupons.

This is the norm in China.

You sit down, you scan the QR, and an APP pulls up on your phone…

You select what you want. Hit enter, and then pay by connecting with your WeChat or Alipay accounts. And they will deliver it straight to your table.

Now, this has been in place for over a year, and I’m pretty used to it.

qr code MENU TIGER 1 678x381 — qr code MENU TIGER 1 678×381

However, some Brits were visiting Shanghai and didn’t know how to order. I watched the entire painful experience on YouTube. What happened is the owner of the small shop had to show them how to down load the APP, then place the order. But they didn’t have WeChat or Alipay, so the owner placed the order on their phone, paid by themself, and accepted cash from the customers.

A work-around.

This system works really great, once you are used to it.

Sure beats carrying around a wallet, a change purse, and a calculator trying to figure out the tip. Not to mention handling old dirty menus. LOL.

When you all come to visit China, try it out.

Today…

What is wrong with teenagers nowadays?

Society.

Let me give you an example.

A young girl is born August 25, 2006. Her relatives envision her as becoming a nice woman with a husband and two- maybe three children.

She enters school. She seems different from other children— she would rather spend her time reading than socializing. Throughout elementary school she constantly has a stack of books on her desk, and has her nose in a book at lunch and reads on the swings at recess, or in the shade of a tree during warmer days. She reads fantasy books, young adult, medical science… There isn’t a moment she isn’t reading or thinking about reading. her grades are poor, but it’s only because her parents are alright with letting her do what she wants. She is independent, with a few friends she enjoys spending time with. She has no idea that everything is about to change drastically.

Middle school begins, and suddenly, everything has changed in an instant. Cliques have formed. Friends no longer speak to her. She, however, carries on and finds new friends to eat lunch with. She carries two or more books around and has begun to write in her spare time. She fares okay in Social Studies and Science— she couldn’t care less about physics, anyways. In math she fares okay, but in English she writes stellar essays, read aloud to the class and used as models.

She notices a shift in attitude. Her middle school has become that of a typical one— dating drama and scandals amongst 6th graders, which she couldn’t care less about. But something in the student body’s perception has shifted. She is seen as an outsider simply because she prefers reading over socializing. Whenever the teacher asks a question, she is unable to answer in fear of sounding ‘too smart’. Her perception has warped into something judgmental of others. her own insecurities are pushed upon others. She has recently discovered she isn’t straight and tries her hardest to keep it a secret. She constantly is aware of her every move, petrified of being seen as ‘odd’ by others. Being late to her class or tripping in the hall made her panic.

She acts far too nice and is constantly dealing with the issues of others in fear of seeming rude. Her parents consider her odd for reading and being alone after school. She does everything to stay hidden from others. She loathes field trips because none of her friends are in her class. She begins to use lengthy vocabulary to force her intellect upon others… to her core, she is unhappy. She feels depressed constantly and tries hard to fit in, but she simply cannot get past her own social anxiety. She considers if life was worth it. She feels empty.

Then, seventh grade arrives. She begins the year with a new mindset— becoming popular. Her grades drop and she barely studies, if at all. She scarcely reads, and acts clueless in class as to not be seen as ‘too smart’. She has not once said anything positive about herself. She begins to distance herself from old friends. She is no longer an outsider. Her emptiness is replaced with a deep insecurity, but she thinks she’s content. She isn’t authentic.

Abruptly, a seed of contemplation sprouts in her mind. Why am I changing myself? Why for others? Do they even notice my grades or the books I read? Do they even care? Why do I care if they do?

She begins to change.

The most difficult thing she’s ever done is right in front of her.

Waiting.

She sits down at lunch. An eerie silence accompanied by her own short, soft breaths. The room is almost still. Light filters through the corridor-esque windows of the cafeteria. Her heart pounds in her ears, invading her thoughts. The table still has a wrapper from last period. She can hardly breathe. Her book is still there. The chatter of other students can be heard. The book is a 600-page medical science book. The noises grow near. It is approximately 3 inches thick.

She picks up the book.

She reads for the entire lunch period. She is happy.

Her life suddenly has a meaning— she sees futures where she is a professor, or maybe an author. Possibly, she is a surgeon with 3 children— one adopted from Europe, or maybe South America. She begins to read frivolously again. She no longer tries to please everyone. She no longer skips two questions ahead in math to seem smart or two back for the opposite effect. She has true friends who she enjoys talking to. She doesn’t care if someone thinks she is arrogant after she answers a question correctly in Science or if someone thinks she is stupid if she doesn’t in Math. She studies a week before each test and attends as many extra-helps as she can. She is free from the shackles that bound her for so long. She is herself, and that is all that matters.

That person is me, and I, finally, have taught myself to stop worrying about what others think— especially a group of people who, in approximately 5 and 1/2 years I will never see again. I care for myself and I am finally enjoying my life for what I want it to be, not what others think it should be.

But I pity those who don’t— as I know for a fact that someone will realize this fact when it’s too late in their life, or not at all. I can never tell them what I’ve learned, that no amount of ‘self-care days’ will heal the absence in your heart, that no amount of makeup will undo the standards society placed on you before you had even taken your first breath; and sometimes, people will not like you no matter what you do— that is okay. Nobody should love you more than you love yourself.

Society’s standards are assigned to us before birth and carry on with us after death. People who have never known you judge you by nonexistent standards. Sure, maybe you didn’t ever become a wealthy entrepreneur but did the amount of lives you touched with your career at a nursing home or the child you helped out of a broken home?

The reason why teenagers are ‘broken’ are because society expects them to be perfect. They are expected to be a world-class neurosurgeon or go to an Ivy-League before they even take their first breath. Our definition of a life well spent is warped and twisted, and we force that upon our youth. By valuing materialistic things over their happiness we are setting them upon a path of insecurity and unhappiness.

Society is why teenagers are ‘broken’, because of our twisted values and morals we inflict upon them. My advice for all teenagers would be that life is what you make of it, so live the rest of your life on your own terms, not someone else’s. Be happy.

RACHEL ZEGLER NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AFTER GETTING FIRED BY DISNEY! WOKE SNOW WHITE IS A TOTAL DISASTER

DF-21D and DF-26B: China’s Missiles Built to Sink A U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has surpassed the U.S. Navy in size, with a focus on anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) like the DF-21D and DF-26B to counter U.S. carrier forces

by Peter Suciu

Summary: China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has surpassed the U.S. Navy in size, with a focus on anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) like the DF-21D and DF-26B to counter U.S. carrier forces.

-The DF-26B, with a range of 4,000 km, and the DF-21D, known as the world’s first “carrier killer,” pose significant threats to U.S. carriers in the East and South China Seas.

-The U.S. must address these threats to maintain naval superiority and secure its interests in the region.

China’s DF-21D and DF-26B Missiles: Game-Changers in Naval Warfare

The United States Navy is one of the most powerful maritime forces in the world.

However, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has surpassed

it in size, and Beijing will likely use it to increase its presence in the region and beyond

At issue, however, is the fact that the U.S. Navy maintains 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers

, as well as nine amphibious assault ships

(LHDs), which is used to maintain force projection around the globe.

Yet, even as China launched its third, and largest, aircraft carrier, the Type 003

Fujian, a key to Chinese victory in a war with the United States wouldn’t likely be a Battle of Midway carrier slug match

Instead of trying to go toe-to-toe – or more accurately carrier-to-carrier – against the United States Navy, the PLAN would more likely seek to remove the U.S. carrier force from the board entirely. That is where the PLAN’s DF-21D and DF-26B anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs

) could come into play.

This is a threat the United States needs to take seriously.

In the late summer of 2020, China conducted test launches of both platforms

into the South China Sea, and the move came just one day after Beijing accused the United States of sending a U-2 spy plane

into a “no-fly zone” during a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) live-fire naval drill in the Bohai Sea off China’s north coast.

One of the missiles – the DF-26B – was launched from the northwestern province of Qinghai; while the other – the DB-21B – was launched from the eastern province of Zhejiang. Both of the missiles were fired into an area between the Hainan province and the Paracel Island, a source with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) told the

The landing areas were within a zone that maritime safety authorities in Hainan had said would be off-limits because of those military exercises.

That Sinking Feeling – Meet China’s Carrier Killers, the DF-21 D and DF-26

China first unveiled the road-mobile, two-stage solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic (IRBM) DF-26B (Dong Feng-26) during a military parade in September 2015. It has a reported range of 4,000km

(2,485 miles) and it can be used in both conventional and nuclear strikes against ground as well as naval targets.

The mobile launcher can carry a 1,200 to 1,800 kg nuclear or conventional warhead, and as it could directly strike a target such as the U.S. territory of Guam in the event of war it should be seen as a formidable weapon.

More ominously, the DF-26B has been described as a carrier

killer

due to how it could be used to target the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Nimitz– and Ford-class nuclear-powered supercarriers.

Especially noteworthy about the DF-26B is that it is a dual-capable missile, a type of weapon banned by the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty

signed by the United States and the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War. However, China was never invited to join the agreement, and the United States withdrew from the treaty

during the Trump administration citing Beijing’s deployment of such weapons as a justification.

The other missile, the DF-21D has been described as the world’s first anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) or “carrier killer.” The DF-21D first entered service more than 30 years ago and replaced the obsolete Dong Feng-2 (CSS-1). It became China’s first solid-fuel road-mobile missile.

Able to deploy a 600 kg payload with a minimum range of 500 km (311 miles) and a maximum range of 2,150 km, the DF-21D’s warhead is likely maneuverable and may have an accuracy of 20 m CEP (circular error probable). That could make it instrumental in striking a vessel

in the open ocean or denying access to a potential opponent in transiting to a conflict zone in waters that Beijing seeks to control, such as the East or South China Seas. It isn’t just the United States Navy that could find itself in the PLAN’s crosshairs. The missiles could certainly be used to target India’s or Japan’s aircraft carriers.

Man Who Donated Sp*rm FORCED To Pay Child Support! 40% Of His Paycheck | Women Hitting The Wall

This is horrific!

A real nightmare!

What was the best prank you ever did or heard of?

My older sisters and I constantly played pranks on each other. I got Tracy good one evening. This prank went down as one of the greatest pranks pulled in my family. We still talk about it.

Tracy had just came back from doing a clothes fitting at the studio. She was going to be in a TV commercial and was being fitted for the clothes she was going to wear and they also went over hairstyles. Costumes and hairstyles were all planned on story boards like in the movies and they were followed to the T. It was usually long hours.

After parking, Tracy walked into the house exhausted and muttered, “That was a long night. Be down in about 20 minutes,” then walked upstairs. She was 18 at the time and I, her younger brother, was 16. I was looking out our front window at her car. The girls drove Shelby Mustang GT350s and treated them like babies.

We had a long winding driveway that led to the house after the iron gates were opened then closed electrically. In front of our house was a circular driveway. Lori and Tracy parked their cars in front of the house on the driveway. Mom and Dad’s cars were in the garage along with dad’s Triumph TR3, his baby.

With mom, dad and Lori in the back yard, I had a plan to scare the crap out of my sister.

Mom collected dresses from the US Civil War era and had them on mannequins throughout the house. My wife does the same now and I have mannequins all over our house. Can’t get away from them.

I quickly took one that was just a torso, arms and head, ran out to Tracy’s car and sat it in the driver’s seat. Now, I put one of my baseball caps on its head then the good part. I slid a scary Halloween mask over the face that I had in my room. Then I walked into the house and looked out the window. Perfect. It looked like a strange man was sitting in her car.

Mom, dad and Lori were still playing cards on the patio table in the back yard. Tracy came downstairs after her bath, went into the kitchen and made some chocolate milk.

“Do you want a chocolate milk?” she called out to me. I told her no thanks. She then came into the living room where I was.

“Where is everybody?” she asked. I told her they were playing cards out back. I was looking out the front window.

“What the hell?” I said.

“What?” Tracy asked coming to the window. She looked out over my shoulder.

“Is that a guy sitting in your car?” I asked giving her a surprised look.

She looked at her car, squinted her eyes to see better and yelled, “WHAT THE F—K? WHO THE HELL IS SITTING IN MY CAR? I CLOSED THE GATE DIDN’T I?”

She ran to the front door and ran out, me following. She went up to the car and yelled, “HEY, GET OUT OF MY CAR!” When she saw the mask she screamed and ran behind me.

I opened the door, took off the hat and mask and Tracy saw it was one of mom’s mannequins.

“YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!” she yelled giving me a big push on my chest. “Holy shit! Seriously, when I saw the face, the mask, I thought i was in a horror show,” she added.

I picked up mom’s mannequin and carried it to the house. Tracy gave me a hit on my shoulder, then started laughing.

“Got to admit. THAT was a good one. Beware little brother, YOU are on my radar and I’m going to ping you good!” Yes, she actually said that.

Did she ping me good? Another yes. She was damn good at pranks.

I did the same prank years later to a friend of my wife who was over visiting. She had parked on the street. Perfect.

Compilation: UFOs & Aliens!

How did the Chinese know about the existence of the Xia Dynasty long ago while the Indians completely forgot about the Indus Valley civilization until the Brits discovered it? What happened?

Secular civilization tends to record

Religious civilization tends to fiction

Almost all human civilizations worship some kind of mysticism in their early stages of development. Some civilizations gradually emerged from mysticism, while others were trapped in it for a long time.

The early Chinese civilization was also a civilization that worshipped mysticism and religion. The two earliest dynasties in Chinese history, the “Xia Dynasty” and the “Shang Dynasty”, were both civilizations built on religion.

According to Chinese historical records, the early Chinese believed that the two most important things for a country were “sacrifice” and “military”. At present, the earliest large-scale written materials discovered in China are oracle bones, which are actually a database left by religious sacrifices and divination.

Chinese civilization did not gradually transform into a secular civilization until after the tenth century BC. From this time on, the influence of religion and mysticism declined greatly, replaced by realism and classical philosophy. Although religion, clergy and priests are still respected, and mysticism is still popular. But these things can no longer influence the behavior of the entire country and society. In the past 3,000 years, there have been countless wars and chaos in China, and none of them was a real religious war. Religious personnel cannot enter the government power system.

As a realistic civilization, a secular civilization, from the day he became himself, he tended to replace fiction with reality.

The Xia Dynasty and the Shang Dynasty never recorded their own history, but the Zhou Dynasty changed its mind. They asked themselves: Who are we? Where do we come from? Are we just? What is our purpose? To figure out these questions, we must know what happened in the past and what experience and lessons our ancestors gave us.

At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, scholars collected various documents and materials left by the Xia Dynasty and the Shang Dynasty and compiled the first professional history book in Chinese history: “Shangshu(Book Of Documents)”. This book starts from the origin of the entire Chinese civilization, narrates from the mythological era, and records the history of the Xia Dynasty, the history of the Shang Dynasty and the history of the Zhou Dynasty, spanning 1,400 years.

From then on, every empire and dynasty in China formed a fixed habit. They kept recording history, which included not only the central government representing the highest power, but also every local government, who were constantly writing history. For the past 3,000 years, historical officials have been respected jobs, and only the most knowledgeable and moral people can serve. Chinese history records many historical officials who were executed by the emperor for refusing to revise history.

After 3,000 years of accumulation, China has produced tens of thousands of historical books and materials, which quote each other and corroborate each other, forming a huge historical information database. This makes Chinese history extremely clear and difficult to tamper with and destroy in the entire human history. And the Chinese people’s understanding of their own history comes from this inheritance and record, and they do not need any help from foreigners.

Ancient Indian civilization is a religious civilization, and the power of religion on this continent is very strong. In the history that can be consulted, India has always been under the control of powerful religious forces. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and other religions have very strong dominance on this continent.

In India, religion can influence the behavior of many countries, and can also cause wars and killings. India has been in a state of division for most of its history, and a few unified empires, such as the Maurya Dynasty, the Gupta Dynasty and the Mughal Empire, are also typical religious countries. Some wars of conquest also have a strong religious color, and even many kings themselves serve as some kind of religious leaders.

So, unlike China, the Indian continent is a typical religious civilization.

Religious civilization likes to replace reality with fiction.

Who are we, where do we come from, what is the meaning of life, and where are we going. All can be found in religious scriptures. Buddha tells us that people run through reincarnation, and Allah tells us that he spent 7 days creating the world and admonishes us what we should do and what we should not do.

Once these religious documents (Vedas, Buddhist scriptures, Koran or other religious documents) are written, they are inherently repellent to the real world.

Religious culture tends to destroy real history and fabricate a religious world.

They hope that believers don’t care about what happened in the past, nor what the country has experienced. Is it important whether the previous king is great or evil? No, it doesn’t matter at all. Because everything in the world has been explained in our religious logic, and information other than this is interference. I am history, I am the truth. Even in Europe, there are still people who regard “Exodus” as some kind of real history.

Therefore, India rarely leaves professional historical records. The history of ancient India must rely on various circumstantial evidence, archaeological discoveries, and speculation based on legends. The development of archaeology did not occur until the 20th century. Before that, Indians had little knowledge of their own history.

This is not only true in India, but in fact most religious civilizations have this common feature.

When a civilization turns to secularization, various historical documents will increase, and many materials will be recorded and preserved. When a civilization turns to religion, real history will gradually be replaced by religious documents. Comparing the differences in the number of various historical documents left by people in the three stages of the classical era, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance in Europe, this can be clearly seen.

Whenever religious power is strong, historical data is as barren as the desert. Whenever secular civilization and realism rise, history and data will be rich and colorful.

Melt in Your Mouth Pot Roast

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

- 1 (3 to 4 pound) beef chuck roast
- 1 (12 ounce) can cola (not diet)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup Heinz chili sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix
- 4 or 5 new potatoes, cut up
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups baby carrots or cut-up carrots

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

What’s the coldest thing a doctor has ever said to you?

Hubby was in the hospital after being diagnosed with sudden onset Congestive Heart Failure. Prior to this, he had been very healthy, no medical issues, healthy body weight, didn’t take any daily medications and was very active. We walk or hike 3–5 miles five times per week, bike 20+ miles once or twice a week, kayak, snowshoeing, etc.

Every time the cardiologist came in the room, he talked about how old my husband is, (he’s 75), that he has a lot of other medical issues, and how serious his heart failure was. Yes, he’s 75, but very healthy and active prior to this. And any of the other health conditions only started since his diagnosis.

After five days in the hospital he wasn’t getting better, was sleeping most of the time, struggling to breathe, and was basically bedridden. The cardiologist came in and told me there was nothing more they could do and he would be released to go home and get palliative care. I was in shock! No way could he go from being active and healthy to being sent home to die!

I asked the cardiologist: Is there anything else you can do ?? He said, no. I asked if there were any other medications they might help. Cardiologist said, no, there are no other medications. I asked, “So he’s never going to get any better?” The cardiologist said, “I know that’s hard to hear. I’m sorry.” AND HE TURNED AND WALKED OUT OF THE ROOM!

Luckily, a friend advised me to have him transferred to a different hospital and get him looked at by an Advanced Heart Failure Specialist at a major heart hospital. That cardiology team changed ALL of his medications and drained 1.5 liters of fluid from his lung. Hubby immediately started feeling better.

He was released from the hospital and started working to regain his strength and endurance. Within four months he could walk 5+ miles and we have since biked 20 miles again. He still has heart failure, but it is controlled through medicines, diet and exercise.

I’m still angry with the first cardiologist who either didn’t know how to do his job or didn’t care to do it.

NO WAY OUT: U.S. WARNS Japan Over Saving Its Currency As The Dollar FLIPS On Exporters

Do people get fired from Google and Facebook for not doing their job well?

I work at Google and I’m writing this anonymously to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings.

When I moved to Google NY I met a guy who had been working for Google for 5 years. I had moved to the New York Office and this guy had been transferred from overseas.

He was a nice guy, very likable and because we were both interested in soccer we connected very quickly and became friends.

He started working on a very problematic team. The team itself was not a problem, but his superior was struggling to make his team profitable and he was famous inside Google for being picky, something rare at Google.

I think it was the cultural differences, but this guy (my friend) started doing things that could cause him some trouble. So, although he was working at Google longer than I, I was living in the United States for much longer than him, so I started giving him some advice.

After 2 months working in NY, he got a 2-week vacation to California and Hawai. You can think. That’s OK. He is entitled to have some time off with his family. The problem is that he didn’t use his annual leave, he pretty much left saying he would be working during the trip.

Then he went back and 3 months later he did the same thing again. He went back to his home country to attend his nice graduation.

He was also underperforming (according to his manager) and at Google, we had a performance evaluation and he got a “below the expectations” grade.

Now, he had to put a lot of effort to get a good grade on the next evaluation, but instead, he decided to go on a trip again. This time to Japan and again, he didn’t use his annual leave but again said he would be working during the trip.

When he went back I talked to him and I said that I don’t know his manager much, but by my experience, this behavior would end up getting him fired. So, I analyzed the possibilities and I said that he had two options. Improve his performance or moving to another team.

However to move to another team you have pretty much to go through the whole interview process again and as he had a bad performance in the past, it would definitely impact his chance to get another role.

He kept traveling, getting to work late, missing meetings and leaving early to solve personal stuff frequently.

So, he decided to continue in his team and when he got to the next performance evaluation he got a “below the expectations” again and his manager told him that he would be leaving his team, in other words, he was fired. However, he gave him 3 months to stay at work doing nothing and applying for different roles.

He didn’t bother much. He applied for a dozen of roles, didn’t get any and in 3 months he was fired.

I would say that if you do a good job, it’s really hard to be fired from Google, but as you can see, it does not mean that it is impossible.

Jeffrey Sachs Interview – Fear of Losing Power

Do Chinese people think that the reason China fell behind the West was due to the Manchu conquest? If the Ming/Han dynasty had not fallen, would they have reacted better to the West invasion?

This is a very good question, and like most historical hypotheticals, very difficult to answer.

I don’t see how the Ming could not have fallen. They were rotten to the core. The emperors were concerned mostly with concentrating power and money. They really didn’t care much about the ordinary people. Look at the magnificent Ming Tombs: magnificent, but the people paid a hideous price of suffering and starvation to build those tombs. As a good Confucian, I believe a better monument to the Ming would have been a well-fed, contented people.

The Ming have a lot to answer for in the fall of China. They stultified thought and curiosity. For example, in the WanLi , laws forbade the study of astronomy or calendars on the pain of death or banishment. Those who burn books or limit education are never on the right side of history.

Again, I don’t see how the Ming could not have fallen. The question is, who would have replaced them? If the Manchus had not come in, would the Ming have been replaced by a robust dynasty? or would it have been replaced by a determined reformer whose heirs destroyed everything, in the exact same mold as the Ming?

It is beyond question that China fell behind the West due to the Qing. I am not sure it is fair to say that the fault was the Manchu conquest. Recently in another answer I have said that China would certainly have been in much better shape if Qianlong/Ch’ienlung had died when he was about fifty. Up until then, China was doing okay.

But even still, there were serious problems. The Qing did not encourage people to imagine, to dream, to take flights of fantasy. The Manchus were severely outnumbered, so they demanded unquestioning obedience. You can never build a truly strong organization, be it a family, a corporation, or a nation, on a basis of unquestioning obedience.

Have I answered your question? The Manchu conquest was ultimately bad for China. Although the dynasty started with great prosperity, they did not build a foundation for continued health. But even without the Manchus, the Ming had done great harm to China.

However, none of this absolves the Western powers and Japan for their rapacity.

Some favorite figurative art

What is done in secret among nurses?

Doctor hunting.

There is a universal phenomenon in hospitals in which some female nurses actively try to develop a relationship with one of the hospital doctors. The status of such nurses becomes higher when they are married to a doctor (in the end), and as silly as that sounds, it’s an undeniable truth.

And as silly as it sounds again, doctor hunters who eventually find their prey, often (but not always) act very differently than “common” nurses — they have a powerful husband now, the husband earns a lot of money, and the latter basically lifts them into another part of society.

And so they become arrogant.

Some of these doctor hunters are very hard to work with — it is as if they cannot hide the fact that hubby is a medical doctor, which has to make them more important than “ordinary” nurses, right ?

One of the big hospital secrets which is always hushed away on TV is that there is a well-defined hierarchy in hospitals, and in that hierarchy the doctors are the pilots and the nurses the flight attendants. Every single hospital employee knows this, by the way.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the nurse doers — doctors that actively search for (secret) relationships with nurses. Some of them utterly enjoy the experience (nurse after nurse after nurse), but never plan to end their marriage in favor of the nurse.

The main entry stays at home.

In my girlfriend’s hospital, a rather impressive number of (doctor hunter, nurse doer)-couples are known, and some of them are “secret” (because the doctor has a family back home), and others are not (because they got married in the end).

In one instance, we witnessed to nurses — both doctor hunters — fight at a party because they found out that they both had a relationship with one and the same doctor (who had a wife and kids). They weren’t even mad at him — only mad at each other ! 🙄

It’s always interesting to see how twisted hospital shows misrepresent what really happens in a hospital, and what I find most striking is how totally different nurses are represented compared to real-life situations.

In the end, the truth still is that a doctor title opens doors —

And doctor hunters want the key.

Elensky gift to Putin foiled. Xi, China stands with Serbia. Russia blocks Rumble. Germany bans Z&V

Have you ever bought something from a yard sale or second hand store only to discover it was worth significantly more? What was the item you purchased?

Pawn shop. I’m a trumpet player and of course I collect trumpets, cornets and the like when I find something interesting or a good deal. A friend (also a musician) who’s son-in-law worked at a pawn shop had clued him in on a potential deal on a cornet. He mentioned it to me saying if I wasn’t interested he was for sure. Told me he thought it could be had for $160 (they were asking $199). I went to look at it, it was a 50 year old cornet in near new condition (which is amazing for something that old, most have been well used). Before I had gone into the store, had put $140 in cash in my pocket. Asked what they would take. Check with the computer then the young salesman says we need $160, then asked what I would offer. I said $140. He checks with manager then says, no we must get $160. I said, oookay. Then turned towards the door and take a step, stop, look back over my shoulder and say “I have $140 cash money in my pocket….” Salesman pauses, glances to his left at the manager who was working numbers in a book. Manager didn’t even look up, just nods. Done deal. Not only that, they wrote it up so that the total including the additional sales tax came to $139.99. I donated the penny.

I knew it was worth more than the $199 they were asking, but was very surprised when I researched the cornet and found it was worth upwards of $350 or more. Not sure if that qualifies as “significantly more” but more than double what I paid works for me! I still have it, plays awesomely well and very happy with it in my collection. (No I didn’t give the make/model on purpose so as to avoid opinions and value advice from those who’ve never seen the item. No offense intended.)

BIDEN TARIFF AGAINST CHINA EV’s and GREEN ENERGY – us auto companies can’t compete…

Do people in China worry about their country getting involved in another war?

I called my dear fuzhou friend over the weekend. She is completing her California house sale and calling curtains on her green card stay.

Her extended family is living in fuzhou, a city along the Taiwan straits.

Her parents are retired educators, and gentle folk. I asked if she is worried for their safety, given the tensions and risk of conflict.

She replied they told her not to worry. Social order is good, and the community organized and controlled covid well over the past two years. If war breaks out, they are prepared for it.

After all, they are a generation that experienced the 29-year jinmen conflict, as well as the chaos of the cultural revolution.

Many years ago, she was the first person to convince me not to doubt the resolve of the mainland when it came to Taiwan, because 不说别的，那班孙子把紫禁城洗劫一空，还敢当众摆放在＂故宫＂！

She meant it half jokingly, but that was one of the few times I felt real anger brewing in her.

If war is necessary, the Chinese in fujian will apply the same pragmatism they face covid with. No fear, no panic, no empty shelves. There are multiple layers of social fabric to organize and take care of communities.

Why do Americans get so worked up if someone trespasses on their property (as in owning a large piece of land which gets trespassed on)?

I’m a Canadian, I bought wilderness property, on the river to have privacy.

My wife likes to sunbathe au natural, and I am not keen on people using the land I paid for. If they hurt themselves, I am liable, if they drive a vehicle at the river and wreck the environment, I am the one that the government expects to pay to restore it.

I will give some of the more interesting trespassing examples. I was laying on my deck, reading a book, when I watched a young couple walk maybe 50 feet from my house, and down towards the river. I keep a walking path to the river, far from my house, so that I am not disturbed by people trespassing.

This annoys me, who would walk 50 feet from your house, into your backyard, in the city? So I put on my shoes and follow them. I find them down at my firepit, naked, going at it on my chaise lounges. I ask them what they are doing, as if it wasn’t obvious.

They say that they wanted to go swimming, and were just changing, but they had no swim wear.

I asked them if they usually just walked right by someone’s house and got naked. They claimed that they didn’t see my house.

I asked them to leave.

After I blocked off driving access to the river, I had people drive 10 feet from my house, over my lawn, to get to the river. Unfortunately I had also chained up that access to the river, and I blocked my driveway with my truck, before they could come back out.

I heard ila thunk thunk sound one day, so I walked down to the walking path I left open to the river.

There were four boys 11–13 throwing rocks at my private property, please treat with respect sign. They were sitting on a raft, waiting for their parents to come back from dropping off a car, down river.

I go out of my way to allow environmentally friendly access to the river and they practically spit on the gesture.

I get their names and tell them if I find any damage at all on my property, I will be locking the gate, and posting a sign saying that access is gone, because of the actions of these 4 local kids. Listing their names. It doesn’t matter who does the damage, your names will be posted, so make sure no one treats my property like you guys have.

They all agree, and I head back to the house, before their parents arrive.

My wife was sunbathing, and 4 guys on dirt bikes pulled up beside her, they had threaded their way down the walking path. They make a bunch of rude comments, and my wife gets dressed and leaves, they are gone before I get there.

That’s why I get worked up about trespassing.

DANGER: UNSTABLE GROUND

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity...

Today, I am introducing the concept of including some speculative fiction or science fiction (modern and contemporaneous) with the daily posts. Please tell me if you like or hate this idea. -MM

Do not ever step foot on the ground. Charlie had been told this his entire life, but it never really sunk in. He didn’t understand the deep-seated fear everyone else seemed to harbor. He thought it was incredible, a beautiful problem to be solved. Until he was laying on the floor of the lab staring at the ceiling and blinking away tears.The first time Charlie ever saw the ground consume a person he’d been twelve. What the tree-top teachers referred to as “live mummification” was a quick, disturbing process. Dirt crawling over skin to create a sort of exoskeleton. A casting of the human body, like those papier-mâché spheres they’d made in class years ago. It’d been an elderly lady that first time. The pulley system keeping her safe had malfunctioned and she’d lurched off balance. It was a code yellow bridge and wasn’t fully enclosed. The old lady stumbled to the side and was pulled right over the edge. Charlie caught only the first flash of the swarming ground on her skin before his mom had ushered him away. As the crowd around them shrieked and cried, Charlie craned his neck for a better look.He’d liked to have claimed this moment as the catalyst for his obsession, but really that had occurred years ago. It was maybe a few days after his seventh birthday, and he was crossing that old rope bridge by his house. It’s been built in a rush by early survivors trying to escape their houses for supplies. He was not supposed to be on it, but that had only made him more intent on using it.One of the rotten wood planks had splintered under his front foot and sent him toppling forward. It was only due to some notion of luck that his hips didn’t fit through the empty space and his arms had gotten tangled in the ropes. His leg hung down, exposed, ten feet off the ground. And then his new shoe, a size too big so he could grow into it, slipped off his foot. It landed on the dusty ground and tipped over sideways. Charlie’s breath caught in his chest, but nothing happened. The shiny shoe glistened under the sun. He wanted desperately to stick his finger in that restless dirt, just to see what would happen. He stayed put for way longer than was logical just in case, but the ground remained flat and lifeless. The shoe was not alive.The second time he saw someone be consumed by the ground he was 18 and on the verge of declaring a major in Microbiology, specializing in the study of those tiny organisms that made the ground hungry. This time the fall had not been an accident. He’d been crossing a major intersection of bridges when a commotion piqued his curiosity. A young woman who looked barely older than him had crawled out onto the roof of a one-story house where no one would risk following. Her auburn hair floated in the wind. People crowded against the railings to watch her. A few kind souls called out things like “You don’t have to do this!” and “Things will get better!” but the girl ignored them. She stared straight ahead and stepped off the roof. For a millisecond it was as if she was walking in the air, and then she plummeted to the ground and landed with a heavy thump. Immediately the soil surged up to meet her. She didn’t make a sound as it closed over her. Charlie came back every day for two weeks to observe the hardened cocoon. Inside, he knew that the body was being decomposed, drained away. The microorganisms in the dirt would suck the nutrients from her. Then the cast would collapse in on itself and the ground would smooth over once again.It wasn’t surprising that these events would have a lasting effect on him. The unexpected part was the nature of the effect. Where others would shy away and realize how dangerous the ground was, Charlie felt himself drawn to it. He wanted to understand the little beasts that terrorized his people. So, it was inevitable, really, that he’d want to see this forbidden phenomenon again.

The lab he was assigned to was on the upper floor of a university no longer in use. The building was old, made of even gray bricks. He had to duck through the fifth-floor window that had been fashioned into an entrance to get in. The walls were off-white, and the floors were so stable it made him feel somewhat unbalanced. His feet, used to the bridges and tree-top platforms, weren’t accustomed to the solidity. The equipment in the lab was well maintained: microscopes, autoclaves, incubators, centrifuges. He felt like a child in a room full of new toys. On one side of the room, where a balcony had once been, a ramp had been fixed that led down to the ground. The space before it was taken up by a deoxygenation chamber used briefly to asphyxiate any rogue organisms.

Charlie was integrated into a group that exclusively studied the microorganisms in the ground called Vitae Suffocent. Life suckers. The study was relatively new, they’d only recently worked with engineering to create a protective suit. Before then, the scientists would lean out the window with a cup fastened to a long pole and scoop up a small bit of the dirt. With the help of the suits, they had been able to set up a secure mock habitat to observe the specimens’ behavior.

The group was small, a handful of young students of which he was one, along with six seasoned scientists. For the first time, Charlie found himself surrounded by people who were just as interested in the ground as he was. The obsession that had set him apart from other kids in school was now reflected all around him. There was a girl who’d started at the same time as him- Tori. She was short and had thin black hair chopped short around her ears. Because they were new, they were often assigned projects to work on together. He wasn’t sure if he liked her, but it didn’t matter much.

There was an ongoing experiment that needed a fresh test subject, someone to stick a finger into the Life Sucker habitat. Charlie volunteered immediately, exhilarated by the idea of being able to touch the ground. He pictured it being magical, a borderline religious experiment. He worked himself up over it for days, so that when it was finally time he was almost bursting with excitement.

The scientists heading the experiment placed him in the deoxygenation chamber with the container. Around him, they gathered clipboards, pencils poised to jot down any and all details. His forefinger was swiped clean with an alcohol wipe that made the skin feel dry. Tori unlocked the circular compartment in the top of the container. Slowly, breathlessly, Charlie lowered his hand into the habitat. The tip of his finger brushed the dirt. It was soft and damp as he pressed the finger down. Charlie blinked and the soil began to stir. It tickled the pad of his finger. He watched in fascination as the hidden organisms began to climb up his skin. It was a strange sensation. The soil was cool and light, it felt more like a caress than a smothering.

Tori clicked the stopwatch in her hand and began to count aloud. By the time she reached seven, the organisms were up to his wrist. He withdrew his hand. The seal on the opening caught most of the dirt and held it back, to the irritation of the organisms. He held his hand away from him, not trusting it. Tori latched the contained shut quickly. Someone on the outside of the chamber switched it on. They held their breaths as the oxygen rapidly drained from the room. A loud whirring assaulted Charlie’s ears. His chest tightened. For a minute they all felt like they were suffocating, then it abruptly stopped and the doors to the lab popped open. Oxygen flooded back in. Charlie sucked in a deep breath.

He examined his hand. It was tingling and covered in little red blotches, but otherwise, he was fine. No damage had ever been recorded from less than ten seconds of exposure. Charlie glanced at the other set of doors over his shoulder. The ones that opened onto the ramp that led down to the ground. He longed to go through them, wanted to dig his hands in the ground and laugh as the organisms consumed him. He turned and walked back into the lab.

A month later he was given a protective suit and given the chance to wear it for the first time. He and Tori had been assigned to walk, outside, to a big oak tree and back. Charlie was thrilled. He stepped into the suit and pulled it up over his arms. A tech zipped him in and checked him over. The suit was a stiff layer of slick rubber designed to lack tread so the organisms wouldn’t be able to climb against gravity. The boots they were given were thick and clunky. They were tall, reaching up to his knees like a pair of extra-long rain boots. A device attached to the top of the boot sent out vibrations that they’d found would deter the organisms. The hood of the suit came up over his head and the visor was clicked into place. He saw the world through a glass partition.

Then they were in the chamber and the doors behind them were closing. It was midday and the sun was shining. A breeze spirited a few brown leaves past the glass. The doors to the ramp opened. Charlie stepped out first. His heart pounded in his chest. It was right there, the ground. He walked quickly down the ramp, Tori following behind him at a more reserved pace. He paused at the end of it. The dirt was disturbed, as it always was when the organisms were present. It looked almost fluffy.

Charlie took a deep breath and lifted one foot. He lowered it slowly to the ground, enjoying the crunch of soil underfoot. He leaned his weight forward, ready to take another step, but paused. The ground was shaking around his boot, pulsing in strange waves. It was trying to climb up his boot, he realized. He tried to pick up the foot but felt resistance. The ground clung to his boot, pulling him back down. Charlie watched, entranced. He continued to pry his foot away and eventually the dirt fell back down. He looked at Tori, whose face he could just see behind the visor. She looked equal parts disturbed and fascinated.

Afterward, he felt like he’d been on another planet. It was amazing, he’d been on the ground, but he couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. What had they learned during that expedition? Nothing new, nothing interesting. He wanted more. All he could think about was how slow the studies they performed were. They were no closer to understanding these organisms. They needed to study them in action. His plan fell together quickly after that.

Once again he fastened the protective suit on and was checked over by the other technicians. Tori was doing the same next to him. Charlie clapped a hand on her shoulder and with the scalpel hidden in his palm he sliced a tiny hole into her suit, the rubber splitting easily under a sharp blade. She turned and gave him a thumbs-up. He hid the scalpel in one of his pockets.

They walked through the chamber and out onto the ramp. The suit was heavy and sweaty against his skin. Through the visor, he saw the dirt-coated ground come closer and closer. The first step was always the most exciting. His foot hovered over the solid ground, casting a wavering shadow over the dirt. He placed it firmly down. The ground beneath him stirred, trying to creep up his legs but being deterred by the vibrations.

Slowly, the ground pulling at them with each step, they made it 50 feet away from the end of the ramp. He knew they were being watched closely from the observation windows, but at this distance, no one would really be able to tell what happened. Charlie shoved his foot hard to the side right as Tori took a step. The bottom of her boot caught on the top of his and she lost her balance. Her arms windmilled but the suit was too bulky and dragged her down.

She should have gotten up. The suit should have kept the microorganisms at bay. But Charlie had damaged her suit. He gazed intently down at her as the organisms poured over her and into the hole in the fabric. He bent over as if to help her, but really he just wanted to get a closer look. This near, it was mesmerizing. The dark earth swirled as though it was possessed. It rose and fell like a liquid. Tori cried out one last time before they closed over the top of her dark hair. Charlie ignored the panicked voices over his earpiece. Through his visor the majority of the event had been captured (excepting, of course, when he purposefully tripped her).

He’d made a huge leap in the field, no matter how tragic. The footage would help inform scientists for years to come. Except, he didn’t know (no one did) that after a feeding, the organisms laid their eggs. Hundreds of microscopic eggs stuck to his boots and were carried back into the facility. The eggs, not having to breathe oxygen yet, were not affected by the deoxygenation tank. Charlie stripped off his suit and hung it on the hook.

Overnight, the eggs hatched, and those tiny, deadly microorganisms scurried to hide in the dust accumulated above cabinets and at the edges of the room. Charlie was the first person at the lab that morning, still buzzing with the exhilaration of the day before, ready to study the footage and propel their lab forward. When his skin started to itch, he thought nothing of it. Until he noticed the little red dots on his forearm. Then the world tilted on its axis, and he crumpled to the floor. He’d made another major discovery that day. The skin of the microorganisms contained a deadly neurotoxin.

There weren’t enough creatures to make a cast over him. It was a slow death during which all he could think about was how these organisms would feed on him, suck the life out of him. After, they’d lay their eggs. And the eggs would hatch. And the organisms would spread.

His curiosity had doomed their entire town. He’d brought the ground to them.

What did a neighbor do to you that you will never forget?

She accidentally made me her power of attorney.

I had a very elderly neighbor that didn’t really have family and no one ever really came around. We’d try say hi on a decently regular basis but it was clear she had dementia and it was getting worse. I’d try to make sure I say her at least once a day.

When I realized it had been a couple of days since we saw her, I called non emergency for a well fare check. In my area, it’s fairly common. Lots of retired folk.

It wasn’t the first time I had called over the years but it was the first time they found her unconscious. She was taken to the hospital and they tried to find family, friends, anyone who knew this lady existed. Apparently, I was it. I was the only person that seemed to know who this lady was. She didn’t have a will, directive, nothing. So they asked if I was comfortable making POA decisions regarding life. I said I was as I had done it with my grandmother and worked in healthcare so I understood what we were up against.

Ultimately, I decided to tell them to pull the plug. She was well into her 80’s. All her organs were failing, they tried all day to wake her up and were never successful. If she did ever wake up, she’d never go home. She be stuck in some rehab facility and would be on dialysis daily for years. She was a recluse. She told us many time that she doesn’t want to be attached to machines to live.

They pulled all living sustaining equipment. She was given a morphine drip to remain comfortable and passed away about three days after she was found.

I eventually found her daughter but they had been estranged for over a decade.

No Peek Beef Casserole

No Peeking Allowed Beef Casserole Large600 ID 2207804

Ingredients

2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except sour cream. Stir together well. Add to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 12 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.
At the end of cooking, stir in sour cream.
Serve over noodles or rice.

Is China really as powerful as we Indians think?

No,

China is much more powerful than we Indians think.

China is a global economic and infrastructural power.

Consider these facts and you will know the difference between China and India—

China’s economically largest province is Guangdong with GDP of $1.3 trillion which is about 45% of India’s GDP. Our economically largest state Maharashtra has a GDP of $430 billion.

2. China has the world’s highest GDP ppp of $25 trillion (2.5 times India’s) and the second highest nominal GDP of $12.5 trillion (5 times India’s).

3. People’s Bank of China has assets of $3.21 trillion, which is more than our GDP.

4. China has the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves, which is about 8 times more than India’s ($3.2 trillion).

5. China adds India’s GDP to its economy every 2–3 years.

6. China has the largest share of global industrial designs, and the largest manufacturing infrastructure in the world. Nearly half of the world’s goods are manufactured in China.

7. 11 of the top 50 largest companies by revenue are Chinese. There is not a single Indian company in the list.

8. China’s economy creates a millionaire in a period of just three days. So China has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires in the world after the US.

9. China’s economy is $12.5 trillion, growing at 6% annually. The US economy is $20 trillion, growing at 2.3% annually. In this way, China will become the world’s largest economy by 2030 and overtake the US.

Now look at China’s infrastructure—

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The harsh reality is that India is nowhere near China when it comes to economy and infrastructure. China is competing with the US, trying to become the largest economy in the world, while we Indians are patting our backs on how we are better than a failed state like Pakistan. The reality is that even the Chinese don’t consider India as a big competitor!

We should stop focusing on Pakistan, instead we should start focusing on our own development. China can become a serious threat to India in the near future.

MAN IS LIVING IN 2027 & HUMAN RACE IS GONE! (VIDEO PROOF) Unicosobreviviente

The kitties were reverting to savanna life while munching the ham chunks

When I lived in Massachusetts I would occasionally buy some real treats for my cats.

You see, the local supermarket had a deli counter, and what they did was get these huge sausages of cheese and meat… looking like hotdogs only much, much larger, and then slice them into small slices.

70115 Ham Bolo Large 300×216

Eventually the long sausages of meat and cheese would be down to the very end, and I… well… I could buy those ends really cheaply.

50005 Bologna 1

And so I did.

I bought cheese ends, beef ends, all kinds of baloney, and pepperoni ends. I bought chicken and turkey ends. It was a great way of stretching your budget.

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My kitties loved the ham. I would get the end piece and cut it into little rectangular chunks. They would purr and growl at the same time while eating them. OMG!

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I suggest you all give this a try with your kitties.

Keeping in mind that no matter how much they love it, you can only use it as an occasional treat. There’s lots of preservatives, and salt in these meats. So do not make a habit of it.

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But every now and then… yeah. Let them enjoy!

Today…

Your Worth Is Inherent, Unchanging, and Absolute

May 17, 2024

Your worth is not up for debate. It’s not some fickle, fleeting thing that can be given or taken away by anyone else. It’s not dependent on your achievements, your relationships, your bank account, or your fucking Instagram follower count.

No, my friend. Your worth is inherent, unchanging, and absolute. It’s baked into your very being, as much a part of you as your DNA or your undying love for pizza. And anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit.

But I know, I know. It’s easy to let the world convince you otherwise. We live in a society that’s constantly trying to sell us the idea that our value is contingent on external factors – that we’re only as good as our last success, our latest conquest, our most recent “before and after” photo.

And when we buy into that bullshit, when we let our self-worth be determined by the opinions and expectations of others, we set ourselves up for a lifetime of anxiety and self-doubt. We become so fucking desperate for validation that we twist ourselves into pretzels trying to please everyone, convinced that if we just work hard enough, achieve enough, sacrifice enough, we’ll finally be worthy of love and respect.

But that’s a trap, my dear. A soul-sucking, joy-crushing trap that will leave you feeling emptier than a bag of kale chips at a Super Bowl party. Because the truth is, no amount of external validation will ever fill the void of self-doubt if you don’t first believe in your own inherent worth.

And I get it. Believing in yourself can be hard as hell, especially if you’ve spent years marinating in the toxic stew of self-loathing and insecurity. But it’s not impossible, and it’s sure as shit not optional if you want to live a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

So how do you start cultivating that unshakeable sense of self-worth? How do you begin to internalize the truth of your own value, even in a world that’s constantly trying to convince you otherwise?

It starts with a choice. A conscious, daily, moment-by-moment choice to reject the bullshit narratives that tell you you’re not good enough, and instead lean into the radical truth of your own inherent worthiness.

It means standing in front of the mirror and telling yourself “I am enough” over and over again until it starts to feel less like a lie and more like a battle cry. It means surrounding yourself with people who reflect back your own brilliance, who celebrate your quirks and flaws and all the things that make you uniquely you. It means learning to treat yourself with the same kindness and compassion you’d offer a beloved friend, even on the days when you feel about as lovable as a dumpster fire.

And most importantly, it means letting go of the idea that your worth is something that can be earned or achieved or bought or sold. It means embracing the truth that you are valuable simply because you exist, because you are a one-of-a-kind expression of the universe in all its chaotic, messy, beautiful glory.

Because here’s the thing, my love: you are a fucking miracle. You are a walking, talking, breathing example of the incredible resilience and creativity and magic of the human spirit. And no matter what anyone else says, no matter how many times you stumble or fall or fuck up, that essential truth remains unchanged.

You are worthy. You are enough. You are inherently, unequivocally, absolutely valuable, just as you are.

So fuck the haters. Fuck the doubters. Fuck anyone who tries to convince you otherwise. Your worth is not up for debate, and it never will be.

Embrace that truth. Lean into it. Let it be the foundation upon which you build a life that feels authentic and fulfilling and joyful as hell.

Because you, my dear, are worth it. And that’s the fucking tea.

Stray cat was as thin as paper, just skin and bones,It staggered out from under the car……

WARWICK POWELL:

"The United States spends close to $900 billion a year on defense. Over the last 20 years or so, it has spent over $16 trillion.

It far outstrips the next nine or ten countries in terms of the amount of money committed to the defense industry.

Yet, the defense industry from a manufacturing point of view is actually one of the least competitive and least productive of them all.

Much of the defense industry in the United States remains locked into technologies that look more like a 1960s factory than a 2020s factory.

Much of the more modern elements of the manufactured outputs from the defense industry are overpriced and over-engineered, with poor implementation and poor market fit.

Now, I use economic terms, but in a military sense, the poor market fit is evidenced by military equipment that's not doing its job in the environment it was designed for—namely combat.

From the point of view of the US defense industry, the experiences in Ukraine at the moment, together with some of the experiences in the Middle East, particularly the Red Sea, show that the investments made in the defense industry aren't delivering a product-market fit that is actually meaningful.

Transforming that requires not just more money. More money doesn't necessarily resolve the problems.

The problems are deep—they go to research and development, design, systems, and know-how.

The number of engineering students graduating each year in the US is substantially fewer than the number graduating each year from China, for sake of argument.

Russia was underestimated for the past 25 years––described by the late Senator McCain as a gas station masquerading as a nation––despite the fact that the Russian economy and Russian society were growing the number of engineering and STEM graduates generally during the post-Soviet period and raising the level of overall economic complexity of that economic structure.

You don't change or turn around 40 to 50 years of hollowing out in four to five years, particularly if your political economy remains unbalanced and controlled by the branches of finance capital.

Finance capital is the most dominant branch of capital in the American political economy.

It has dominated industrial capital now for the best part of 30 to 40 years.

Until that changes, you're unlikely to see a dramatic turnaround in American manufacturing capability."

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Excerpt from remarks by Australian scholar Warwick Powell, adjunct professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and senior fellow at Taihe Institute in Beijing, in an interview with Lena Petrova, June 1, 2024.

The Rise of Neocons: How and Why They’re So Successful

What’s the scariest thing you’ve experienced that you have photo evidence of?

Not in a picture I took but in one I found online that very few people would understand. This is something that most people wouldn’t typically notice. But, because of my work, It really shocked the hell out of me.

Specifically the minor detail in this picture

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From this article(Chernobyl’s Enduring Legacy) on Slate.

Believe it or not, it’s not the creepy doll, or the gas mask lying on it or anything in the background that is scary. Rather it’s that big donut of metal the doll is resting on.

Do you know what it is?

It’s a stator core from a fairly large AC induction motor. Probably around 22kW-55kW (30–75HP). Like so:

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Well, most of a stator core really. Let’s look at the same core in side the motor. See if you can spot what’s missing.

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That’s right, copper wire. What the above picture shows is that somebody went into Pripyat, if not Chernobyl itself, took this motor to one of the abandoned apartments and stripped the copper wire out of it to sell for scrap. They have probably done the same in all the abandoned buildings in Pripyat if not Chernobyl itself.

Oh, and the Ukraine does export scrap metal. So…may want to invest in a Geiger counter when buying new electronics, because that metal could have gone anywhere and been used in nearly anything.

Houthis in Yemen Claim Second Attack on USS Eisenhower PLUS, “Successful Hits” on U.S. Destroyer

Hal Turner World June 01, 2024

The group calling itself Houthis, who run the country of Yemen are publicly claiming they have launched a SECOND attack upon the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and also scored “Direct hits” on a U.S. Destroyer.

Here is the Official Statement from the Yemen Houthis:

“The Yemeni Armed Forces, by the grace of Allah, carried out six military operations as follows:

The first operation targeted the American aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” north of the Red Sea with several missiles and drones. This is the second attack on the carrier within 24 hours.

The second operation targeted an American destroyer in the Red Sea, hitting it directly with several drones.

The other four operations targeted ships belonging to companies that violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine, including the ship (MAINA), which was targeted in two operations in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

The third operation targeted the ship (ALORAIQ) in the Indian Ocean.

The fourth operation targeted the ship (ABLIANI) in the Red Sea.

The operations successfully achieved their objectives, with precise and direct hits, by the grace of Allah.”

My Phone: A Privacy Expert Doesn’t Like What She Finds

What makes a woman slower than a man athletically even when the body and length is the same?

Short answer: The Q angle.

I’ll start off by saying “average” woman and “average” man. There’s an awful lot of women who can run faster than I can.

Men’s bodies tend to be straight up and down. Relatively narrow hips so the thighs are close together.

Women tend to have wider hips because they have babies. The tops of the thighs tend to be angled such that they are further apart at the thigh and narrower at the knee. This difference is the Q angle. Wide Q angles are inefficient for running and also place a strain on the knee. Narrow Q angles that you find in men means that the energy expended goes into running forward. Wide Q angles? I’m sure you’ve walked behind plenty of adult women. They have a characteristic wobble as they walk because their hips tend to rotate. For a given amount of energy expended in running, some of it ends up rotating the hips and thighs rather than being used to move their bodies forward.

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Here’s the gold medal German relay team. Look at how relatively narrow their hips are compared to most women you see. This gives them a tremendous advantage when running. Unless she is very, very good, a woman with very wide hips is unlikely to compete in running at this level.

Vintage illustration various

On May 29, the Office of the US Trade Representative held a hearing on the 301 investigation of China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, and many parties opposed the imposition of tariffs before the meeting. What do you think?

The problem is the remedy proposed, which is the imposition of a docking fee in all US port of calls, calibrated to the cost of goods carried, targeting China-built ships exclusively. The remedy aims to collect at least $1m per ship docking to feed a fund benefiting shipbuilding and metalworking unions.

That’s robbing Peter to pay Paul, and unprecedented. It is also illegal, because of the brazen, targeted nature, just like the blanket tariffs announced under Donald. That is why the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism remains paralyzed.

This is also a tariff on tariff for goods originating from China carried on board China-built ships.

Where is this going to end? Are they going after China-built containers next, imposing a handling fee for every container based on cost of goods carried?

I won’t be surprised if this passes, because America is willing to throw in the kitchen sink just to “win”. It will stop at nothing, not even general war.

Is it a good idea, economically? No, because it will reshape trade flow, while China-built ships maintain a healthy economic edge over rivals. It just adds to the cost of doing business with the US, making the consumer pay more to benefit the pockets of a small number of union workers, funding the retirement of baby boomers. There is no way to revitalize ocean-going shipbuilding stateside with the cost structure today. The Jones Act, after all, dates back to 1920, and what has a century of protectionism bought?

Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Beef

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained and reserve juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (or to taste)
3 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces, or use a cut of beef of choice)
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Kosher or sea salt and pepper
3 cups baby carrots, cut in half
1 large onion, cut into about 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cider vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce and garlic.
Add/stir in the brown sugar until completely dissolved; set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet.
Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper then brown in hot oil on all sides.
Place the browned meat in the slow cooker along with the red pepper flakes.
Add in carrots and onion to the slow cooker.
Pour the pineapple juice mixture over the veggies and beef.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH setting for about 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender.
Increase the heat to HIGH.
Dissolve the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl.
Add in the cornstarch mixture, pineapple chunks and green pepper into the beef mixture in the slow cooker.
Continue to cook for about 30 minutes, or until the green pepper is crisply tender and the juices are thickened.
Serve with cooked rice.

A fascinating British eccentricity

One of the most puzzling mysteries of Britain is why the British don’t know how to eat seafood.

The United Kingdom is an island country, surrounded by sea and separated from the European continent by only one tantalizingly narrow strait of water. The British Channel is not only not dangerous, but also very close to Calais and Dunkirk in northern France. However, when the weather is good, you can see each other across the sea.

The French are good at food and have abundant seafood. The French word for seafood is literally translated as “Fruits of the Sea” (fruit de mer), which shows how much the French value seafood. Today, oysters, which are generally regarded as delicacies, were initially promoted to the world under the leadership of the French.

In addition to France, Spain and Portugal in southern Europe have exquisite seafood meals, such as grilled octopus, garlic shrimp, Spanish paella, and Portuguese bread crab. These are all proof that these cusines are not inferior to that of China in their ultimate pursuits of colour, flavour and texture.

Another example is Japan, which is an island country like the United Kingdom. The Japanese are extremely particular about fish, shrimp and shellfish. Japanese people eat seafood, but their use of condiments is very restrained and simple, which is similar to Cantonese cuisine. Guangdong’s steamed fish creates a umami flavor in addition to the five flavors of salty, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy. No wonder Hong Kong people frown when they see the British eating fish, which is first frozen and then fried or baked.

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Even Britain’s former colonies, Australia, New Zealand, and the eastern United States, at least know how to eat lobster. However, Britain had two to three hundred years of sailing experience and had colonies all over the world, but it never learned to eat seafood. The cultural elite in British history have tirelessly pursued knowledge in various fields, such as Dr. Sloane, the founder of the British Museum. He is good at everything from astronomy to geography, flowers, birds, and insects. He did his best to collect all kinds of novel and interesting materials, but he had nothing noteworthy regarding food. He had no interest in it, and never published any insights about food.

Compared with Europe, Britain likes to call itself “eccentric”, but even in the eyes of most people, it is indeed weird to live by the sea without knowing how to eat it.

Time’s Unlikely Gift

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Write a story about discovering a lost manuscript. It can be from a famous (or infamous) author, or an unknown one...

Todays SF addition. -MM

Anna stood, suitcase in hand, in front of the old white farmhouse, as the caseworker drove away, kicking up dust in her wake. The front door swung open and Aunt Betty stepped out, hand raised in greeting.

Having been raised the only child of a mother who preferred alcohol to her daughter, Anna was quite used to being dropped off at unfamiliar homes, with unfamiliar people. She never quite felt like she belonged anywhere. This was no different. Aunt Betty, as she was known, was a sweet old lady who opened her home to many foster kids over the years, having never had any children of her own.

“Oh Anna, darling! Please come in, come in! Here, let me get that for you.” She said, reaching for my bag. “We’ve been waiting for you, dear. I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through to get you here. You must be tired.” Anna simply nodded and followed closely behind her.

“Are you hungry, dear? Or would you like to go straight up to your room? It’s just this way.” Without even waiting for an answer she ushered her towards the stairs to the second story. There were photos on the walls, most of them crooked and layered with a thin film of dust, but it was evidence of a loving home. Something she was in desperate need of.

Upstairs, Aunt Betty set her bag down on the bed and gave her a chance to get settled. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything, Anna. Please, don’t be shy.” She closed the door gently on her way out.

Anna took a deep breath and glanced around, taking in her surroundings. A simple room, adorned with a bed and a dresser. It would certainly do.

She unpacked what little belongings she had, placing her clothes in the dresser, and a couple of old paperback books on the bedside table. While sliding her suitcase under the bed, she noticed something unusual about the flooring. To get a closer look, she scooted as far under the bed as she could. Several of the boards, about two feet in length, were cut on either end.

“Anna, darling!” Startled, she knocked her head against the bed frame as Aunt Betty called from downstairs. “Are you hungry, dear? I’ve made up some food for you!”.

“I’ll be right there…” She called back, as she slid out from under the bed, making a mental note to come back to investigate.

Later that night, sufficiently full of home-cooked food, Anna made her way back to her bedroom. She was looking forward to being able to relax alone; moving into a new place was always so mentally exhausting. But first, she had to know what, if anything, was up with the floor. As quietly as she could, she slid her bed over a few feet. Kneeling on the floor, Anna pulled up on the boards one by one. Underneath, to her satisfaction, was a wooden crate and an old typewriter. Wiping some of the dust off the crate, she noticed the letters E.A. written on top. She wasted no time in taking the lid off. It was filled with aged paper. Journal articles, by the looks of it. After a quick glance she noticed the first page was dated October 15, 1918. She rifled through the crate, looking at the rest of the dates. They didn’t seem to be in any particular order, as if someone had haphazardly collected the papers and threw them in.

She found the page with the earliest date, figuring it would be best to read chronologically, and started reading.

October 15, 1905

Dear reader,

I hope this finds you well. It is my birthday… Today I am fifteen years old. Ma and Pa gifted me this typewriter. They’ve known of my fondness for stories since I was a small girl. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have opened it. I have decided to write journals to document my life. Maybe someday you will find it. Maybe someday I will read them back and realize what a wonderfully exciting life I have lived. Oh, how I long for adventure. I have always had the sense that I do not belong here… like I am destined for more than to grow up and become a housewife, on a farm in the middle of Virginia. Perhaps I will become a famous author one day! I will write again soon.

Best,

E.A.

Anna read through the journal entries one by one. Many of them were so worn with age that they were difficult or impossible to read. A few partially eaten by mice. The mystery author wrote almost daily. Occasionally she tried her hand at fictional stories. Many times she wrote about her life: her friends, books she was reading, plans she had for the day, and fond memories that she wanted to remember.

October 16, 1895

Do forgive me if this does not make much sense. I can hardly believe it and I myself experienced it. My last entry was last night, I wrote about my fifth birthday. Shortly after writing that, I extinguished my candles and went to sleep. When I woke up this morning, I was not where I was supposed to be. I am home, yes. But everything is different. I should say, everything is as it once was. Ma and Pa look different, much younger. There is a little girl, strangely resembling me as a child. They are treating me as though I am a scullery maid. I feel like an outsider with my own family! In the kitchen, I noticed a newspaper dated October 16, 1895. It is impossible, utterly impossible! But I seem to have traveled through time.

E.A.

Anna looked up from the page. Time travel? It was far more likely that the mystery author was simply practicing her creative writing. Fiction or not, she was grateful for this temporary escape from reality. More and more, she felt like the author was a kindred spirit. They were just words on a page, but she felt like she had found a friend. She looked up at the clock: 11:45. Her eyes were burning with fatigue. She knew she should go to bed, but she couldn’t, like a novel she couldn’t put down, she went back to the crate of papers. The next date didn’t make sense, July 30, 1862. If it was the same writer, she wouldn’t have even been born yet.

July 30, 1862

A civil war is currently raging between the north and the south. I have been in search of an adventure, and while I have certainly found one, I’m unsure whether it is wise to be here. Danger is all around. The north seems to be prevailing. I do hope that they succeed. This is not the Virginia that I know. I have felt ashamed everyday that my ancestors are here now, fighting for their right to treat human beings as property. I have seen abhorrent things here. I am missing home, but I want to be helpful, in some way. I have befriended several wives of Union soldiers and we have been raising money and sending supplies. I am unsure where or when I will travel next.

E.A.

“Aunt Betty, how long have you lived in this house?” Anna asks as she pours herself a cup of coffee the next morning.

“Oh, this house has belonged to me for many years, dear. Let’s see… I think I arrived in the sixties. Yes, that’s right, I believe it was the year 1969. I met Arther shortly after and we got married, and made ourselves a nice home here.”

“I found some old things in my room… journals dated much earlier than that. I just wondered who they belonged to.”

“It is such an old house. This farm has a lot of history, to be sure. It stood here far before I came. That sounds fascinating.” She said, pouring a coffee of her own. “Where did you find them?”

“They were under my bed… someone cut a hole in the floor and tucked them away under there. I just found them by chance.”

“Oh dear, you know the furniture in this house has not been moved in many years… I suppose I forgot that it was there.”

With a warm smile, Aunt Betty made her way to the porch to enjoy her coffee in her rocking chair, just like she did every morning.

December 12, 1969

I’ve found myself in the year 1969. I’m now 25 years old. I’ve been traveling like this for many years now and I am growing weary. I am feeling more and more like I do not belong anywhere. I have experienced the impossible. I have seen incredible things, and equally as many horrible things. I long for a home and a family. I wonder what they think happened to me. By this time, they are long dead. It gives me some solace to know that as long as I have my typewriter, I can go home to them, at any point. As long as I have that, I will never truly be alone. But how long can I go on like this… with no roots in the ground.

When I arrived here, I found myself under a beautiful willow tree. After walking a short distance I came upon a farm, with pastures and a barn and a beautiful white house with a big porch. From what I can tell it is abandoned, which is useful for me. It is a comfortable place to rest. I will write soon.

E.A.

Anna sets down the page and reaches into the crate for the next one, but as she does she finds that it is the last entry.

“No! It can’t end like that!” She said aloud. She turned to the typewriter, looking for clues on who it might have belonged to. She clicked a few keys, testing it out. It can’t really be a time machine, she thought. With only one way to truly find out, she inserted a piece of paper, but when she tried to type, nothing happened. It was broken, and with no understanding whatsoever about typewriters, especially potentially magical typewriters, she was ill suited to fix it. As she tinkered with it, a thought suddenly came to her, “Wait… 1969… 1969!”

Anna got up to run downstairs, but as she turned around, Aunt Betty was standing in her bedroom doorway.

“My friends and family have always called me Betty, dear, but my full name is Elizabeth Alexander. By the look on your face it appears that you have put enough of the pieces together to have figured that out on your own. The typewriter has been broken for a long time. I never was able to figure out how to fix it.”

“You wrote these… it was all true.”

“Yes, somehow it is. And what an adventure it was… for a time, at least. It was lonely, though. When I got stuck here, I realized how much I missed having a family. After so many years with no home, it was time I made one.” She smiled warmly down at Anna. “I want you to know that you have a home here now, too. You always will.”

NATO: “Cyber-Attack” Now Grounds for Article 5 Collective Self-Defense. False Flag their own Countries, Blame it on Russia, then Join the Ukraine War against Russia?

Hal Turner World June 01, 2024 Hits: 8781

The head of NATO’s military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, has said that NATO can now declare war over a cyber attack . . .

“We have agreed in NATO that a cyber attack can, in principle, be a reason to invoke Article 5” said Admiral Bauer.

So now not only a real attack, but also a cyber attack can be a reason for a NATO Member to Declare Article 5 Collective Self Defense. The result will, of course, be all the military actions that follow.

But it’s important to find out who organized the attack. Regardless of the route, the servers and their location, and whether the countries in which these servers are located were aware of the attack, the main thing is to identify the organizer of the attack. If the attacker is unknown, you don’t have enough data [to declare war on anyone].

———

Unless you manufacture it yourself . . . .

Hal Turner Snap Analysis

For over two years, NATO has goaded Russia, trying to get Russia to attack over the ongoing NATO interference in Ukraine. Russia won’t take their bait.

Instead, Russia is steadily destroying all the weapons and manpower Ukraine (and NATO) is throwing at them. NATO is hamstrung; they can’t do any more for Ukraine, and Ukraine is now losing – badly.

So they seem to have come up with a nifty alternative: Cyber-Attack.

They can attack their own countries in a massive and destructive cyber-attack, BLAME IT on Russia, and then invoke Article 5, collective self defense, to enter the Ukraine war . . . as they have been desperately trying to do for two years.

A completely, totally, FALSE FLAG “Cyber-Attack” as their basis to BLAME RUSSIA and enter World War 3.

These people, I think, are snakes. There is apparently no low they will not stoop-to, to cause another World War.

China is a socialist country with a capitalist economy led by, of all things, a communist party. Just what is China really?

I would describe China as a heavily technocratic Confucian-Leninist authoritarian state, ruling over a mixed economy with features of both capitalism and socialism.

But that’s really not very useful without breaking down what this means.

It’s technocratic in that most people in putative or actual positions of political authority are holders of degrees in the natural sciences or engineering, and because the political culture is still one that venerates expertise and is very solutions-driven.

It’s Confucian in the sense that the political culture still bears the imprint of the imperial civil service exam system and sees as right and natural a paternalistic bureaucracy of educated elites.

It is Leninist in the sense that it is still a single-party dictatorship with a disciplined cadre running things on the principle of “democratic centralism.” It is nominally communist, but has jettisoned most of what an “orthodox” Marxist would regard as actually communist and has retained really only Leninist political structures and a not-very-deeply held belief in Marx’s dialectical materialism as a way for understanding history.

It is authoritarian for what I would hope are obvious enough reasons: The Party utterly dominates the state, retains control of coercive forces like the armed forces, paramilitary and police, exercises considerable control over media, and suffers very little civil society to exist.

The economy is certainly mixed. Features of socialism persist, but I don’t think they compare favorably with the social democracies of Northern and Western Europe. State participation in industry is still quite substantial, even if the private sector is a larger and larger component of GDP, so it’s really premature to say that China is a fully capitalist economy. “State capitalism” is a phrase many have used, and I think it’s largely apt.

China’s leaders are pulled in multiple directions by different interests, confronting often contradictory exigencies. Some, and perhaps even most, aren’t driven by any particularly high-minded ideals and are chiefly interested in staying in power and enjoying the perquisites thereof, while others I have no doubt really do take to heart the long-term interests of the Chinese people and are motivated by an altruistic ideal of service to the country.

But mainly, China is pragmatic. Imagining for a moment that there’s a leadership that we can speak of as having some unified worldview and a shared set of priorities, that leadership is basically about the practical exercise of power toward creating a China that is increasingly wealthy and militarily powerful. It seeks to create a society with conditions that make economic development where dignity and some semblance of social justice can be had by most people. It looks for solutions that “work,” and not ones that simply conform to any particular ideology, and so it doesn’t particularly prize ideological consistency. It believes that “development is the final word” (发展是硬道理) and that that which augments wealth and power is desireable. It has abandoned its once overly-optimistic assessment of the mutability of humanity, and now acts in the belief that people don’t in fact change overnight. It will harness various forces to be found in society — nationalism, grasping materialism, religiosity, environmentalism — when those forces can be made to advance its agenda. But it has no compunction about smacking them down when they threaten the control of the Party-state.

Wine Pot Roast

Yield: 6 to 7 servings

Ingredients

3 to 4 pound beef pot roast
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 (3/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Sprinkle roast with flour, and brown well in small amount of oil in skillet.
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper; place in slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Remove meat and slice.
If desired, thicken sauce with flour dissolved in a small amount of water, and serve over meat.

What is the most disturbing way you’ve seen a parent attempt to handle a fussy child?

I was at Disneyland with my best friend a few months ago. We were both in line waiting to go on the gondola. In front of us was a family of four. A mother, father, young girl (perhaps 5–7 years old) and a little boy (maybe 2–3 years old). He was probably closer to 2 because he was still waking funny and slightly wobbly.

The family was not communicating or smiling at all. Granted, I’m not the most chipper in long lines in the California sun either. But they weren’t even saying a word to each other. Clearly, tensions were high, and I understand, children can be a handful especially at theme parks.

The toddler started crying uncontrollably and grabbing his mothers leg begging to be picked up. She pushed him away, not once, but probably about ten times. Each time more aggressive than the other. He just continued to cry and tried to reapproach every time.

His dad, without saying a word, picked him up. I saw the mothers eyes roll and heavy, blatant sigh. As if she was annoyed that he got his way and got picked up, even though she made it clear she didn’t want to carry him. Eventually, his father put him down to get something from his bag. At this point he reapproached the mother, starting to cry again, and without even looking down at him she shoves this little stumbling toddler away so hard that he falls on his butt and his back hits one of the bars in the line.

Of course, he started sobbing even more. His father seemed like he didn’t want to upset the mother any further and just looked ahead. None of his parents did anything. His older sister, however, noticed right away, and instinctively smacked her mother (on the waist/stomach area) to defend her little brother. Her mother then grabbed her face so tight and whispered something that I did not hear.

They entered the gondola, and I got in the next one. For some reason I have not been able to get her stone cold demeanor out of my head. Poor children.

How On Earth Did Ancient Civilisations Get MERCURY?

Confessions Of A Woman In A Polygamous Marriage

May 17, 2024

How did you end up in a polygamous marriage?

I was born and was raised in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh. A few months before my seventeenth birthday, my father, due to the Guardian System, told me that he had arranged a marriage for me to a foreign businessman in Dubai, and that I would be married within a few weeks.

At the beginning of 2017, I was married to my new husband in Dubai, and became his second wife. I didn’t ever realize that I wouldn’t be his first wife until a few days before the wedding, and I can only remember crying for an entire afternoon the day I found out I would be his second wife. It would not be until the end of last year that our husband took his 3rd and most recent wife.

How old is your husband?

Early 50s

How soon before the wedding did you meet him? What would have happened if you didn’t like him/he didn’t like you?

I met him about a week before the wedding for the first time. If he hadn’t like me, it’s not likely anything would happen since he had already talked to my father, but if i hadn’t liked him there was not much I could have done about it. At that point I was such a mess of nervous teenage anxiety and emotion that there wasn’t much I could have even thought or said.

Why did he marry you?

I’m not sure why exactly, it could have been for my looks or age, since his first wife is quite a bit older than i am, but I’m sure it was also due to the social connections between him and my father that would be forged because of the marriage.

Has your husband mentioned how many wives he plans on having?

He legally can’t marry more than 4 according to Sharia Law, but I can’t imagine he would marry someone else, especially at this point in his life. But who knows, he certainly could. I hope not, but it is a possibility.

Do you have a good relationship with him?

We have a fairly good relationship. Although he doesn’t spend as much time with me as his new wife, he’s very polite and nice to me, and doesn’t mistreat me at all.

Do you love him? Does he love you?

In a way I think I love him; even though I don’t think he married me for love, and I didn’t have much of a choice, I’ve learned to love him for what he is. I know he cares for me in his own way, and I know he wants me to be happy and provided for, which I am very thankful for.

Do you guys have children?

Yes, we have one child, a beautiful two-year old baby girl!

How does your husband treat you? Does he treat all his wives equally or is he biased?

It depends; he treats his first wife and I pretty much the same, or at least spends the same amount of time with us, but ever since his third marriage he’s spent most nights with his new wife. I try not to feel jealous, but it is hard not to resent him and her for it.

How old are his first and third wife?

His first wife is 36, and his most recent wife is only 16. Even though 18 is legally the marriable age in the UAE, a judge can approve a younger marriage, and our husband is wealthy enough to ensure that it happens.

What do you think of a man in his early 50s marrying a girl of 16?

I personally don’t think it’s right for such a marriage to take place. Even though legally it was allowed, the odds are she’ll be widowed before she even turns 40, which is really tragic for her.

Why are you more concerned for her after he dies than what might happen during the marriage?

I don’t think it’s right for him to marry someone so young, but at least this way she is provided for. Once he dies, I’m not sure what’s going to happen to any of us once he dies.

What typically happens to the wives once their husband dies? Say you are 50. Do you get an inheritance?

I would most likely be sent to live with a male relative, and perhaps receive an inheritance or something similar. I would have to follow ‘Iddah’ under Shariah Law and wait before remarrying though. If I an widowed while still young, I could probably remarry, but if I was older I might just live as a widow with my relatives.

He must be very rich to afford 3 wives, 3 households. Are you allowed to spend any money?

He is, as far as I know, fairly wealthy, even though he never talks about business or finances with us. Each of us gets a monthly allowance for groceries, clothes, shopping, and anything else we might need, but it’s never enough to make any really extravagant purchases; for anything like that, like jewelry or really nice clothes; anything really expensive, we have to ask him for permission.

What do you enjoy spending your allowance on?

Well, its usually not enough to buy anything more than the essentials, but I love cooking and buying new ingredients, and i always put a little aside to buy paints and art supplies with.

Are you allowed to work?

No, we aren’t allowed to work, or at least not for money. I love painting and art, so I do work on that a lot, but my husband would never let me sell them or earn a living myself. For the most part I have to rely on my husband to provide for me and our daughter.

How are mealtimes? Do you cook? Do you all eat together?

I usually cook meals for myself and daughter, and maybe a few friends, but we usually I don’t eat with our sister wives, except for on Friday, when we usually eat a meal together with our husband.

When it comes to sex, is it only ever you and him? Or is part of it that the four of you have sexual relations?

It is always only him and one of us, he has never asked any of us to have relations with him at the same time. It’s a very private affair.

Do you spend time with the other wives? Are they your friends? Or do you keep separate lives?

For the most part we are like separate families, we each have our own apartment, cook our own meals, and have our own beds, but fortunately his first wife and I do get along very well; since I left Saudi Arabia she’s been almost like a sister to me. His third wife though, she is very rude to us, since she is the youngest, and we definitely don’t get along.

How is she rude to you?

It feels like since our husband spends more time with her than the rest of us, she has a more privileged relationship with him than we do. She can get him to do things to us that he wouldn’t do otherwise, like punish us for doing innocent things, like going out without his permission, he is usually fine with, but if his youngest wife convinced him to, he will get angry and even hit us, even very softly. It’s more of symbolic than anything, but it still makes me feel awful. She also doesn’t miss an opportunity to bring me down or insult me.

What’s the best thing about your marriage?

Probably having such a good relationship with his first wife. It’s almost like having another sister, and it definitely helps make up for some of the worse parts of my marriage. Either that or being provided for so well. I’m not mistreated or neglected, and it gives me a chance to raise our daughter.

If he were to die soon, would you still be friends with the first wife?

I think we would. Even if we didn’t share a husband, I think we would have been friends anyway, and I think we would stay friends even if we weren’t married to the same man.

What is the worst part about living in such a relationship?

The worst part of my relationship is probably just the stress it brings. For instance, he spends most nights with his new wife, and she knows she is his favorite right now and uses that to treat his first wife and I very badly. I try not to hold it against her or our husband, but it’s hard not to.

Do you feel any resentment towards your father for putting you in a situation you may not have necessarily chosen for yourself?

I do sometimes. He never really gave me a choice in the matter, so I do sometimes feel resentful towards him for putting me into this situation, but it’s the culture he knew growing up, and i know he had my best interests at heart. He wanted to be sure I would be provided for, and I know that despite everything he loves me and wants what’s best for me. But it’s not easy to forgive him.

If you were given a chance to, would you get out of the marriage?

Although under Sharia Law divorce is allowed, the only way it could realistically happen for me is if my husband wanted a divorce as well, which he does not. And if I did divorce him, I don’t know what I would do or where I would go, especially since I would have trouble finding anyone willing to marry a divorced single mother. But honestly, I really don’t want to leave, although I wish it hadn’t happened at all, now that I’m married, I’m fairly well off and happy, and although it’s hard, it’s something I have to live with, and I am alright with that.

Would you prefer a different future for your daughter?

Absolutely. I would never want anyone, least of all my daughter, to be in the same relationship as me.

I would like to see the attitudes towards marriage become more western, and allow women more of a say in who they marry. I also pray that plural marriage continues to become more and more rare as time goes on.

Did you have a childhood sweetheart/relationship before your marriage?

I did have a sweetheart before I got married, he was a family friend, and I thought I was going to marry him for the longest time. I was actually looking forward to it, and I stroll sometimes regret not being able to spend my life with him. But I never had a choice in the matter, so I’ve learned to live with it.

How do you feel about the fact that a lot of the world (at least a lot of the Western world) looks down upon plural marriages. Do you ever question your own lifestyle?

I definitely question my lifestyle, and if I had the choice, I don’t think I would want to be in a plural marriage. Since I do live in Dubai, I do get exposed to more western culture than I did before, and I generally think that the west is right about the negative aspects of polygamy. Despite this, I’ve lived my whole life this way, and I’m not unhappy like many people in the west think. It’s not ideal, and certainly causes more stress and emotional strain on everyone, but it’s not all bad.

How has your life changed because of the marriage?

Before I was married, I lived with my family, and, because of the laws in Saudi Arabia, I had very little freedom of movement, and had to ask permission to do or go anywhere. Even while I was at home my parents, and especially my father, had absolute control over what I did.

Now that I’m married, I don’t have to ask permission to go out, as long as I am accompanied by another woman or male guardian, and I have more control over how I spend the small allowance I get. I also have more freedom at home, to raise our child and to talk and spend time with female friends. Despite this, if he wanted to, or if I made him unhappy with me, my husband could control me just like my father, did and monitor my every move, but fortunately he allows his wives to be fairly independent as long as we obey.

USA will launch two Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles

Hal Turner Nation June 01, 2024

The United States will launch TWO separate Minuteman III nuclear-capable inter-continental Ballistic Missiles, one on June 4, and another on June 6. One might think they are “posturing” to Russia.

However, the stated goal of the launches is to demonstrate the readiness of American nuclear forces and nuclear deterrents.

Russia has been warned in advance about the launches, which will take place on June 4 and 6, the US Air Force command said in a statement.

The Minuteman III is a solid-fuel intercontinental strategic missile that entered US service in 1970. Its previous tests failed: due to the discovery of an “anomaly” after launch, the rocket exploded in the air.

This missile is the only silo-based ICBM in US service. Upgraded versions are regularly tested. Washington has 400 of these missiles. Each of them is capable of carrying up to three nuclear warheads.

Some Bad Things I saw In Prison

Lack of Trust: India Moves 100 Tons of Gold from United Kingdom

Hal Turner World May 31, 2024

India’s central bank has moved a little more than 100 metric tons of gold from the UK to its domestic vaults, the Times of India newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources.

The source revealed that the “public” reason for moving the Gold is that too much is stored overseas and they want it in their country. However the “non-public” reason is now “lack of trust.”

India, the source said, has seen the way the West “froze” Russia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund and is now literally “stealing” the interest from those frozen funds, to give to Ukraine. India now views the West as brazen thieves and does not want to be victimized by such theft!

“While India has no plans to go to war, as Russia did in Ukraine, prompting the theft of their Interest money, India knows all too well how arrogantly the West imposes “Sanctions” and does not want to be subject to the whims of the West.” the source continued.

Even Stephen Bryen (former US DoD/MIC) is sounding the alarm: NATO is flirting with war and extinction.

“NATO does not want to negotiate with Russia. That goes especially for President Joe Biden, who fears going into the coming elections having lost Afghanistan and Ukraine. Any deal with the Russians today would mean major concessions, not only on territory, but about Ukraine’s future. Russia has not changed its red line on demanding that NATO get out of Ukraine.”

“France is now “officially” sending troops to Ukraine (they have been there for some time) and NATO countries are demanding strikes deep inside Russia. Meanwhile the US has secretly made a “policy shift” that somewhat falls short of what Zelensky wanted, but opens the door to deep strikes by the US on Russian territory.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the US deep strike authorization is “misinformation” but he did not deny the change in US policy. He claims it is Russian disinformation, but the reports came from Washington and not from Russia.”

Is Russia somewhere between DEFCON 2 and DEFCON 1?

Attack on Russian radar is a significant escalation:

“The nuclear issue is extraordinarily sensitive nowadays as Ukraine’s army appears nearing collapse. US legislators and NATO’s leader are urging Ukraine to fire long range missiles at Russian territory. It that happens, the Russians will not be able to distinguish whether a missile has a conventional or nuclear warhead.”

“British-Portuguese Tekever AR3 drones were used for the strike.” “for several months the focus of attention of the US Air Force RQ-4B data has been shifted specifically to the Krasnodar Territory”

“attack represents the first time that strategic nuclear defense installations have been attacked in Russia or any other country.

There has long been a debate among defense experts on the issue of “launch on warning.” Had the Russians believed this was a NATO attack on their nuclear facilities, that could have triggered a nuclear response.

The nuclear issue is extraordinarily sensitive nowadays as Ukraine’s army appears nearing collapse. US legislators and NATO’s leader are urging Ukraine to fire long range missiles at Russian territory. It that happens, the Russians will not be able to distinguish whether a missile has a conventional or nuclear warhead.”

🇷🇺 Russia’s “Dead Hand” Perimeter System will automatically launch Russia’s entire nuclear arsenal in response to a nuclear attack on Russia. It assures that whoever initiated the attack on Russia will be annihilated. Studies show that, “no locality in the U.S. was free of the risk of receiving deadly levels of radiation” and even if one is not at a primary target site, “the entire population of the contiguous U.S. and the most populated areas of Canada, as well as the northern states of Mexico, would be at risk of lethal fallout…known to result in certain death.”

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Shelter cat makes saddest face to get adopted

German Bundestag (Parliament) Asked to Activate 900,000 Military Reservists for war with Russia

Hal Turner World June 01, 2024

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in Germany’s legislature, the Bundestag, is calling for the activation of 900,000 German military reservists.

“Putin is trimming his people for war and positioning them against the West. Therefore, we must become capable of defending ourselves as quickly as possible,” said the chairwoman of the Bundestag defense committee to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday).”

“Russia only produces weapons. Textbooks are printed that portray Germany as the aggressor. Primary school children are trained on the weapon. All this is frightening,” said Strack-Zimmermann.

“The Russian attack against us has already begun,” Strack-Zimmermann told the Funke newspapers, referring to cyber attacks, espionage and deliberately triggered refugee movements.

“We must be aware that the war in Ukraine affects us directly.” If Putin is successful, he will “continue his raids,” Strack-Zimmermann said, referring to Georgia and Moldova. And when Putin thinks that the time has come, “he will also attack the Baltic States.”

Hal Turner Snap Analysis

Shameless fearmongering. Lies made-up out of whole cloth, spewing from the mouth of what is supposed to be an elected public official – trying to set Germany on a collision course with Russia – again.

Someone should ask this dumb broad if she realizes such an effort didn’t work out well for Germany the last time they tried it. It was Russian troops that stormed Berlin and destroyed Hitler’s Nazi regime.

Is she looking to cause the Russians to do that again?

Confessions Of An Ex-Mercenary

May 16, 2024

How does one become a mercenary ?

Typically you start somewhere. I was a US Army Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. Friends of friends found me, and got my first contract to go to Africa.

How’s the pay?

Pay can fluctuate. First of all, there’s a lot of deadbeats in this space. For example, Liberia asked me to create a littoral sea fighting force, but I couldn’t figure out how they would actually pay (regardless of promises) so I walked away. Never work for the UN. Total deadbeats.

The US pays you about double what you might make in uniform, which ain’t much given the risks. All the stories of guys making 2 grand a day are BS. Maybe a few guys at the beginning of the Iraq war. Also, the US might pay Blackwater $1500/day for you but Blackwater pays you only $400/day, pocketing the rest.

The best is extractive industry, especially those that are private owned. You can find these in Houston, with the right connections.

What was the best/worst compensation for the contracts you’ve been on?

Worst. Not getting paid what was owed me.

Best. Getting paid six-figure for a two-week walkabout among the armed groups of the Sahara. Oil company.

How do you acquire your equipment? Especially for situations where you’re raising a small army.

It depends on the client. When I worked US government (USG) contracts, they would pay for it and I would go get it. Hence I did shopping sprees in Eastern Europe.

Are there anybody that you refuse to work with? If so: why?

There are many whom I would refuse to work with. For example, China or Russia. Actually, any who is the enemy of the US, since I’m still an ex-soldier at heart and blue passport holder.

However, a lot of people don’t care and go where the money. Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, left the US and now works for China in Africa. He’s now in DC pimping an idea to hire a mercenary army to “fix” Afghanistan. It’s a dangerous idea.

What was the craziest thing you had to do as a mercenary?

Stop a genocide in Africa.

Could you elaborate?

Only a little.

The US had intel that an extremist Hutu group hiding in the Congo called the FNL were planning to assassinate the President of Burundi in 1994. If they did this, it would cause a chain of reprisal killings – Tutsi killing hutus and hutus then killing tutsi – that would rekindle the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The US sent us in to prevent all this from happening, with out the governments of Burundi, Rwanda, DRC etc knowing. Only about 5 people knew in Burundi our mission, including the President and General in charge of their military.

We succeeded. I am sorry that I can’t go into the operational details.

What is the rule on killing kids?

There are no rules.

Unless they are written into the contract.

BTW mercs make moral choices. They can say ‘no’ to a contract or ROE, unlike soldiers and marines. They can also go ‘off contract’ or rogue.

Is your work considered peacekeeping, or are you on a definite side of the wars you’ve been part of?

“Peacekeeping” is one of those weasel words that diplomats like to throw around to cover their operations. Putin said he was doing ‘peacekeeping’ in Chechnya. The UN does “peace enforcement,” which they did in the eastern Congo in 2013.

I’m straight faced about it. We do war.

During your time as a Merc, how many times have you had run-ins with SOFs (Special Operations Forces) from other countries, which ones, how many did you actually have to fight, and which ones scared you the most?

All the time. People cluster around skillset, so if you have a SOF or paratrooper or ranger etc background, you will gravitate to those with like skills and either form a team or join one.

The best are from US, richer European countries and many of the former Soviet republics. Latin american SOF is good too. The worst are African and Middle east countries. Scariest: ex-Soviet. They are…different than the rest of us.

How so? Psychologically they’re different? Their skill sets?

Yeah. Many of them are crazy and tough. They use to have this thing in Spetznatz training called the Rule of the Grandfathers. Recruits would have bones broken.

How large is the industry, and would you say that it is mostly larger bodies of armed men, or do mercenaries also do smaller, covert ops missions in tight, single digit groups?

It’s really hard to say how large and how much money is sloshing around the private military world. There’s no Department of Labor and Statistics for Mercenaries.

During the height of the US wars in Iraq and Afghan, contractors worked in large military corporations. Now that this market has dried up, mercenaries are atomizing into smaller units.

What is the mortality rate for mercenaries?

It depends. Let’s assume proper mercenaries here, meaning they are ex-military and in conflict zones. The mortality is higher than most 1st world militaries. Also, if you get hurt, you are likely screwed.

Merc ops gone wrong generally don’t make the news. Mercs are hired often to work in the shadows, and if something goes wrong, their employers cut them away like a kite. That’s why we call these ‘kite missions.’

High end mercs are hired because they offer good plausible deniability.

What is the biggest misconception on PMC’s (Private Military Contractor) or Mercenary firms that is currently being published in the political science literature?

Political Science and academics in general don’t know much because this industry is so opaque. You have to be on the inside to understand it, yet not succumb to it, or get blackmailed into silence.

The common misperceptions are:

Mercenaries are ineffective. Wrong, very wrong.
Mercs are illegitimate. “Legitimacy” is a big word people like to throw around with much thinking. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter that much.
Mercs are all evil. Some are, some are not. Same with soldiers.
We can use international law to curb mercenaries. Wrong again. Mercenaries will just shoot your law enforcement.
Mercs are peripheral security problem. Wrong. The market for force is growing and cannot be stopped. At least not if we leave it on auto-pilot, which have.
Lastly, mercs are not useful. This is wrong. They are like fire: power a steam engine or burn the building down. They can augment UN forces of be used as terrorists.

Did this kind of experience provide you with insights into a deeper understanding of the interactions between the western world and the middle eastern one? If yes, could you go into details?

You can’t understand the middle east if you think in terms of “states” or countries. You have to think in terms of blocs of ancient powers warring one another. You have the Sunni bloc, lead by Saudi Arabia and includes the GCC, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and N. Africa and others.

Then you have the Shia block, lead by Iran and includes N. Iraq, Syria regime, parts of Lebanon.

I call these blocks “deep states,” not like Steve Bannon’s conspiracy theory but rather networks of power, elites and interest.

These Sunni and Shia Deep States have been at war, in some fashion, since the death of Mohammed. People who don’t see the middle east as two warring deep states will be left scratching their heads, which is what many ‘experts’ here do. Every day.

Is it good to have an knowledge of geopolitics related to the war you are participating in as a mercenary?

No. Optional.

The only knowledge you need to master is how to operate in a fire team.

Can you drop some light on the level of discipline in the mercs (rape, plunder,etc) during interactions with non-armed civilians? Have you personally witnessed any such incidents?

Good mercs do good things, bad mercs do bad things. Just like national armies around the world. However, I ran across mercenaries in the Congo that were pure evil. Really evil. It was sad.

BTW this is a serious concern you raise. I don’t have an answer because what mercenaries do is introduce market dynamics into warfare. Supply and demand dictate warfare as much as traditional military strategy.

Example. When I was in West Africa, some warlords used rape as a tactic and strategy of war. You could hire mercs to terrorize and cow local populations this way. You could also hire mercs to kill those mercs. But you are left with a world awash in mercenaries, and that’s what I fear is coming.

So, just curious if there are female mercenaries, or is this just a male arena?

I never found any female mercs, although it doesn’t mean they are not out there. I ran across female warlords in Africa, who would cut off you undercarriage in a heartbeat. With a rusty machete.

Mercenaries seem to have a fixed role in small arms conflicts (like what you said about Africa and the middle east) but with the international security landscape focused nation states and their nuclear weapons, what role do you believe mercenaries will play, if any, in nuclear security?

I think the international community is by definition Westphalian and can only see the world like a state. That’s why they continue to struggle against non-sate (what they humorously call ‘sub-state’) actors. Hence the mayhem.

Mercs are rising and can take over states, become a praetorian guard, can bully states etc. Let’s not forget that most of the states in the world are fragile or failing. And nothing is stopping the rise of mercenary organizations around the world. 100 years from now, mercenaries will be a bigger problem than nukes.

How has the battlefield changed in your lifetime? I imagine tactics are changing every day with each new advancement in equipment, but did you foresee the role of drones playing such a large role in current conflicts? It seems like we are heading towards wars where soldiers will never be in line of sight or am I thinking far too down the road?

Well, there’s war and warfare. War never changes; it’s bloody, violent, political etc. Warfare changes all the time, including tactics, leadership, environment, technology.

Drones are cheap and easily rigged into kamikazes. Expect mercenary “air forces” of suicide drone squad. There are also cyber mercs called “Hack Back Companies.”

That said, technology is over rated in war. The US has loads of tech and yet can’t conquer Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS etc. Meanwhile the humble IED remains a big tactical problem.

Mercenaries also change war. They open up strategy to the laws of the market place. Future Generals may need to know more about the laws of the marketplace and Wall Street, so they understand how to increase or decrease the flow of mercenaries into a battle space.

In your opinion, what is the best approach to handling North Korea?

DPRK is the headache that keeps on giving. If we strike them, they shell Seoul with artillery. China uses them as leverage to extract favor from the US.

Ultimately, no one wants to see DPRK fall. China and South Korea don’t want to absorb 20 million deranged refugees and no one wants to tempt the DPRK leadership’s will to launch everything they have.

Ultimately the best course of action is the status quo, which is why nothing has changed in 70 years.

What is a moment you can still vividly recall today?

Digging up children’s teeth in the genocide killing fields outside Bujumbura, Burundi.

What sorts of non-millitary exclusive skills helped you the most or did the best to keep you alive?

Cultural skills. When you are operating in Africa or elsewhere, you need to be cultural attuned. First, I’m a white guy with straight teeth, which means I’m American. That can be very disadvantageous in some parts of the world. You have to have a good intuition about people.

How does the merc profession mesh with family life? I imagine it takes one away from family a lot.

Merc life is pretty incompatible with married life. You’re always “deployed.” You can maybe do something like 6 months on a defensive lucrative mission, like defending oil pipelines in the desert. Then 6 months at home.

What is the biggest misconception people label you guys with?

People think mercenaries are villains, etc. This is BS.

People often throw machiavelli in my face, who said mercenaries are “faithless whores” or something like that. He was the guy who wrote The Prince (which I love, as well as his Art of War and Discourses on Livy). But he was a total failure. During the the early 1500s, he was in charge of Florence’s defenses and got seriously burned by his lame mercs. So he Mr Sour Grapes. Most mercs – then and now – are not like that.

The prejudice against mercenaries is extremely unjustified. Would you rather be taken a prisoner by Blackwater of the Zimbabwe army ? I recommend the former.

Her Visions of Future Disasters Keep Coming True After NDE

10:14 – Told of Future Events
12:24 – Dreams of Future Disasters
15:36 – Most Shocking Dream of the Future
17:52 – Names of People About to Die

My family legacy though the clocks of time

Today, I want to talk about clocks.

As the oldest son of my father, when his father died… my grandfather willed to me his fancy mantle clock. This was a beautiful bronze statue of a reclining woman Baroque style next to a very ornate clock. I got it when I was 11 years old, and my father decided to make it the “family clock” by placing it on our living room mantle. Telling me, of course, that when I get older and married I can put that clock into my own house for my old children to inherit.

When my paternal grandmother died, I was willed her cuckoo clock. She picked it up when she was traveling from Poland when she was 16 years old, and it represented her new life as a woman. She wanted me to have it as I was, at that time, just getting started off in life.

My mother bought a huge grandfather clock. And up to when she died, and in her will, that clock was to be mien and to be passed on to my children. She was adamant on this, and really wanted this grandfather clock to develop a legacy.

So what actually happened?

Well, my mother died and there was a battle for her estate. I tried to prevent the looting by my siblings, but I ended up in jail and couldn’t do anything.

My brother took the mantle clock apologetically. And my father was there when he took it, and he looked at me bewildered and said “Hey! That’s your clock. What’s going on?” And, my brother said “no it isn’t. I was mom’s and it sat in her living room for decades. And so now it’s mine.” And my crestfallen father was aghast in how bellicose and direct he was.

My cousin took the cuckoo clock, and when I asked her to return it, she said that she had already sold it on ebay. And that there was nothing that I could do.

My youngest sister and her husband carted off the grandfather clock and they too sold it off. And they offered no explanation, no excuse and no justification. It was “it’s mine now”.

And that is what happened to my family legacy though the clocks of time.

Today…

What are some bad experiences you had while traveling to another country?

Oh boy…I travelled to Mexico City in Nov 2017 and I committed a mistake of asking direction from the police Officer at the airport. I didn’t know Spanish and the officer didn’t know English. He asked for my passport and then called another officer. They discussed something in Spanish and after wasting a good amount of 15 minutes instructed me to follow them. They took me to the washroom. I thought there must be a secret door to their office but to my disappointment it was just a toilet. The police officer instructed me to OPEN.

I asked, OPEN what?? A first thought came to my mind that he is asking me to open my pants but thank God he clarified that he wanted me to open my bag. He started checking my bag and somehow found the 1200 USD that my office paid for the official work.

He started asking for money in Spanish. Though I understood it the first time but still I tried to remain ignorant. For the next 10 minutes, I was only saying ‘No Spanish’ and he was trying to make me understand like a monkey that he wants money. All this shit was happening inside a toilet. Then I gave up.

I asked how much.He said $100 for each officer. I came in Indian mode and started bargaining. I started acting like a hungry person so that he gets frustrated and leaves me but man..he was adamant. Finally, I bring him down to $20 each. I paid the extortion money and ran as fast as I could.

The only lesson I learnt is that this symbol is common irrespective of the language, colour, race or country.

People are Maxed Out …. Inflation Nation

WU QIAN:

“The trend of the world is surging forward.

Those who follow the trend will prosper; those who go against it will perish.

China’s national reunification is the overwhelming and irresistible trend of history.

‘Taiwan independence’ means war, and division brings no peace.

Shouldering the sacred mission of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese PLA is fully prepared and stays highly vigilant.

We will take resolute actions to smash any ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist attempts and thwart any foreign interference.”

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Excerpt from remarks by Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian at the Regular Press Conference, May 30, 2024.

Isn’t re-electing Biden kind of like the Titanic backing up into the iceberg again?

You know, as a non-American, I find it pretty morbidly fascinating how the Republicans shamelessly attack Biden and the Democrats with exactly the kinds of things they are the most guilty of themselves.

It’s incredibly cringe- like watching a morbidly obese person on a mobility scooter riding around attacking mildly overewight people for being “fat”. There’s nothing funny about watching that level of poor self-awareness.

I continuously hear Trump call Biden “crooked Joe Biden” when it is he, and not Biden, who is the first former president to be charged with a bucket of crimes.

He calls Biden “Sleepy Joe” when he can’t keep his own eyes open during his own trial.

He says Biden is senile and incapable of coherent speech when he was the one sent to take a cognitive assessment and his own speeches are borderline gibberish formed of rambling digressions set in the vocabulary of a slow 5th grader.

He calls the Democrats “extremists” when he is the one who incited an insurrection.

He calls Biden “the worst president in history” when, by any reasonable yardstick, Trump is the worst, most incomptent, mentally-unstable leader since Idi Amin Dada.

He accuses the Democrats of ruining America’s reputation in the world and turning the country into a joke, while the world remembers him making a fool of himself at the UN, making puppy-dog eyes at Kim Jong-Un (who he still can’t resist praising) and stuffing himself into the worst tailored tux seen since Laurel and Hardy parodied a night at the opera, to meet, and disgust, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Honestly, everything the Republicans say is a poorly-disguised self-own. Almost nothing they accuse the other side of is not an outrageous “tu quoque” at themselves!

People laugh but I find this level of mass delusion genuinely alarming.

“NATO is cooking up something big” and Putin is ready for all out war | Redacted News

OMG!

What was the most illegal thing you have ever done on a computer?

Originally Answered: What is the most illegal thing you have ever done with your computer?

As a kid, I liked to hack. Not for doing damage or stealing, but to play on big computers.

There was a lawyer’s office in the town center – a big chain. And walking past one evening, I saw a modem with a rotary phone on top. In the U.K. it was common to have the phone number of the phone written on a piece of paper in the center of the dial.

Heart racing, I climbed through the plants outside the window to get a better look. I wrote down the number.

I got home, and dialed it.

It rang, and rang. No answer.

So they called out on it.

Next day I called their head office, and asked the receptionist if Mike was still in charge of the I.T. department.

“No, Sir. I have never heard of a “Mike””

“My memory! Shameful! So, what is his name?”

“Why, it’s Peter; I can connect you.”

“No need, I had the wrong guy, the wrong office maybe. Thank you for your time”.

I called the modem number again, only this was also during office hours.

“Err, hello?” Said a surprised worker as he answered the phone that never rang.

“Hi, this is Peter at head office. What the hell is going on there?”

“Err, what?”

“Every time you log in today, you delete 4 files. Some are files not even assigned to your branch.”

“Errr, what??”

“*Sigh* ok, let’s get you out of trouble. When did you log in last?”

“Oh, ok, thanks. Err, about an hour ago”

“Right, what number did you dial in on?”

“Err, the usual one”

“Obviously, but there are 6 “usual” numbers. I am getting you out of trouble, can’t you save me from having to look that up?”

“Oh, right, sorry, errr 555-555-5555”

“Perfect. And your username is?”

“James.Smith”

“That’s great, what password are you using?”

“Err, we are not meant to give that out”

“I know, that’s why I called on this number. I can fax the request, you can fax the answer, and I will have to report that you slowed down my work at the partner’s meeting I have to be at in 3 minutes. James, I am just trying to help you out here, save me some paper work, oil the wheels…”

“Ohh. Gotcha. Thank you. It’s ‘some-password'”

“Thanks, right, I gotta go fix it”.

That night, after playing with the system, I left it printing “your security needs serious attention.”.

It would have printed until out of paper.

There were others, but I enjoyed that one, the simple pleasures 🙂

At that time, my actions were not criminal. Today, the same thing would be illegal.

Stout-Braised Corned Beef Tacos
with Fiery Cabbage Slaw

A great Mexican twist to corned beef is an excellent choice for Saint Patrick’s Day if you are looking for something new and unusual to serve. In addition to the regular instructions for a slow cooker, directions are also given for making this in an Instant Pot.

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

Tacos

1 boneless corned beef brisket, trimmed (3 pounds)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 (11.2 ounce) bottle Texas stout beer
16 to 20 small (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
Fresh cilantro and jalapeño pepper, chopped

Fiery Cabbage Slaw

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Instructions

Rub corned beef brisket with package of pickling seasonings.
Place onion, carrot, celery, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, brown sugar and black pepper in a 4-1/2 to 5-1/2-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Place Corned Beef, fat side up, on top of the vegetable mixture. Pour stout beer over brisket. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 TO 7 hours or on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or until brisket is fork tender.
Remove corned beef and place on a cutting board, spooning a bit of the liquid over the top. Carve brisket into thin slices across the grain.
To make slaw, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, red pepper sauce, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and green onions. Toss gently to combine.
Serve with beef in tortillas with Fiery Slaw. Garnish with toppings, as desired.

Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot

Rub Corned Beef Brisket with package of pickling seasonings.
Combine onion, carrot, celery, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, and black pepper in the insert of the pressure cooker. Stir to combine.
Place Corned Beef, fat side up, on top of the vegetable mixture. Pour stout beer over brisket.
Seal lid and set unit to HIGH pressure for 90 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release remaining pressure.
Remove corned beef and place on a cutting board, spooning a bit of the liquid over the top. Carve brisket into thin slices across the grain.
To make slaw, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, red pepper sauce, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and green onions. Toss gently to combine.
Serve beef in tortillas with Fiery Slaw. Garnish with toppings, as desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 420; Total fat 24 g (Sat. fat 7g; Trans fat 0g); Cholest. 75mg; Sodium 1870mg; Total Carb. 24g; Fiber 2g; Total Sugars 9g; Protein 22g; Vit D (0% DV); Calcium (2% DV); Iron (15% DV); Potas. (10% DV)

Do you think the decline in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. is a temporary setback or a long-term trend?

This is the market warning TSMC about its long term prospects.

TSMC’ s casting its lot to decouple from China by abiding to all U.S. sanctions, committing $65 billion in three greenfield leading-edge fabs in Arizona to manufacture the most advanced chips in the U.S. and setting up new fabs in the E.U. and Japan.

These certainly look like they’re leaving the China market for SMIC to fill. And the market sees the SMIC is catching up. They’re now making 5-nm chips without the EUV machines.

Now even for an idiot, this is the question that TSMC must be pondering: Where the SHIT are they going to sell the chips their fabs in the U.S., E.U. and Japan will be making?

TSMC must know China is the market. And they’re making do with other technologies as Huawei is without the “advanced chips”.

And China is making fast progress at becoming self-sufficient in chips by building out the ecosystem for its own chip manufacturing infrastructure and experimenting new technologies. And if this were to play out, it is very likely that TSMC and ASML will be left out in the cold.

The market can see as a possible fate for these two titans of the chip industryi.

ASML is trying to hang on with its remaining business in China. The most telling how important China is despite the sanction going on its second year, China is still more important than all its other markets combined. The video is about their government now pushing back at U.S. pressure.

But this may be too late if China develops it own technologies and alternative to the ASML machines.

And lastly, it’s TSMC that is the most vulnerable. Yes, they’re the Numero uno and rule the industry but consider this – Apple accounted for $17.52 billion or 25% of TSMC’s total revenue in 2023. This company losing just one client automatically put it in the red in the industry where you’re as good as your last chip. And TSMC has now being all its egg with the U.S.!

Jeffrey Sachs: NATO In ‘Wartime Hallucination’ Mode! The Most TERRIBLE Offensive Is About To Happen

Why do hijras (eunuchs) look so scary and frighten even the bravest men?

I was in Kolkata when a terrified tamilian friend of my wife called to say a group of Hijras were outside their flat demanding money to bless their new born baby

I was the only man and was sent out to confront them

I had never felt more frightened in my life

There were 5–6 of them standing and demanding to bless the new born baby, sing and dance and get some money

Then I decided to talk to them

I didn’t know bengali that well so I asked them in Hindi what they wanted and they said they wanted to bless the baby and sing and dance and get money

I asked “How much money”

They said “500 Bucks”

This was 1994 and 500 Bucks wasn’t a small sum

I said “50” and expected a lot of yelling and shouting. Instead they asked how I could be so mean and how tough their life was

Suddenly it was a TN Traffic cop situation where a ₹50/- demand soon became a ₹5/- for a cup of tea (Old days, the 1990s)

We went back and forth and finally negotiated for ₹100/- and I stuck to ₹100/- and finally paid them from my own pocket to leave without any dance or song

I never got my money back

That lady thanked me and said she would pay me back but I never got the money back

Forget they are Hijras

Just talk to them like they are people and trust me it works

You get intimidated by the appearance and the voice and the social embarrassment but if you can stick to your guns, they are just people

Today in Bangalore, near Jayadeva Hospital road, suddenly they came and begged for money and before I could say no, my wife pushed a 20 into the hand of the Hijra to get rid of the embarrassment

Instead you could politely say “No”

You would have if this was a normal beggar

Just look at them as normal human beings and forget the clothes and the voices

Suddenly it feels pretty normal

Join us on our journey

What is the craziest thing you have ever said to your boss, with or without getting fired?

I have only been fired once. It was the worst job I have ever had. My father owned a car dealership, he told me that if I ever wanted to work for him, I had to learn the business somewhere else before I could come work for him. I had just graduated with an English degree and found a job selling cars.

All car salesman do not deserve the negative stigma that comes with the occupation, but there are many that do deserve the scorn. It is a complicated business. Pay is based on sales commissions. If you do not sell a car, you are given a weekly stipend that will be deducted from your commission when you finally do sell a car.

My first four months were great. I sold 8, 10, 12, 16 cars. Then my fifth month I sold 12 again. My boss made some comment about me slipping. The next month I sold 14, he still made comments about my not selling up to standards expected. There was a board with a list of all the salesman and the number of cars they had out in the Breakroom. Looking at the list, I was in the middle.

It was frustrating to have a boss giving me a hard time when it seemed he allowed others to perform at a lower level. When I came close to making a deal, the boss would refuse any negotiation offers from my customers. I was either selling cars at full price, or not at all. He was not helping me sell the car. My next month was the worst ever. We were three weeks in and I had sold only five cars.

The third Saturday of the month was a do or die day for me to make a sale and salvage my month. Saturdays are generally the best day in car sales. Even the worst salesman can sell a car on Saturday. This particular Saturday, I planned to sell two or three cars.

After our morning sales meeting, my boss said to me, “Can you come by my office?”

I followed him in and sat down across from him. He began by telling me how I started strong but had fallen off on my sales the past couple months. He complained about my efforts and said I could sell a lot more and that he expected more from me considering that my Dad owned a dealership and I grew up around the business.

“You have to sell a car by the end of the day today or you are fired” he said. “I promise you! Don’t take that as a mere threat.”

“You had better hope I sell a car then,” I said.

“Why should I care if YOU sell a car?” He asked incredulously. “You are the one who will be without a job.”

“Because if you make me work my whole Saturday and fire me at the end of the day I am going to beat the shit out of you,” I said. “… and don’t take that as a mere threat.”

“That’s it you’re fired!” He said. “Get out of here.”

China Sanctions US Defense Companies!

What should you do when people are rude to you in public?

Yesterday, I parked my car near the temple on the street. I got down of the car and washed my hands with the water I brought from home.

This lead to spilling some water on the road.

Suddenly, a guy arrived on his scooty and stood ahead of me.

He started using cuss words and said, ‘you idiot, that is my house, in front of which you are washing your hands. Do you have any shame, next time you do this you will see what I do to you.’

He didn’t even let me speak and kept going on and on.

His house was across the road, a few metres away from where I stood. Also by the time he spoke, the water had already dried.

I felt like giving him a mouthful, but then I realised that what will I get in return, abuses? Physical altercation? Insult? And frustration for days?

He kept speaking, and I smiled and walked inside the temple. (I was wearing a mask so he couldn’t notice my smile)

He kept staring and speaking in a harsh tone while I calmly worshipped.

By the time I returned, he was gone.

It may appear cowardice I assure you it isn’t.

Why should I frustrate myself, create unnecessary discomfort and lose my peace for a stranger who doesn’t even have adequate manners?

Why should I become like him and lose my traits and wisdom?

Most importantly, why should I bother myself at all?

Earlier, I would have definitely hit that person or given him back his deeds with interest, but every time I did that, I ended up suffering in some way or the other. Also the impact of such fights stays for days. So I decided to deal with such people using a mature outlook, and I am happy with that.

Shorpy

Do you know anyone who has won a lottery? Did the money change them?

I do. It ruined his life.

This man lived in a rural area, and worked at the only truly large employer. Plenty of scattered mom and pop types, but this was a branch of a corporation. He loved his job.

He struck it for millions. Well, you have to identify yourself to claim it. It hit all the papers, even out to the city, where I lived.

When people realize you have won the lottery, people come out of the woodwork to try to get a piece of it. Every relative, no matter how distant, came calling, demanding with various levels of pleading to get some of the money. He didn’t think he should have to share it, so those relatives stopped speaking to him.

It’s not just relatives: neighbors, coworkers, “friends”, they’ll come around and aren’t subtle. He said no to them as well. They weren’t happy either.

You also get all kinds of crazies knocking at your door and calling your phone number. They got contacts from people pleading for money for their son’s kidney transplant or whatever. Lots of sob stories, lots of pleading, lots of insults.

Frightened by the attention and the chaos, his wife became overwhelmed and had a nervous breakdown. She would eventually divorce him.

The economy in his area turned. The corporation he worked at began layoffs. As he had been there forever, his seniority insulated him from worry about being cut, but it didn’t insulate him from bullying from his coworkers about how he was taking a job from someone who needed the money to feed their family or keep their home. He couldn’t take it eventually, and left his beloved job.

So, he won millions and lost everything else: his friends, his wife, and his job. He still lives in his old house, and every so often walks into town and buys everyone at the local diner breakfast.

I think he was better off before.

Chinese solution to drones

Houthis’ Red Sea blockade makes Russia’s Northern Sea Route attractive to desperate West

With the US and Britain proving unable to dislodge the Houthis from their strongholds or stop the militia from attacking Israeli-linked, American and British vessels in the Red and Arabian Seas, commercial shippers have increasingly eyed Russia’s Northern Sea Route as an attractive potential alternative, a leading mainstream US news magazine has reported.

“The surging costs and fear of getting hit by Houthi drones and missiles have led some shippers to consider the Arctic as an alternative, as melting ice begins opening new potential on the so-called Northern Sea Route,” Foreign Policy wrote.

The article ‘discovered’ what Russian officials and media have been saying for years – that the 5,600 km Northern Sea Route is the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia, and can shave 8,000 km or more of distance, and 40-60 percent in time, off shipments, compared to traditional Europe-Asia routes through the presently troubled waters in the Middle East.

“The ability to slash some 5,000 miles off a ship’s journey would mean much faster travel times – a major plus in today’s world of online retail and next-day delivery,” FP said.

Unfortunately for the West, there’s a catch: 70 percent of the Arctic, including virtually the entire length of the Arctic portion of the route, passes through Russian waters. “Ships wanting to use the route must secure the Russians’ permission and pay them transit fees. Given current relations between many Western countries and Russia amid the Ukraine war, that poses an obvious challenge,” the magazine lamented.

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I Bought Used SD Cards.. Here’s What I Found

When should a child move out of their parents’ house?

This reminds me of my older son. As a teenager he would say “I can’t wait till I am 18, so I will be free.” I asked him “Free to do what??” and he would say “Whatever I want to!” At that time, I told I “OK, on your 18th birthday, you will get eviction papers. On your 17th birthday, you will get luggage so you have a year to practice packing!” I had told a friend of this conversation, because as a parent, I knew it was a joke. Well, this friend owned a thrift store and gave me a suitcase to give to him. So on his 17th birthday, he came downstairs to see a huge navy blue suitcase sitting in the corner with a huge blue bow on it. The look on his face was priceless, as if to say “Really, Mom???” He didn’t know that all of his real gifts were inside.

Seriously, though, your child and life circumstances will dictate when they should move out. Can they afford to move out? Are they still in school? Do they have a job? Do they have the life skills? I don’t believe there should be a set time in their life where we say “OK, it’s time. Move out!”

My older son joined the Navy, and was in the Delayed Entry Program. He stayed with us until he left for Basic Training. He has been on his own since. My younger son (who asked where his luggage was on his 17th birthday) went the college route. He went away to college and when he graduated, he came back home. He was welcome here until her got on his feet. He stayed with us for about 5 years. He is now living with his fiancee and planning his wedding next year.

As every person is different, so is the time they should move out.

Badlands Homecoming

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?…

I have been thinking about including short science fiction stories with my daily posts. Please kindly tell me what you all think about this addition. MM

The badlands had ceased expanding, and there was just enough food to support one or two researchers—well, maybe only one—and that would be me.

The bishop had his hands full. A guard saw me into his office, and the bishop sat waiting behind a huge, salvaged desk between us.

The desk, a marvel, held my gaze. Its rich, brown hue was a testament to its unique origin, a strange wood with a veneer of such smoothness, partially burned away, creating a mesmerizing play of colors. I couldn’t help but wonder about the lives that were risked to retrieve such a treasure.

“You are?” he said, not looking up. Now, if it were up to me, I would fall on my knees and kiss his ecclesiastical ring, listen to his blessings, and wait for benediction. Such was my upbringing, which I had only known since…forever. To be in his presence was an honor granted to so few.

But I must answer him! Yet remembering my very name seemed an extraneous and worthless undertaking.

“Thomas Cranwell, to commoners excluded from knowing my ecclesial rank,” I said, finally.

“Why do you exclude yourself?” he asked again, without looking up from whatever was absorbing him. “Are you not to work for the extension of the Kingdom of God?”

“It is for an uncommon request. Permission to attend at Bradwell,” I practically whispered.

That got his attention. I am asking for something forbidden. To speak of Bradwell and the treasures of antiquity that it contained was to invite suspicion.

Myths, stories, and legends about the sacrifices made to build Bradwell many generations ago were a staple around campfires at night. After the cataclysm and before the new orientation, the building of Bradwell took place in a time so dark that our present darkness looked light by comparison. Yet I was convinced that understanding our past would help build our future!

I threw caution to the wind. Before I knew what I was doing, I was kneeling before him, seeking his hand to kiss his ring, even as I could not see that the guard had moved to strike me from behind.

“Stay your hand!” the bishop ordered. “What have we here? A search for knowledge at any cost?”

“Only a fool who seeks to serve, Your Excellency!” My tears were so copious that if I looked at him, I imagined he would send me off straight away. He laid his hand on my head.

“Thomas, I’ll inquire about your character. Send me your references and bid me a good day!”

I had to work while I waited. Luckily for me, I had learned a trade as a metal scavenger. It was considered a low occupation, but it was necessary since the metal that never rusts could no longer be made and was highly prized. However, my unusual request made people suspicious of me. Even the scraps I found in the well-combed hills and valleys surrounding Urhan fetched such low prices that I began to starve. Being without family and friends in any place was inviting death into your life. I hoped I would not have to wait long for the bishop to answer!

When news came that the bishop had approved my request, I now had a servant, David, a protection seal on paper, no less, and a stipend. The bishop’s generosity quite shocked me. Was he an antiquarian? Even if only in secret? I couldn’t account for my good fortune otherwise.

We hastened to start our journey. David was young—only sixteen—yet enthusiastic and uncommonly curious. When I told David we were off to Bradwell, he jumped for joy! I warned him to conserve his strength. It would be a long and challenging journey, even for one like himself. Besides, he was to support me, such as I was.

Upon leaving Urhan, David removed his sandals and shook the dust off them, motioning me to do the same.

“A curse on any who did not help us!” he shouted with glee.

This made me angry. “You hardly know what it is, you ask!” I said. “We have nothing but what we carry—nothing at all. It could be that a curse has been laid on us! Mind your place, boy!”

David’s eyes fell, and he began to weep. “Forgive me, Father, he said.

“It is your youth and inexperience that speaks,” I answered. “The world is larger than we know!”

We arrived at Urhan Station, a smaller community composed almost entirely of humbler folk, primarily farmers. I was not incardinated anywhere in the Urhan region. I thought it proper to approach the local magistrate to inform him of our presence and request leave to be accommodated for at least one night, perhaps two. Upon reviewing my documents, I was permitted to stay, provided I sought provisions in the local market and remained at the local inn. This I was happy to do.

Thank God news had not spread about my mission. It was a relief to be treated courteously for once, and I relished the opportunity to rest and regain my strength.

David was enraptured by the many sights of Urhan Station, which he had never visited before, even though it was only twenty miles from where he lived.

“Father, shall we hear Mass today?” he inquired.

“Certainly!” I replied.

We soon happened upon the parish church, a quaint, quite old stucco and wood structure dating back to the earliest days of the Urhan region’s reconstruction. Even today, the church outshone the other various dwellings, which were much more bare and plain-looking. A bell rang out, calling the populace to prayer. The church was soon filled.

I was struck by Father Bruno, the priest who said Mass. His intensely blue eyes and reputation for knowing people’s sins without being told drew many visitors for confession, even from Urhan proper. I feared he would somehow know of our mission, so I hung back in one of the back pews.

When Mass was over, and we had finished our Thanksgiving prayers, he strode right to the back of the church to see me, calling me by name, although we had never met.

“Father Cranwell! Know you, not your duty! To serve God! It is not your place to seek that which God has destroyed!”

He said this so loudly that David prostrated himself at his feet, weeping and begging forgiveness. I was stunned, and when Father Bruno had left, and I regained my composure, it was plain that we would have to leave Urhan Station; the sooner, the better.

David wept incessantly. On the one hand, he knew he might fall prey to ruffians or dire circumstances, being alone without my support. Yet, given his religious upbringing, he could not ignore Father Bruno’s words, and I would not contradict a fellow priest, so I released David from his obligation to me.

I did this with a heavy heart, wondering if I would survive long enough to arrive at Bradwell without David’s support. Yet I had to think of what was best for the boy.

“You are free to leave,” I said as we left Urhan Station.

“Where will I go?” he asked.

“Don’t you have a family to return to?”

“Family? My family is the church. I am an orphan!”

With this, I stopped to look at him. David was in tears again. I was nearly beside myself with grief, too. It was clear that he could not make a decision.

“Come with me, and you will no longer be an orphan but a son to me!” I said, wiping both his and my own tears.

We were quite clearly approaching the badlands. Strange, disfigured animals approached us, peering out from the undergrowth. David readied his slingshot, and I, my staff.

“I could hit one!” David exulted.

“Let us pass by the side,” I answered. Thus, we took detours through thick brambles to avoid these “denizens of hell,” as the common folk called them.

The road, too, became more rutted and overgrown. Signs warned us not to go further, though the further we went, the more rotted they appeared, like the people who erected them had passed on or failed to maintain them.

We had to sleep in the open air in a shelter we could make from branches and sticks. It began to rain. I had heard of the constant rain in the heart of the badlands, soaking you through and through. We knew not to drink from the fetid swamps that threatened to overwhelm the road, which now resembled more of a simple path than a road.

“Is God punishing us?” David asked after a tough night when I coughed more than I slept. “Isn’t it clear we shouldn’t be here?” he continued. He was throwing stones into the swamp, a look of defeat on his face.

“Hush now and trust,” I said. We have not come all this way to die now!”

But I wondered how much more we could take, wearied to the bone from the dampness and privations caused by a lack of food and good sleep, never mind the constant fear of what might happen if we grew inattentive or were unlucky.

After three days, the path abruptly stopped at a ruined habitation. No one was home, and it looked like no one had been there for some time. After my brave words to David, my heart sank. Where to now to Bradwell?

Had I fallen prey to pride? It was Father Bruno’s words that echoed in my mind.

I sank to my knees and wept.

I could have died there and then and been happy to meet my maker, poor, alone, a sinner in need of redemption. It was David who came to my rescue.

He bounded into my view even though I lay prone in the muck and filth in those last few steps on the path to nowhere.

“Look, Father!” He helped me up. “Come over here! Do you see it? Up on the hill!”

My poor eyes were unaccustomed to focusing at such a distance, yet I could just make out a building built on a hill. Was it a monastery?

I could see it shining like a beacon, a bright sheen off what looked like stout walls as we hobbled closer, David supporting me with every step I took.

By some magic I had never seen before, the gate to the monastery slid open to reveal a monk dressed in a black tunic. He did not speak, only motioning to us to follow him. A Benedictine? I had never seen one before.

The monk’s tunic hung loosely over his body, stopping only at his ankles. He wore a rectangular piece of cloth over his shoulders called a scapular that appeared to be made of wool. When he turned to lead us to the community, I noticed his cowl limp and unused, the sun only beginning to make its presence known.

It was an edifying experience to see such calm and serene purpose in this one monk who neither sought nor cared for our taking any notice of him whatsoever.

We climbed some hewn stone stairs to such a height! It was utterly exhausting. I had to stop frequently to catch my breath, but I could still reach a portico, the sun clothed with refracted light through the most marvelous stained glass, again as something I had never seen before. I reached out to touch it, causing the light to fall in a sudden dazzling brilliance as if moved by unseen hands. I wanted to stop and question the monk about how light could be so liquid yet impervious to my understanding!

But he moved ever onward, not looking back.

We reached a stolid door of massive weight, again opening at a mere touch! What I presumed to be the abbot greeted us.

The abbot wore a black cappa, which is a full-length cloak over his tunic. He also wore a ring, which he held out to me.

I collapsed before I could kiss his ring, and from what David told me later, I hit my head on the stone floor, losing consciousness.

I awoke in an infirmary, or what looked like one. David was so happy to see me come to my senses. He looked fatigued as if he had been waiting a long time by my side, sitting on a wicker chair next to an untouched tray of food on a small table.

“Eat, father!” he said, his voice catching him unawares like he had not spoken for hours. Then, he cleared his throat and looked as if he might cry.

I had more important things on my mind. “What of the…abbot?” I gasped as I reached for a plain, remarkably shaped glass containing a liquid I did not recognize.

David handed it to me. “He never spoke to me. After you collapsed, two monks carried you here. Will you get well, Father?” he pleaded.

“God willing!” I said. You are so faithful to me; how can it be otherwise?” I joked, but then I frowned. “But there is much to discuss…” I said as I tried to get out of bed.

“Not until you are well!” David commanded. “Eat!”

The days went swiftly by. A monk with remarkable medical knowledge examined me. And there was so much food! So much more than I was used to.

Then, several days later, another monk with such bright eyes came to get me. This one was not unassuming or silent. He was talkative, so much so that I wondered if he was a monk or a commoner dressed in monk attire!

“Know you, not your duty!” I exclaimed at one point amid his chatter.

He rounded on me, his confident air dissipating as air escapes a putrid cask.

“Know you, not yours?” he replied. With that, we both fell into sullen silence. He then led me to see the abbot.

It was as before. This time, I kissed the abbot’s ring and returned to standing before him in what looked like the chapter house, a meeting room where the community would gather to conduct business.

Gazing about, I saw things on shelves I had never seen before. Whether they were functional or not escaped me; some seemed to be parts of other, larger objects. Here and there, you could see these recognizable parts protruding. But I was not given leave to stare at these unusual artifacts for long.

“You and your servant are welcome to stay with us!” the abbot announced. “I have made inquiries, and the bishop of Urhan diocese has vouched for you. The bishop was once a monk at this very place! What exactly have you come here to do?”

“Father Abbot, I wish to conduct research.”

“By all means, let us visit the scriptorium and the library!”

Again, there was light that I had never seen before.

In a wonder of wonders, I was led into the scriptorium, where monks sat at tables reading words that appeared and disappeared on pages filled with light, with no visible candles.

Then, many books in unknown languages were in the library, with pictures not drawn or painted of such wonders as I could scarcely describe! Many of these books were burned, and some could not be read. Still, everything was neatly stored and accounted for.

“Why not let everyone see these wonders,” I asked.

The Abbot was taken aback. “Do you believe that the people would comprehend that we were once prosperous, but now we are poor only because of a war of unimaginable fury as if the very wrath of God enveloped everything? This is knowledge for only a select few!”

The Abbot, setting aside his vows, embraced me and continued speaking for what seemed like a very long time.

“You need hardly wonder! Was it not always so? Monks preserved knowledge, whether of religion or not, that would have been lost otherwise in past times. We do so today, as always. Forever, until the end of time itself!”

So began my new life. Father Bruno could remind the people of what went wrong, and I would now discover why.

What is the hardest thing you have ever done?

Survived on 10 Rs for 11 days. I lived on borrowed food and also ate free food at temples. Cycled a distance of about 24 km everyday. Lost friends, Girlfriend, faith in everything but ended up being stronger and learning a lot of lessons.

On 21st October 2010 all I had was 10 Rs. in my wallet. You can only buy a cup of tea with that amount of money. Life was hell for 11 days (From 21st to 31st October 2010) I would eat mostly at temple(prasad) or eat bits from food offered by other employees who worked with me, then go to the wash room and cry at my situation. I would come back home tired after cycling for 12 km and cry on my bed and fall asleep because of exhaustion. Wake up early and cycle back to work.

On the 11th day I went to my uncle’s place where my Grandmother was staying at that time. Because I met my Grandmother after a long time and she gave me 20 Rs. She put it in my hand and said “I know you earn much more, right now I have only 20 ₹, keep it, it’s a blessing” I had tears in my eyes and don’t know why but I felt she understood what I had gone through. I immediately hugged her and cried for a while. It is customary for grandparents in our family to give some money to grandchildren when they meet after a long time. I bought a bun & a cup of tea from a bakery that evening with that money. The first time I had spent in 10 days.

Looking Back, the most stupid thing I have done in my life so far : starting a business in 2009 with a couple of friends. I was always fascinated to start something on my own. Stupid because firstly I trusted people’s words and believed them and secondly I took risks without contingency. I had taken loan from the bank for the initial investment of business, the business partners had their own savings though. The first few months were manageable, but come August 2010 things became very bad for us. I had to borrow money from friends to pay salaries of the people working with us. My credit card was already maxed out. Plus I had EMI of the loan and the 4 wheeler EMI. The 4 wheeler down payment was paid by dad & Sister and for the EMI I had promised I would pay, otherwise at home no one was interested in the 4 wheeler.

Come 5th October 2010 the date of my EMI and all money in my account was over. In fact if I remember there was 14 paisa in my account. Of course I had a few 100 Rs in my wallet. I begged my friends to help with some money and no one did. My partners always said they too had no money, only that they still continued living with a decent lifestyle (One of the reasons I left the business in mid 2011). In fact my business partners did not even bother to acknowledge the fact that in the beginning while our share of profits was still good, month after month I would invest back my share of profits to the business, they would not, nor would they ask me to take my share. By mid month(October) almost all my money was spent. My parents were in my home town. I was living in a place where I had even taken loans from neighbors. The idea of staying at home would be really bad as people would ask back their money.

I had to stay at home and not switch on the lights for the fear of the neighbors asking back their money. Since there was no light I would sleep early, wake up early and cycle to work 12 km one way (Tough in a city where there is an uneven terrain and without any food, all the rice and other food items at home I had consumed by mid month). By now I was also having a rough patch with my ex. Once I explained things to her, & even cried in front of her because of my situation, all she did was patiently listen(like she would always do but not help.) All I wanted was some emotional support but probably she felt that I wanted some money from her and very politely said “I got to go, parents are waiting at home”. I could have asked my parents for help but the business was started against their wishes and they would ask me to explain a lot of things and ask me to quit, also the fact that I had already borrowed a lot of money from them.

By the start of next month things got better, and ya I started taking my share of profits which I was not doing earlier. Slowly I started working towards saving some money every month(this went on a long way to help in getting my sister married a couple of years later). This phase of my life or rather the 3–4 months was the toughest I had in all fronts, Bad business, bad finances, bad health, bad mindset, bad temper, bad relationship and bad memories. I remember that by November 1st week when my parents were back things were getting normal and I started to tell them bit by bit about the problems in business. They helped a lot in those troubling time.

And lastly, I still keep the 10 Rs note in my Wallet and I would not give it to anyone for whatever amount they offer me. It keeps reminding me that the tough times are gone and even if life gets harder I can handle it.

Three Envelope Crock Pot Roast

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 6 to 8 hr | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 (.7 ounce) envelope dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (1 ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix
1 (.75 ounce) envelope dry brown gravy mix
1 (3 pound) boneless beef chuck roast

Instructions

Stir together the water, Italian dressing mix, ranch dressing mix, and brown gravy mix together in a bowl until smooth.
Place the beef roast into a slow cooker, and pour the sauce over top.
Cook on LOW until the roast is easily pierced by a fork, 6 to 8 hours.

What is the most surprising thing you have accidentally overheard about yourself?

I had a very dear friend…actually an unrequited love…that died of leukemia when he was 26. We had been close from pretty much the time we met in college, but our stars never aligned. We dated, but he eventually married someone who divorced him 3 months before he died.

I visited him whenever he was in hospital. The last time I beat my blood donation to his room by 5 minutes. His Mom (who adored me because I got up to clear dishes with her the first time I had dinner with them), was with him as usual. I knew he was close to the end and didn’t want to chase her out and told her she didn’t need to leave for me, but she insisted. She came back a few minutes before I left.

My friend’s dad called me a week later at work to give me the news and let me know about arrangements. The funeral was about 5 hours away. My mom took a mutual friend and me to the funeral.

His family was surprised and pleased that we came all that way and invited us for lunch at his sister’s house. We three travelers mingled and talked separately for a couple of hours and then headed home.

On the way home Mom related a talk she had had with my friend’s mom. Friend’s mom said that she spent most of her time at the hospital when her son was there as he was for days and weeks at a time. She loved her son and didn’t want him to be alone. She usually stayed no matter who came to visit. But she said she always felt safe leaving him alone with me…that I was the only one she felt safe leaving him alone with…and that he was always better after I visited.

I knew he was my soul mate, but that kind of sealed the deal.

Did you ever beat up the high school bully in front of everyone?

Not the high school bully, but the town pervert who liked to prey on 13-14 year old girls. I was 18 at the time, and had a summer job running a game room on the main street of my home town. I was only 5 feet 2 inches tall, so not very intimidating to look at. One day while I was working three young teenage girls came running in and asked me to hide them. Right on their heels was the known pervert who was only not in jail due to family influence. I walked up to him and told him to leave. Note he was over 6 feet tall and in his late 20s. He smirked at me and reached out to shove me out of his way so I put him to the floor, screaming in pain. You see, my father had extremely rigid notions that you never hurt or harassed those weaker than yourself but he knew others didn’t feel that way, so he taught me some nasty tricks to take down any bullies. In this case I grabbed his wrist and bent it back, putting him in severe pain, then with my other hand reached out and grabbed his neck on the nerves and put him to the floor. I then told him he was banned for life from the game room and told him to get out. After that, the game room was a place of safety for the kids in that town

What is the best way to respond when someone tells you “You’re not invited”?

It depends on the situation. I used to go out once a week after work with three other women. One time they were talking about the next week’s outing being at a different place and I said, “Oh that sounds like fun.” And they said, “Oh, you’re not invited. We’re going out with a different coworker and she doesn’t know you very well so we didn’t think she’d want you there.” I was like… why are you discussing a weekly outing that I’m not included in? I told them I was going to the ladies’ room so they could firm up these plans without me at the table, and will hopefully be done discussing it by the time I return. I thought it was incredibly rude of them to discuss it like that in front of me. I don’t need to be included in every outing, but don’t talk about it like it’s our next outing, and then inform me I’m not invited. Of course the other person heard about it from them and wanted me to come, but at that point there was no way I’d join them. Covid broke up our weekly outings soon after.

Wolff Responds: Its Time To Come To Terms With The New Economic Order (May 29, 2024)

Dropping eight tabs of blotter

Back in the day, and I mean really back, I used to party with friends. And being an American in the 1970’s, our medium of fun was drugs, booze, and if we were lucky… perhaps the hint of sex. I for one, dropped a lot of LSD. Way more than my friends.

I know, I know, I was pretty foolish and reckless back then. But it was the times.

In those days, the LSD came in different forms. There was “barrel”, which was a tiny little pill that resembled a very tiny-tiny can of cambell’s soup. There was “blotter”, which was a perforated paper with a design, as well as a few other variations. But most of what I “dropped” came in those two types.

Another big drug at that time, aside from marijuana, was amphetamine. We took it in the “White cross” form. Now, this was NOT “crank” also known as methamphetamine. No, it was something different.

A synthetic compound, C₉H₁₃N, that occurs as a racemic mixture of two stereoisomers or as one of its stereoisomers (especially dextroamphetamine), derivatives (such as methamphetamine), or salts. Amphetamine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, and various formulations are used in the medical treatment of certain conditions (such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and illegally as stimulants.

But that was a long time ago, and I rarely revisit those days. Oh, sometimes, I am reminded of those days by a song, or a smell, but they are deep in my past.

Anyways, one day I was partying with my brother and two girls that we had met. And one of the girls had some “silver star” blotter LSD. This was a piece of perforated black paper with a silver star and asked me if I wanted some. She asked do you want two? I said “sure”.

Now at that time I was busy working the pump on the kegger, and I told her to put it in my mouth. And so she put two “hits” in my mouth. Now, I normally only took one, but I was feeling “peckish” and thought that I could handle two.

But the thing is, it wasn’t two. She didn’t know, and neither did I, that each “star” was four hits; four doses of LSD. And I ended up taking a total of eight.

Eight doses.

Lordy!

So the party is going on and I’m getting a little nervous when it starts to hit. Now, contrary to what you might think, LSD isn’t visions of monsters or anything like that. It’s a kind of amplifier of sensory perception. It’s called a hallucinogen, but that is only if you actively “force” some visions…

Anyways… brilliant colors. CHECK.
Fantastic “tracers” (the lines that follow movement). CHECK.
Most excellent “color gradients” (a greater degree in detail when observing the sky) . CHECK.

And I was enjoying the time. Drinking beer. Taking a toke or two. Listening to music, and just talking…

When the other seven does of LSD hit.

What was I thinking? And I started to go into a worry mode… not a good thing. And yeah, it can end up as a really bummer of a trip. And so, yuppur! I started to go full Hunter S. Thompson… Gonzo!

Not a good thing.

About 14 hours later, I crashed out and slept with the most craziest dreams ever. When I woke up, and went to brush my teeth and perform my toilet, I found out that I was still hallucinating. And all that day, I was still dealing with that high.

Went to sleep that day.

Crazy dreams again.

Woke up again, and lordy! I well remember what I said when I woke up. I said “Holy shit! I’m so high, I’m never coming down.” And got ready and went off to the coal mine.

Needless to say, it did eventually wear off, and four days later, I was back to “normal”.

For what ever it is worth. That was almost my last time that I ever dropped acid. The experience enabled me to get it “out of my system”, and move on to the next stage in my life. It’s called “growing up”, and it happens to everyone. Whether it is greasy food, sex, watching television, or golf… eventually we grow out of a certain stage in our lives and move on forward.

Not all of us do.

RIP Robbie.

But many of us do. And this is my story on “passing the line; the threshold” into a new beginning.

have a great day everyone! Today…

Why can Chinese people eat almost anything, including foods that are poisonous or allergic to them, but Westerners can’t? My German friend said that moon cakes alone can “knock out” more than half of Europe. Is this true?

It is 9 a.m. China time on May 31, 2024. As I write this response, I am resting at my father’s house. He is 71 years old and often jokes that he and the Chinese President, Xi, are peers, having endured similar hardships in their youth. I came to my father’s house today because my wife bought some expensive apricots, and after tasting them, we both agreed they were delicious. So, my wife instructed me to bring some apricots to my father to share the flavor. Then I stumbled upon this interesting question. I believe I am capable of providing a good answer.

Chinese people harbor a profound fear of hunger. Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978, Chinese people have been able to eat their fill. It has been over 40 years since then, almost half a century. However, despite decades of abundant food, my father’s fear of hunger persists. The following description applies not only to my father but also to other elderly people in China:

I brought him some apricots to taste. Now he is rummaging through the refrigerator in the next room to find anything to give me. Two weeks ago, he gave me minced beef, last week it was frozen chicken wings, and just now he told me he bought 2 kilograms of peas and wants to give me half. Despite my wife and I having monthly incomes four to five times greater than his, whenever he has the chance, he gives us food. Because he believes: everything else is not as important as having food at home.

My in-laws are the same way. Every weekend when I take my wife and son to their house for dinner, they give us food that she personally prepares. Sometimes it’s buns, dumplings, or traditional Chinese zòng zi (粽子，glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves with sweet fillings). And she always gives us a lot of food, enough for us to eat for a week. She has no education and doesn’t understand profound principles. She always says, “As long as there’s food, there’s no need to worry.”

Many foreign friends, even if they haven’t been to China, are aware of some Chinese social customs. For example, when two people meet, the way to say hello is to ask, “Have you eaten?” This is not an invitation but simply a kind way of ensuring, “You have food at home, you won’t go hungry.”

China’s history spans thousands of years, filled with alternating periods of war, famine, and prosperity. So much so that whether it’s the heyday or the decline of a dynasty, most ancient Chinese people had to endure hunger regularly. Zhāng Yǎng hào（张养浩）, a poet from the Yuan Dynasty, wrote in his poem: “兴，百姓苦，亡，百姓苦” (Regardless of whether the country is strong or weak, the common people always endure hardships). Another line from this poem is: “伤心秦汉经行处，宫阙万间都做了土。” It means that you see those great dynasties, such as the Qin and Han dynasties, once they come to power, they start building magnificent palaces for themselves. But over time, both the imperious emperors and the palaces end up as piles of ruins.

Even today, we can still find traces of famine times in many traditional Chinese foods. For example, this is “zhēng yě cài（蒸野菜）,” a cooking method where a lot of leafy vegetables are collected from the fields, mixed with a little flour (about 10% of the weight of the leafy vegetables), some salt, and a drop of sesame oil, then steamed in a pot. These are some steamed wild vegetables, and even the chef can’t be sure of the ingredients, because elderly people in rural areas gather whatever plants they see in the wild:

My father detests this food. He had enough of it during the famine of the 1950s. But what he didn’t expect is that “zhēng yě cài” is now the most popular food in China. Surprisingly, it meets almost all the principles of nutrition—very few carbohydrates, a variety of vegetables, organic leafy greens, and very little sodium and fat. It is a healthy food in China, eaten by beautiful girls, middle-class gentlemen, and some elderly people to avoid obesity. And the price has gone from almost zero to about the same as meat per kilogram today. This is the expensive steamed wild vegetables sold in supermarkets:

Another famine-era food is “zhuang mo,” made by repeatedly squeezing a lump of flour with mechanical force to make the dough very dense. Then, a little salt is added, and it’s shaped into 3 cm thick cakes, slowly baked on a skillet. The dehydrated cooked dough can be stored for a long time and won’t become hard—because it’s already hard enough. When eating, people from the old society break the cakes into 1 square centimeter pieces by hand, then soak them in water to soften them. This food is not only stored by people during famine times but also beneficial for military activities. Because it can be carried around and is said to be able to stop bullets. Of course, that’s just a joke. This is “zhuang mo”:

But in today’s China, “zhuàng mó”（壮馍） has become a rare delicacy. Because it is very cumbersome to make, the craftsmanship has been lost. It can only be occasionally found in rural areas. Two years ago, my mother-in-law wanted to eat “zhuàng mó,” and I found a shop in the suburbs 5 kilometers away from my home. But the boss said it needed to be booked 48 hours in advance. Today, when Chinese people eat “zhuàng mó,” they eat it with delicious lamb soup. Because Chinese people who are used to refined grains begin to enjoy the texture of “zhuang mo” and believe that chewing repeatedly can taste the unique aroma of wheat. This is “zhuàng mó” eaten with lamb soup:

There is another classic famine-era food called “wo wo tou,” made from cornmeal, sorghum flour, and wheat flour in equal proportions, with the center hollowed out. The purpose of these ingredients is to save wheat flour, and the hollow center is to “deceive one’s eyes, so visually it’s not empty inside.” During famine times, the hollow part of “wo wo tou” was filled with some pickled vegetables or hot sauce. This way, there was no need to make additional dishes; one “wo wo tou” was a meal. These are some “wo wo tou” made by Chinese families themselves:

My wife sometimes asks me to buy or make some “wō wō tóu.” This food, because it uses whole grain staple foods and is rich in dietary fiber, has become a healthy food in China today. I rarely buy it at the market because, like the other two foods mentioned above, it has become a rare delicacy. Some food store owners have updated “wō wō tóu” into multiple varieties such as corn, sorghum, oats, soybeans, etc. These are the high-priced “wō wō tóu” offered in restaurants:

Diet is always influenced by culture, and culture comes from the living environment. For thousands of years, China’s living environment has been harsh most of the time. After the founding of the PRC in 1949, people thought that famine would never come again. However, several large-scale political movements led to economic chaos, even causing the horrifying Great Famine in the early 1960s. This event is recorded in the history of the Communist Party of China, scholars’ works, and textbooks for middle school students, reminding Chinese people never to experience famine again.

Fortunately, all of that is behind us. As the lives of the Chinese people become more prosperous, metabolic diseases have become the main public health burden. There are more and more obese people, and diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and atherosclerosis have become the main causes of death among Chinese people. These diseases were once called “diseases of the affluent” (富贵病) in China from the 1950s to the 1970s. My friend works at a community health center, which manages about 20,000 residents nearby. The health center holds various courses and lectures every week, mainly educating the public on “how to live a healthy life.” Dietary balance is their main teaching content.

Today, when Chinese elderly people see the expensive “zhēng yě cài（蒸野菜）,” “zhuàng mó（壮馍）,” and “wō wō tóu（窝窝头）” in supermarkets, they are amazed. Because in their childhood memories, these foods meant imminent starvation. But today, they mean a prosperous life.

African Nations Repatriate Their Gold and Foreign Reserves From the USA.

JEFFREY SACHS:

"It's not about Russia; it's about the US and Britain before that.

I think it's a little bit like that old game of Risk. I don't know if you played that as a kid, but the idea was to have your piece in every place in the world—that was the game.

You read the American strategists, whether it's Zbig Brzezinski, although he was very moderate, or the neocons who have run US foreign policy for the last 30 years. The neocons are very explicit: the US must be the unchallenged superpower in every place in the world, in every region we must dominate.

That's quite a load for us American people.

What they say is, 'We are going to be the constabulary duty holder'—a fancy word for saying we'll be the world's policeman.

They say it explicitly.

They say, 'That's lots of wars—we have to be ready for all these wars.'

To my mind, it's a little crazy, but their idea was that after the end of the Soviet Union, 'Well, now we run the world.'

And to come back to Russia, the idea was, 'Well, Russia is weak, it's down. We're the sole superpower—they're on their back or on their knees, whatever it is, and now we can move NATO where we want and we can surround them.'

The Russians said, 'Please don't do that. Don't bring your troops, your weapons, your missiles right up to our border. It's not a good idea.'

The US was, 'We don't hear you, we don't hear you. We do what we want.' They kept pushing.

Inside the US government in the 1990s, when this debate was going on about whether NATO should expand, some people said, 'Yeah, but we told Gorbachev and we told Yeltsin we weren't going to expand at all.' 'Now, come on, the Soviet Union's done. We can do what we want. We're the sole superpower.'

Clinton bought into that—that was Madeleine Albright's line. NATO enlargement started.

Our most sophisticated diplomats—back when we had diplomats, which we don't have anymore—like George Kennan, said: 'This is the greatest mistake we could possibly make.'

We had a defense secretary, Bill Perry, who was Clinton's defense secretary, who agonized over this: 'God, I should resign over this. This is terrible, what's going on.'

But he was outmaneuvered diplomatically by Richard Holbrooke and by Madeleine Albright, and Clinton never thought through anything systematically, in my opinion. They decided, 'Okay, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic—first round.'

Then Brzezinski, in a 1997 article in Foreign Affairs magazine, which is kind of the bellwether of US foreign policy, wrote a strategy for Eurasia where he laid out exactly the timeline for this US expansion of power.

He said that in the late 1990s, we'd take in Central Europe—Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic. By the early 2000s, we'd take in the Baltic states—now that's getting close to Russia. By 2005 to 2010, we'd invite Ukraine to become part of NATO.

So this wasn't some flippant thing; this was a long-term plan based on a long-term strategy.

Now the Russians are saying, 'Are you kidding? We wanted peace. We ended the Cold War. You didn't defeat us; we said no more. We disbanded the Warsaw Pact. We wanted peace, we wanted cooperation. You call it victory; we just wanted to cooperate.'

I know that for a fact because I was there in those years.

What Gorbachev wanted, what Yeltsin wanted, they didn't want war with the United States, nor were they saying, 'We're defeated.'

They were saying, 'We just want to cooperate. We want to stop the Cold War. We want to become part of a world economy. We want to be a normal economy. We want to be a normal society, connected with you, connected with Europe, connected with Asia.'

And the US said, 'We get it, we get it. We won. You do everything we say, and we determine how the pieces are going to go.'

So, in the early 2000s, Putin comes in.

His first business was good cooperation with Europe.

You go back to the early 2000s—again, I know the people, I watched closely, I was a participant in some of it—Putin was completely pro-Europe and pro-US, by the way.

I know we don't want to talk about this; we don't want to admit it because we don't want anything other than the narrative of 'unprovoked' actions.

Everything we say is phony; everything is a lie."

Excerpt from remarks by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, American economist and academic, in an interview with Tucker Carlson, May 28, 2024.

Lemon Brisket

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 ribs celery, halved lengthwise
2 onions, quartered
1 first-cut or flat-cut (leaner section) beef brisket, about 4 pounds, trimmed
2 lemons, cut into thin slices
1 cup raisins or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 low-sodium beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 2 cups water

Instructions

Line the bottom of a large slow-cooker with celery and onions and top with brisket.
Place lemon slices and raisins on the brisket; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add dissolved bouillon.
Cook on LOW until meat is fork-tender, about 10 to 12 hours.
Remove meat to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes.
Skim fat from cooking broth. Adjust seasonings if needed.
Remove lemon slices and cut in half.
Pour broth into a serving bowl and add lemons.
Slice meat across the grain into thin slices. Halve or quarter the brisket slices and serve with the broth and lemons.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 301; Calories from fat 25%; Total fat 8g; Saturated fat 3g; Cholesterol 77mg; Carbohydrate 17g; Sodium 322mg; Fiber 2g; Protein 39g

Have you ever tried to annoy a scammer who called you? If so, what happened?

So I decided I want to sell my old phone and I put it on a local online service. Predictably, the usual scammers made an appearance so I decided to mess around with him/her a little bit.

The scam goes like this: They entice you to sell to them by promising you more money than you ask, you give them your IBAN, they sent you the money, show you a receipt, you ship the item to them and they reverse the payment, leaving you waiting for money that will never arrive. What follows are some snippets of our conversation

P.s. Alaye is apparently a Nigerian “secret” word that scammers use to reveal to other people that they are scammers – so they don’t waste each others time. The scammer got fed up with me

Modern Dating Is Impossible – Here’s The Playbook | PsycHacks’ Orion Taraban

What is the most deceitful thing you have ever seen a business do to a customer?

A friend was buying some land and planned to put a mobile home on it while he decided what to build. He found a great deal on a solid double wide and hired a company to disassemble, move and reassembled it on his land.

On the day of the move, they showed up late finally got the two pieces ready to move late in the day. My friend had family property a half mile away and asked that the company just park the two pieces there overnight, but the company was adamant that they take it back to their office, fifty miles in the opposite direction from where they would be headed the next day and right at rush hour. Nothing would change their minds.

About nine that night he got a call from a friend who had spotted half of his mobile home, wrecked on the side of the interstate. We went out to look, and it was true. Not only was it wrecked, but the driver had dropped it with no support under the tongue, so it was severely twisted, and vandals had already gotten in and stripped out the copper wire.

We went out again and took photos at dawn and then called the company. They said there was nothing wrong that they couldn’t fix right up, and they still planned the move for that day. My friend asked where the other half (that contained all the appliances) was and the company refused to tell him. He told them that he refused to sign off on the move until the reassembled mobile home was inspected by an independent contractor and to his satisfaction. The company refused that stipulation.

By that afternoon the wrecked potion of the mobile home was gone. The company stopped taking calls. Apparently, they had subcontracted the move to another company without anyone’s knowledge, so there was no way to find the mobile home. My friend had depended on the mobile home to live in, so he had to rent and lost his land because he could pay both rent and land payments.

My friend spoke to a lawyer who was willing to take the case, but only if he could provide an address to serve the company, and by that time they had disappeared. I began sleuthing and finally managed to track them down (this was 1985, so no Google). I know that it took more than another year to get to court, but I believe the lawyer found two insurance policies and got a good settlement, but those people had every intention of robbing that poor man blind.

KNOCKOUT: China’s BOLD Move Threatens To Dethrone The US In Europe’s Economy

What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?

A couple of years ago my brother and I were driving from the UK to Germany. We were stopped by police shortly after crossing the Dutch/German border. They checked our travel documents then one said to the other in German, “How much shall we get from them?” To which the other replied “Five hundred each.”

One of them then proceeded to “search” the car we were driving while we stop with the other on the other side of the car. The one who was searching rather smugly announced that we had a problem and displayed a small bag of green stuff.

They went to their car and came back with documents to be signed and informed us that they’d “found” 4g of cannabis in our car and that we had to pay a €500 “fine” each or get arrested and charged with smuggling.

My brother called his wife and our mother, trying to get funds transferred to his account. I made out I was doing the same but in fact I quietly called my (German) lawyer who confirmed what I’d suspected: that they were trying to extort money from us and that there were no fines in Germany which were to be paid to a police constable in cash.

As I was speaking with her, one of the policemen asked if I’d be getting the money for the fine. To which I replied in German (I’d spoken nothing but English up until that point) that I was speaking with my lawyer and would need another few minutes. His face dropped. His mouth actually opened into an expression of disbelief and amazement. I asked my lawyer if she’d heard him — she had, and if she’d recorded our conversation — she had. She then advised me what to do.

I hung up and told the policemen that we wouldn’t pay any fines and if they felt they had cause to arrest us, then they should do so and I’d call my lawyer immediately. I informed them that my lawyer had recorded our telephone conversation including the part where I’d been asked if I would be getting the money.

Needless to say, we weren’t detained any longer. I have never seen such a switch in a person’s attitude. From cocky and bullying to worried and sheepish in a flash.

I Think, Therefore…

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?…

My new idea of including new short science fiction stories in the MM daily posts. -MM

If he never saw another rock again, he’d be flipping thrilled.“I found something strange on Google Maps and had to check it out!” Gray smiled at his phone and hoped he disguised how absolutely done he was with this trip. Someday soon, the footage would go out to his thousands of viewers, but right now he had no service, no Wi-Fi, and no feeling in his arm after hours recording his hike up the rugged mountain.At least it wasn’t the jungle. The last time he did one of his ‘spontaneous discovery’ videos, it took him two weeks to find the right bug spray.This was his best video series yet, though, far more popular than the Vegas Strip street interviews, so he massaged his shoulder and pressed onward–upward, really–until his lungs screamed from the air pressure and the altitude had him pulling his jacket from his worn pack.

“It’s around here somewhere,” he told his camera. Gray hoped it was true. He spent days scouring Google Maps for something worth investigating. When he finally found this place, he saved the image as his lock screen as a symbol of triumph. He’d seen it so many times now that the second the cluster of boulders came into view, he flicked on the GoPro strapped to his forehead and started running.

“I think I found it,” he huffed through wheezing breaths before kicking at overgrown weeds and what he hoped was mud.

There it was, the hatch. Unlike the one he found in a tunnel at the foot of the Alps, this one did not require his not-yet-patented one-leg, two-arm prying technique to open.

He peered inside, hoping the cameras caught the view even as the hazy afternoon sun seemed to be consumed by the darkness of the passage. His own eyes took several seconds to adjust. Gray was sure the microphones picked up the gasp that left his lips when everything came into focus. It was a staircase–a staircase leading down into the mountain! Holy shit! He’d break a million subscribers for sure this time.

The entrance was just barely wide enough for him to slip inside with his bag. Gray propped the door open with a few sizable rocks, pulled out Beacon Deacon–the cross-covered flashlight gifted to him by his über-religious uncle, and started descending.

“Wish me luck.” His words echoed down the chamber, warping with every reverberation. “Wish me luck. Wush miluck. Woosh milk.”

Gray counted one hundred and sixty-nine stairs before he decided it must be endless. It was a staircase inside a mountain. Who had the energy to carve this many steps?!

“Three hundred and twenty-six. Four hundred and eighty-two. The things I do for you guys.”

Six hundred and twelve. There were six hundred and twelve stairs. He had to go back up. Was this divine punishment for that time he made fun of how his brother said ‘croissant?’ Even the French thought it was too much! Gray asked!

He dropped his pack on the rocky ground–or would it be rock-ground? Either way, his bag landed with a thud and Gray leaned against the wall to catch his breath. It was bumpy, but not in the sharp way he would have expected.

Gray turned and flipped Beacon Deacon on to full blast. Was that… a book? It was.

He tripped over his own feet as he surged further into the room, coughing as he kicked up what he assumed must be years’ worth of dust.

The cavern was round and about the size of a school gym, sans the basketball nets. He craned his neck and still couldn’t find the top. From what he could see, books covered every inch of the walls

“What the hell? Are you guys seeing this?”

Gray approached the nearest section. From afar, he thought they were the old sort of books libraries didn’t let you check out. He carefully plucked one from the shelf. The binding was a thick leather, but the title embossed in the spine was new, The First Town. His sister was obsessed with that book when it came out two years ago.

“I’m so confused,” he said, just loud enough for the mic to pick up. Speaking louder felt illegal, somehow.

His microphone responded with a soft hum. “Damn. It’s got dirt in it again.” Gray unhooked it from his lapel as the hum became a buzz. “I hear you, I hear you. One second.” But it didn’t quiet, even as he squeezed puffs of air into it from the little canister in his bag. Instead, the GoPro on his head seemed to harmonize with the microphone, then his phone, then his flashlight. Together, they were like a swarm of bees growing more agitated by the second.

“What the hell?” Gray said again, scrambling to turn everything off. They crescendoed in one shrill screech before dying out together.

“Um. Guys? What was that?” It took a beat before he realized there was no one to talk to. His cameras were fried, and he was all alone.

He expected silence, but there was a soft purr sounding from in front of him, more like a motor than a cat, unfortunately. He could have had a familiar!

Gray checked his gear one more time, but it was definitely dead. He would investigate if only he could see, but without Beacon Deacon, he was more likely to knock the shelves down like dominos. He really didn’t want to die under the weight of several thousand books. Or by the blunt force trauma of several thousand books.

He chanced a step forward, arms held out in front of him like a particularly handsome zombie, but managed to kick his discarded bag. What luck, he found the only item on the ground. At least he wouldn’t have to search for his bag. His bag that held all of his things. His things which included a lighter!

Gray dug through his pack and pulled out the Flaming Hell, the ultra-strong lighter his father gave him after seeing Beacon Deacon. His dad even stuck a big pentagram on it as a petty little treat.

Gray flicked it on and held it as close to the shelves as he dared. All he could find were books, but the hum definitely sounded like it was coming from there. He leaned closer and Flaming Hell flickered–no–the shelves flickered!

Gray whirled around as every wall quivered in and out of existence before disappearing completely.

“Um. I don’t know what just happened.” There was no one to listen, but he had to at least pretend like he wasn’t on his own here.

Low blue lights kicked on from a strip in the floor as he crossed the juncture from the old library into, well, he wasn’t sure what. The space had doubled in size, though the ceiling was just as high. It was easier to see now as another section of lights clicked on from above.

Shelves still lined the walls, but they were a strange blend of vines and metal, like a jungle mated with scaffolding. Instead of books, they held hundreds of… no way.

Gray’s steps stuttered as he neared. Someone had to have set him up because there was no way the shelves were really covered in jarred brains.

“Nick? Taj? Did you do this?” His friends didn’t pop out from behind the shelves. Now that he thought about it, no one he knew could afford such a crazy prank.

“No. I am Aurora Initella.”

He whirled around so fast that his long ponytail slapped him across the face. “What the hell! Who are you?!”

The woman was tall and thin, like the car models his brother always had on his walls growing up. She had just as many clothes on, too. Aurora’s shirt was one in spirit only, barely covering her chest and tied loosely behind her neck. Her skirt wasn’t much better. Wasn’t she cold? God, he sounded like his grandmother.

“… I am Aurora Initella.” Her voice reminded him of the afternoon he spent by the deep blue waters of Turkey’s Iztuzu Beach. It was one of the more peaceful days he ever had until he heard the vicious caw of a hawk and watched bloody duck feathers bob on the waves.

“What are you doing down here? What is this?”

She hummed. “I believe it’s proper to introduce yourself first.”

“Uh, right. Name’s Gray Griffin.”

Aurora tilted her head so far her ear hit her shoulder. “Is it?” she asked lightly.

“… It’s John. Jon Vaughn.”

“Why did you lie, Jon Vaughn?”

“It’s not a lie. It’s a stage name.” Was this really the conversation two people in the depths of a mountain surrounded by brains were having? Was he on drugs? He’d never had a drug before.

“We are not on a stage.” He hadn’t been on a stage since his eighth-grade production of Greece, but he figured it was close enough. He had been an amazing Sandy, a real hit at the Brighton Boarding School for Boys.

“It’s a figure of speech, but now that you’ve mentioned it and I definitely was not the one to bring up the terrifying ambiance first, what the hell is this place?”

“A figure of speech. Interesting. I will make a note of it.” She stood completely still, completely silent. Gray counted to twenty-nine.

“Um… hello? I have unanswered questions.”

She twisted her gaze to him with her entire neck. What commitment. “This is a library.”

He peered over her shoulder at the room of horrors. “I don’t think it is.”

“This is a library,” she repeated in exactly the same tone.

“We’re surrounded by brains! Human brains!”

“Is that not a library?”

“I… okay, you’ve got me on a technicality, but there’s no way you think this is normal!”

“Is any home normal?” What was with this woman? The way she answered questions, she’d be a prosecutor’s nightmare. At least, he could hear his state prosecutor mother saying so.

“You live here?” His voice hadn’t been so high since puberty. Maybe it was best that his mic died. “Were you the one who carved the insulting number of stairs?” He couldn’t imagine it, not with her stick arms and her nearly pore-less skin.

“The library was made by the Knights of Knowledge.”

Gray snorted. “That’s not a real thing.”

He read about the Knights in a fiction series back in elementary school. The Knights of Knowledge traveled the world trying to understand humanity only to bumble their way into increasingly ridiculous situations. You know, maybe he was a Knight of Knowledge.

Aurora shook her head so jerkily she surely gave herself whiplash. “They named themselves after the books.”

His hands braced his head. “Can you read minds?”

“You were speaking aloud.”

“Oh.” He lowered his arms and cleared his throat.

“The Knights—” she gestured wildly with a locked elbow. The sorry excuse for a shirt slid down too far. He averted his eyes.

“Can you put on more clothes first? I know this is your home, but I don’t think this is a good way to host a guest.”

“Does this not please you?” She cocked her head unnaturally again. “Master Paxal prefers it.”

Gray peeked through his fingers and raised a brow. “Master Paxal sounds like a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.” He could hear his mother saying that, too.

“How is this?” Between blinks, her clothes lit up and grew into a pin-striped power suit.

“Am I in a magic girl anime or something?” he mumbled. Forget the embarrassing voice cracks. He wished his camera was rolling. No one was going to believe him.

“I am not magic. I am—”

“Aurora Initella, I know.”

“—an avatar.”

“You’re what now?”

“I am the voice to these memories,” she gestured again to the surrounding brains. This time, she remained blessedly covered, “a face for the library.”

“So, you’re not real then?”

“What is real and what is fake?”

“I’m too dumb and emotionally compromised for philosophical debate.”

“To be dumb is to lack knowledge. The library can help.”

Gray dropped his face into his hands. He wanted to go home. He wanted to bury himself under his covers and forget all of this had ever happened. Hell, he’d even listen to his parents and get into improv if it meant he didn’t have to have a conversation with this woman… avatar… person…?

“If it’s such an amazing library, why doesn’t everybody know about it? Why hide it under a mountain five hours from civilization? Isn’t the point of the library to share with the community?”

She blinked. Gray only just realized she hadn’t been before. “We do.”

“What does that mean?”

“Perhaps you have read Terminal Living: A Mindset Game or Blue Crescent Dying? Maybe The Inquisitor’s Bed or Memory’s Nest?”

“I think everyone and their twice-dead grandmother have read those. They’re some of the most famous books of all time.”

“And who wrote them?”

“I don’t know, smart, famous people?”

“So you think.” She smiled with too many teeth. She was like an attractive barracuda. He paused. Scratch that. “This place is the Library of Memory. It houses the greatest minds of every generation.”

“You mean these are…” he eyed the closest brain. E.A Poe. “No way.”

“With their knowledge, I can write you your perfect book. Do you want a science fiction story by Agatha Christie? Or maybe you would like a romantasy by H. P. Lovecraft?”

“You’re stealing their work.”

She took a step closer. His feet felt welded to the stone.

“It is merely utilization of their knowledge. They are dead. They have no use for it anymore.”

It felt wrong, though he couldn’t find the words to explain why. Even if he did, he didn’t think she had the capacity to care.

“What do the Knights want?”

“‘He who has Knowledge has the world.’ That is their slogan.”

“Then why use it like this? Why steal—utilize—” he corrected before she could, “it in this way? If you can actually extract thoughts from the world’s greatest minds, why not use that technology to cure disease or something?”

She shrugged, or tried to. Her shoulder–holographic shoulder, he realized–sunk into her cheek. “They tried at first, but they could not find an agreeable course of action.”

“But this was agreeable?”

“There were a few issues.” He followed the line of her too-wide eyes to a small section of brains. Oh.

“Man, people of the past were seriously kill-happy, huh?”

She hummed again. It was just like the purr he heard before. “Murder is common in all eras.”

“You sure know how to comfort a guy.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I just wanted some good content for my socials, not to uncover some crazy conspiracy. Maybe tell your programmers or whatever to cover the entrance to their secret lair better. It’s a miracle no one else has ever stumbled onto it before.”

“But, Jon Vaughn, they have.” She pointed across the room. The area was close to the exit, so he walked the path to a darker corner, lit by half the floor lights as the rest of the library.

“We have had lots of guests,” Aurora said into his ear. When had she gotten so close? She had no presence, no solid form or footsteps. “They have taught me so much.”

Something sharp pricked his neck. His vision blurred.

“And you will too.”

Why is China so peace-loving?

It’s in the nature of the Chinese culture. For thousands of years, China has been a sedentary civilisation focused on taking care of its people and protecting itself from invaders. China has never sought colonialism like the Europeans did.

As long as you don’t threaten China’s security, it will not wage war.

Currently, the USA threatens China’s security by interfering in China’s domestic matter, Taiwan. So China is doing everything it can to discourage Taiwan independence and keep the peace.

Instead of invading other countries, China wants to trade with them. This benefits the Chinese people.

Contrast the above with the Europeans and Americans…

British Empire
French Empire
German Empire
Dutch Empire
Spanish Empire
Portuguese Empire
Afghanistan
Iraq
Libya
Syria

China has fought no wars in the last 45 years!

U.S. foreign policy isolates the U.S.

Have you ever seen someone accidentally pick a fight with the wrong dude?

7th Grade. 1964.

School had just let out and I was walking with three other friends, on our way home.

Uh, oh!

Here comes Carl, the school bully — a really bad guy with a nasty attitude.

I got a little nervous. Carl was known for picking fights and leaving his victims severely bloodied.

Our group moved aside slightly, to let Carl pass. But it was a no go.

One of our buddies was a tiny little guy, Robbie, who was about 5’3” at around 115 pounds. Wouldn’t you know that, as Carl walked by, he slammed Robbie’s books to the ground.

Bullies choose the easy target.

Carl: “You better watch where you’re going little a**hole.”

Robbie: “Yeah. Sorry man. I’ll do that.”

Carl: “What’s the matter? You don’t like my face or somethin’?”

Robbie: “Naw man, you’re fine. Sorry.”

Carl moves in with a predatory stance.

Robbie: “Huh? Oh! You wanna fight me? OK. Yeah, we can fight if you want.”

Robbie handed me his coat, then spoke to himself saying, “Hmm. I think I’ll leave my gloves on.”

I was terrified speechless for Robbie.

I looked fearfully at one of my other buddies who smiled ever so slightly and said, “Don’t worry (about Robbie). He’ll be fine.”

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but Robbie and Carl stepped onto the parking lot and took stances. Carl made the first move, going in for the haymaker, the knockout punch.

Robbie dodged the punch completely and started dancing with gloved fists posed cautiously in front of his face.

Carl was big. Carl was strong. Carl moved like a sack of potatoes.

As Carl kept going for the haymaker, Robbie dodged and weaved like a master in self defense. Picture a two year old cat when they chase imaginary monsters through the house.

Over the next 3-4 minutes, Robbie peppered Carl’s face with light little shots, one by one, perfectly timed at every opportunity, precisely aimed and perfectly landed until Carl’s eyes started to swell shut.

About that time, the School Principal ran out and hauled both boys off to the office. Robbie was a little winded, but untouched by Carl. Carl’s face was a bloody mess.

When the fight ended and my buddies and I resumed our walk, I let out a sigh of relief.

One of my buddies asked: “You didn’t know?”

Me: “Know what?

Long story short, Robbie’s father was a WWII Vet, now a Colonel at the local Military School. Robbie had been trained in boxing and self defense, by his dad, every Saturday morning since the age of five. That’s nine years, every Saturday morning. Robbie had also been taught the honor of only fighting when necessary. I never would have known.

Sorry Carl. You lose.  And you can be bloody well thankful that the principal broke up the fight while you could even see to walk.

Economic Bombshell: Consumers Are TANKING, Treasury Borrowing Erupts, Yen Collapse Zero Hope

What kinds of sentiments do Chinese citizens have about the Chinese government’s claim to Taiwan?

I’m Chinese,an IT industry worker.”Anger and incomprehension”. This is what the Chinese really think. If you want to get the real view from China, you have to come to China, get off the plane, take a taxi, and leave your luggage at the hotel. Then go to the small park on the street in China, where there are a large number of ordinary Chinese people, including retired old people, middle-aged people who have finished their work for the day, and young women playing with their babies. There, you can hear the most daring criticism of the Chinese government and the CPC on all issues.

Then, you start the interview. You ask them: “I am a foreigner who has flown thousands of kilometers just to understand a question, so please tell me your true thoughts. Excuse me, do you support the Chinese government’s sovereignty claim over Taiwan?”

Then, you will immediately hear everyone cursing! Old people, middle-aged people, young women, they have the unique loud voices of the Chinese. But please don’t be angry, they are not disrespecting you. They are cursing the Chinese government: “Why not retake Taiwan tonight or at the latest this Friday”?

Because if a military attack on Taiwan is launched over the weekend, the PLA can complete the military operation before next Monday. When the Chinese start working next Monday, they will not be bored all day, and everyone can discuss the country’s establishment of a new holiday: National Reunification Day.

Dear friends, in fact, you have no way to get the real Chinese public opinion (including my above description) from the Internet. Because you will always have various doubts. So, I guarantee that if you come to China, avoid the boring high-speed rail stations, subway systems, and commercial streets (like those boring foreigners in YouTube videos), and walk among the people, you will hear the above real stories.

This happens to prove that the Chinese Communist Party is the most important force in maintaining peace across the Taiwan Straits. If China is a “democratic system” like Taiwan, then the public opinion of all Chinese people will surge to the top leader of China, forcing him to start a war immediately for votes.

Therefore, if Taiwan Province intends to avoid war, the only way is to pray that the CPC still does not care about the public opinion of China. This seems to be a paradox. There will definitely be people who will object to my argumentation process. But this is the fact. 100% real Chinese public opinion. Not the public opinion of the Chinese elite, not the public opinion of the Chinese middle class, not the public opinion of the party members, not the public opinion of the Chinese workers and farmers. It is the public opinion of all Chinese people.

If it offends some people, I apologize for it.

Finally, I want to talk about an unrelated topic. In the past decade, China’s GWF has blocked Chinese people from accessing part of the foreign Internet. I think the most terrible thing about this is not that it blocks Chinese people from participating in the outside world, but that the changes in Chinese public opinion in the past decade are unknown to the world.

Today’s Chinese young people are full of confidence and courage. They have not experienced hunger and poverty. When they were born, they could enjoy a life similar to that of Western children. As they grew up, the Internet developed rapidly. At a very young age, they knew knowledge that their parents did not know in their entire lives. Therefore, they are not inferior, they do not have the original sin of poverty, they love China and support the Communist Party of China. At the same time, they have completed higher education and have enough knowledge and skills to engage in all professions such as science, engineering, art, and business. They enjoy life and pursue faith. They no longer regard the United States as an insurmountable paradise on earth. They are becoming the mainstay of Chinese society.

Dear friends, China has changed. It is no longer a poor, hungry, polluted, ignorant, backward, without freedom, and without personality. It is a brand new country. Please get to know China again.

China is the world’s superpower, and no force can stop it. This is not the brainwashing of the Communist Party, nor is it the belief in communism, and it is not propaganda for China for a few cents. This is a fact. It is an irreversible fact. Whether you are happy or sad, agree or disagree, this fact will not change because of you.

This is also the whole meaning of my writing here.

Fun vintage illustration

Have you ever met somebody so stupid that they made you question how they survived this long?

Interacting with Flat Earth (FE) folks as one of my duities at various conventions – it’s clear that each FE has fully accepted a stack of conspiracy theories by the time FE intersects with them – they swalliw it without protest

But the odd thing is, they will forsake it in five years or less. Something will hit their brain, or they will realize an obvious truth – and FE flees their minds

Problem is – the damage is already done. They championed FE to all their family and friends, in such a contentious and mocking way, they’ve isolated themselves. When they meet up with someone they knew, that person will often mock the former FE for being so stupid. The FE has to stand there and take it.

I liken it to Alex Jones, who fully believed Sandy Hook was a hoax to the point of not trustimg anyone’s opinion on it. Once he was enlightened, he said he must’ve been under some strong form of psychosis

Here’s my favorite FE assertion, that the Sun is near. They claim the earth is flat and stationary and the Sun is on the move. I got one of them to tell me how far the Sun would have to travel for a complete circuit – he said 58,000 miles in one day

So I said- 58,000 miles in 24 hours – that’s more than three times the speed of sound! Seems like we would hear a sonic boom as it passed over, and the Sun itself would be blur, a streak in the sky.

No response – there never is.

Home Style Swiss Steak

Ingredients

2 pounds cubed chuck or round steak
1 envelope beef stew seasoning mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
Chopped vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, etc.)

Instructions

Mix all together and add to slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.
Serve over buttered noodles or rice.

What is one thing that makes you swoon every time?

I have a guy friend I haven’t known for very long. Our lives are incompatible – we are both busy and firmly wrapped up with other things.

When we manage to spend time together it’s lovely – sparkling and light and easy, like a tall, cold glass of champagne at the end of a grueling week.

Tragically, I find him criminally attractive. Hanging out and feeling this attraction is massively distracting – like I have to contain an oversized shipment of a sort of involuntary effervescence – so I always feel like his company was delightful but really I was not able to give him my full attention due to the fact I kept tripping over myself.

Here is what kills me: of all the people that I know, this guy, peripheral to my life, is the one to say – always in an offhand way – the most insightful things about my character.

We found ourselves at a symposium one day and I was feeling restless. I apologized to him for my twitchiness. “I’m sorry I’m so fidgety” I said, “it’s hard for me to pay attention”. “Dushka” he responded. “That’s because you pay attention to everything else”.

Another time we were having a general, non-specific conversation about casual relationships and he – this person who barely knows me – said “you can’t do casual.” I felt almost insulted. “How would you know that?” “Because, Dushka” he said. “Anything you do you do with your entire heart.”

I recently hurt my hand in a yoga class and was complaining about the pain. “Well, it’s going to take a long time to heal because what you need to do is give it a rest and you’re never going to do that”.

As much as I am a participant in life I am also a spectator and I will tell you I adore being a witness to the things people do and say. To put it in other words there is a gorgeous, resplendent, as wide as the Milky Way swath of things that others do that make me swoon.

But it’s the sense that someone can really see me that leaves me feeling like I don’t know what I could ever do to repay him for his friendship.

Ukraine on the Verge of Complete Collapse | Scott Ritter

This is the reality of boyhood

I once observed a fellow classmate hide from a loud and noisy dirt bike.

He was a kid of wimpy kid that was two grades younger than myself. I didn’t know him personally, but since we both attended the same small school, so I knew of him.

So, here I am hiking alone in the woods. There was a hilltop, and I was sitting on an isolated rock and just enjoying the view. It was a quiet and peaceful Summer day. Perhaps late Pennsylvania July or early August.

As I sat there I watched this neighborhood kid ride his bicycle though the field that lay below me.

It was a nice field. With tall tan grass, with sporadic trees here and there. Off in the distance is another wood, and behind that some low wooded hills.

The kid was a lot like me when I was growing up. Kind of shy, easily intimidated, and kind of a loner. Just walking (or riding a bicycle) to find solace in life.

Then I hear this terrible noise. This guy, maybe in his early 20’s is tearing up the countryside in a dirt-bike. No muffler, just screaming loudly. And just tearing in and out of the peaceful meadow.

And the kid, hearing and then seeing him approach, tossed his bicycle down, and climbed up the nearest tree. It’s a state of protection, and (though I never did it myself) totally understood.

After the dirt-biker left, he scrambled down from the tree, picked up his bicycle and headed in the opposite direction of the guy on the dirt bike.

It’s not that the young man on the bike meant him any harm, but that in those parts (Western Pennsylvania), if you are a kid and alone, and a group of older boys come around… well, you scram. It usually meant torture, hassles and abuse.

And this is what the kid did. He hid.

It’s a tale of my boyhood, and while no one is going to make a television drama out of it, it well illustrates what the world was like when young boys are in the in between ages with no real father role models, an indifferent school and classmates, and a hostile outer world. You hide to protect yourself.

This is the reality of American boyhood.

Peace out.

What was the shortest first date you ever had?

It was essentially over before it began.

He came to pick me up at my house (I still lived at home then, I was still in college.) I had two rescue dogs, Max and Brady. Both super friendly, gentle dogs that greeted him with wagging tails and an eagerness to get chin scratches and tummy rubs.

Well, this guy was pretty much up on the ceiling trying to get away from my dogs. We said good bye to my mom, and we’re walking to his car. He said “I know it’s not your fault, you still live at home. I just don’t understand why anyone would want filthy animals in their house! Just more motivation for you when you graduate, I suppose.”

At that point I said to him “look, I’m not going to waste your money or my time.” (He has very specific ideas as to who was supposed to pay on dates.)

He laughed me off. I had to tell him that I was serious. I’m an animal loved to my core. It’s a part of who I am. I could never, ever live without having pets.

It all worked out though. That was about 16 or 17 years ago. For the last 14 years, I have been married to the most wonderful man. He’s as much of an animal lover as I am.

It’s worth not setting.

Lai Ching-te openly said in his inaugural speech that “the Republic of China Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation,” a claim which has never appeared in the inaugural speeches of previous leaders of the Taiwan region. What does this mean?

I am from Chinese Mainland, an ordinary IT worker.

In the speeches of successive ROC presidents, it has been emphasized that “governance power” is not subordinate to each other. Now, for the first time, the concept of non subordination of sovereignty has been proposed. So, even from the legal perspective of ROC, it violates the Constitution of the Republic of China.

Two recent incidents have made me feel sick.The first time was when LQBT people danced in front of a photo of ROC’s founding father Sun Yat sen.Another time was when President LAI was sworn in under Mr. Sun’s photo.

I have read about the history of the Republic of China. What may surprise some Taiwanese is that Sun Yat sen enjoys a great and lofty position in the narration of the CPC. This photo was taken by me 30 minutes ago while waiting for a red light. It is the busiest road in my city, called “Zhongshan Road”, named after Mr. Sun:

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In the narration of the CPC, the party inherited Mr. Sun’s will, completely overthrew the decadent and reactionary emperor and the imperialist enemy, and made China a country that will never be invaded by foreign powers.

Mr. Sun’s tomb is located in the capital city of Nanjing, my province. During holidays, there is a sea of people there, and Chinese people go to the tomb on their own without official organizations to commemorate Mr. Sun.

As the first President of the Republic of China, Sun Yat sen would angrily jump out of the coffin if he knew that a self righteous successor had announced that the highest goal of the Republic of China was “no longer China” – according to Chinese jokes.

Friends, a timeline of solitary evolution in human history has disappeared in 2024. Whether some people are happy or angry, the great revolution of the Republic of China and its founders has completed its historical mission.

The great changes in the world always start with a careless little thing. If any member of the Kuomintang of China sees my article, please answer a question: How have you done with the will of Sun Yat sen, the founding father of the country? Isn’t there any shame or sadness?

Note: People in Chinese Mainland view the election result with high spirits.

Wishing all Chinese people around the world.

Is it currently safe to travel around China? If not, which parts of China should be avoided?

Dear, please avoid the night in all Chinese cities. Stay in the hotel. There is good food everywhere, and if you eat one every day, it won’t be repeated for a year. It will make your calorie control plan fail completely.

Because the fragrance will float to your nose, and then you have a chance to look for the fragrance and see what is in a certain direction. Then you see queues of up to 20m, 50m long, everyone waiting quietly to buy a flavoured source. You wonder why China has returned to the era of material shortage of the planned economy. Then, unnaturally, you join the queue and wait 20 minutes to buy food you’ve never eaten before. After eating, you joined another queue.

What is the evidence? On YouTube, it seems that every foreign blogger who has been photographing China for a long time – travel blogger, cultural blogger, economic blogger, Ended up as food bloggers.

How America Destroyed the German Economy

How to kill the ‘zombie’ cells that make you age

Researchers are using new molecules, engineered immune cells and gene therapy to kill senescent cells and treat age-related diseases.

Carissa Wong

Lurking throughout your body, from your liver to your brain, are zombie-like entities known as senescent cells. They no longer divide or function as they once did, yet they resist death and spew out a noxious brew of biological signals that can slow cognition, increase frailty and weaken the immune system. Worst of all, their numbers increase as you age.

For more than a decade, researchers have been trying to see whether they can selectively destroy these cells with a variety of drugs. In a pivotal study¹ published in 2015, a team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, discovered that a combination of two compounds, called dasatinib and quercetin, killed senescent cells in aged mice. The treatment made the mice less frail, rejuvenated their hearts and boosted their running endurance. The finding opened the door to a new area of medicine called senolytics.

Now, fresh results from animal studies and human clinical trials have added momentum to the field. In mice and monkeys, researchers are using genetic tools to reprogram and kill senescent cells. Others are engineering senolytic immune cells. And about 20 clinical trials are ongoing. Researchers are testing new and repurposed drugs that could have senolytic properties, in the hope of combating age-related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, lung disease and chronic kidney disease.

“I am convinced that senolytics will have an impact in the clinic,” says Anirvan Ghosh, chief executive of Unity Biotechnology, a company in South San Francisco, California, that is developing senolytics. “I think the question is really what the agent looks like and what the first approved drug is.”

Zombie cells

Senescent cells were first described in 1961 by US biologists Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead, who discovered that human cells in a laboratory dish will divide no more than about 50 times before either dying or entering the twilight state of cell senescence². In the lab, it can take weeks for dividing cells to become senescent. But researchers have yet to uncover how much time this process takes in the body, how long senescent cells last and whether all cell types can become senescent.

Beyond hitting the limits of cell division, cell senescence can arise owing to other factors such as physical injury, malnourishment or DNA damage caused by UV light. Researchers initially thought that it evolved to prevent damaged cells from replicating uncontrollably and causing cancer. This might be the case to some extent, but it didn’t make sense that the cells would stick around in the body instead of simply dying, such as through the controlled programme of cell death known as apoptosis.

Researchers eventually discovered that senescent cells were avoiding apoptosis so they could perform a service, belching out a potent mix of inflammatory signals — including the cytokines interleukin-6 and interferon-γ — that prompt the immune system to clear out damaged cells. This helps to make room for damaged tissues to regenerate and repair.

The process works well until the immune system weakens with age, leading to a build-up of senescent cells that stir up excessive inflammation. Researchers have found that an accumulation of senescent cells and age-related inflammation correlates with many diseases, including osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease. For many scientists in the field, this realization prompted a shift away from understanding what the cells are doing to working out how to kill them.

Tipping the balance

One key strategy in senolytics involves designing drugs that stop senescent cells from resisting apoptosis. Usually, the cells survive by producing anti-death proteins. Blocking these with drugs can force the cells to succumb to death.

Unity Biotechnology is at the forefront of this approach, say researchers. In a February study³, Ghosh and his colleagues found that senescent cells were more abundant in the retinas of diabetic mice than in those of healthy mice. It was possible, the team predicted, that senescent cells in the blood vessels of the eye play a part in diabetes-related vision loss.

This condition, known as diabetic macular oedema, is caused by high blood sugar and makes those delicate blood vessels leaky, particularly in older individuals. The eye condition is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, estimated to affect 27 million adults. But around half of patients get little benefit from the standard treatment, which uses a cancer drug originally designed to slow down the growth of blood vessels. “There is an unmet need,” Ghosh says.

The researchers designed a drug, called foselutoclax, which blocks the action of BCL-xL, a key anti-death protein that is abundant in senescent cells. When they injected the drug into the eyes of diabetic mice, it killed senescent cells in the blood vessels supplying the retina, but not healthy cells³. “We see a very selective elimination,” says Ghosh.

The senolytic drug reduced the leakiness of retinal blood vessels in diabetic mice by around 50%. Moreover, the treated mice performed better in vision tests compared with controls. Next, the team turned to humans. In a phase II trial, researchers administered a single injection of foselutoclax into the eyes of about 30 people. Eleven months later, those treated with the senolytic could read 5.6 more letters, on average, on an optician’s chart compared with participants who had received a placebo treatment.

After just a couple of weeks, says Ghosh, one participant called him to say the treatment was making her life much easier. Another saw rapid improvements in their colour vision. The team expects to publish the results later this year, but in the meantime, Unity is running another phase II trial that will compare the senolytic with standard therapy.

Unity’s results are promising, say researchers. “I think within the next five years we may see this treatment for diabetic macular oedema being offered in the clinic,” says Sundeep Khosla, who studies ageing at the Mayo Clinic.

Rather than making senolytics from scratch, some scientists are testing drugs that already exist. These include dasatinib, which is approved in the United States as a cancer therapy, and two commercially available, plant-derived chemicals called quercetin and fisetin. The latter two are sold as supplements to dampen inflammation, boost brain health and reduce the risk of age-related disease. These claims are based on rodent studies in which the drugs have been shown to clear senescent cells and reduce inflammation⁴.

In a 2019 study⁵, researchers used dasatinib and quercetin to remove senescent brain cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Mice treated with the senolytics had reduced brain inflammation and improved memory compared with animals that were given a placebo. Spurred on by these promising data from mice, Miranda Orr at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and her colleagues last year conducted the first safety trial of the drug combination in people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Orr’s team gave five people dasatinib and quercetin intermittently for three months. The researchers found that the drugs were safe and that dasatinib was present in samples of cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting it could cross into the brain. Quercetin was not detected in brain fluid samples, but Orr says she suspects that it did reach the brain and was rapidly broken down. The team is now conducting a larger trial to track the cognition of people with and without Alzheimer’s disease for nine months after they take a placebo or the drug combination. The results should be released in 2025, says Orr.

Khosla says that fresh data should also emerge this year from the largest human trial of dasatinib and quercetin so far. In this study, which is currently under peer review, his team looked at the effect of senolytics on the bones of healthy women.

Immune killers

When it comes to killing cells in the body, the immune system could be of help. And some researchers have latched on to the idea of using genetically engineered immune cells called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. These can target and kill specific cells on the basis of the molecules they display on their surface. CAR-T-cell therapies are currently approved as a treatment for various blood cancers.

Earlier this year, cell biologist Corina Amor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and her colleagues identified a protein marker, called uPAR, on senescent cells in the livers, fat tissues and pancreases of older mice⁶. The researchers created CAR T cells that were designed to kill senescent cells bearing the uPAR marker. After the team infused the engineered cells into the blood of old mice, there was a decline in the proportion of liver, pancreas and fat cells that were senescent.

Amor and her team found that old mice treated with the uPAR CAR T cells had reduced blood-sugar levels — a sign of improved metabolic health — and that the animals ran faster and for longer than did mice treated with non-engineered T cells, or with T cells that target a protein not found in mice. None of the mice treated with the senolytic CAR T cells showed signs that the T cells were toxic.

In young mice, the senolytic CAR T cells prevented age-related declines in blood-sugar regulation and exercise capacity. And in a March preprint⁷, the team reported that senolytic CAR T cells could rejuvenate the guts of old mice.

Still, further studies are needed to assess the safety of the therapy, says Amor. Moreover, it would be good to have an off switch for these cell-based drugs in case anything goes awry, she says. In rare cases, CAR T cells used to treat cancer in people seem to have become cancerous themselves.

Amor’s team plans to explore such safety switches in the near future. This would involve engineering the senolytic CAR T cells to carry a gene that induces cell death, which could be activated with a drug, she says. But CAR-T-cell therapies are expensive to make, says Robin Mansukhani, chief executive of Deciduous Therapeutics in San Francisco, which is also developing immune therapies against ageing.

Mansukhani is banking on a more affordable approach that harnesses a different kind of immune cell called a natural killer T cell. In 2021, researchers at Deciduous Therapeutics demonstrated⁸ the senolytic role of these cells, which naturally become less effective with age. They also found that drugs that can activate the immune cells helped to eliminate senescent cells in the damaged lungs of mice, reducing lung scarring and improving survival.

The researchers have developed a range of drugs that can bind to and supercharge natural killer T cells to treat various conditions, including diabetes and lung disease, says Mansukhani. Safety tests will be conducted in dogs and non-human primates later this year, and clinical trials should begin in the next two years, Mansukhani adds. The approach relies on smaller molecules that are easier to make than CAR-T-cell therapies, he says.

Gene therapy

Other teams are using gene therapy to kill senescent cells. In this approach, researchers package a gene that encodes a lethal protein called caspase-9 into fatty capsules studded with proteins derived from a virus. In mice and monkeys, the capsules have been found to deliver the gene to cells in the lungs, heart, liver, spleen and kidneys.

To stay young, kill zombie cells

Healthy cells are spared, because the gene is activated only in senescent cells that have high levels of one of two proteins called p16 and p53, says Matthew Scholz, chief executive at Oisín Biotechnologies in Seattle, Washington, which is developing the gene therapy. As a further safety switch, the lethal protein kicks off cell death only after the animal is given a very low dose of a drug called rapamycin, says Scholz. The researchers found that, over four months, a monthly dose of the therapy reduced frailty and cancer rates in old mice without causing harmful side effects. The comparison group involved mice that were given a placebo and low-dose rapamycin, says Scholz.

But a key limitation of this approach is that it relies on just one or two protein markers. Although p16 is widely used as a marker of senescence, definitive identification of cells in this state requires a panel of several markers. That means that, by targeting only p16 and p53, the gene therapy is probably eliminating some healthy, non-senescent cells that have these markers, and failing to kill some senescent cells that lack them, say researchers.

Better markers

Indeed, the issue of specificity is shared by all senolytic approaches, simply because there is more than one type of senescent cell. Researchers are only just beginning to uncover how many there are — and what markers they bear. “Without having really great biomarkers of senescent cells, it’s a little bit tricky to engage the right targets,” says Orr.

Orr is part of a large collaborative effort called the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet), involving more than 200 researchers, that aims to produce atlases of senescent cells across the lifespan of humans and mice. Her team is using machine learning to improve definitions of brain-cell markers of senescence, then using them to map how senescent cells change with age and during dementia.

Ultimately, better markers of senescent cells will bring better senolytics that could one day prevent or treat age-related disease, she says. Ghosh echoes this optimism when it comes to killing zombie cells. “I think the fundamental science is so compelling that targeting senescent cells is definitely going to be of benefit.”

Would it be possible to throw everything away and spend the rest of your life living in a rainforest?

See the little scar on my ankle, the purplish one.

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I was walking through the jungle and caught my leg on low branch. It stuck into my leg. When I got home I rinsed it, probed the wound with my tweezers and scalpel and plastered the whole thing with antiseptic cream. A few days later I was at the doctor’s having a local anaesthetic whilst he cut the wound open, drained it and then removed the small piece of wood that was lodged there.

Not significant if you can visit a local doctor

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I visited a friend yesterday. He’s in hospital with the same sort of injury that I had. He was a muppet and ignored the infection. His leg is black to almost the knee. In areas it looks like the skin is sloughing off. Giant deflated blisters. There are red streaks running upwards. He’s been in hospital for 5 days now. The Doctor reckons that it will take another 5–10 days for him to be released. (The above picture is not of him. I really couldn’t find any publicly available photos on google that showed the blackness.)

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Of course I had another friend, a hasher, who ran with a foot infection. His toes turned black but he delayed going to hospital. Work trip. He had multiple amputations of his leg as they tried to stop the spread of the septicaemia. I should have gone to his funeral.

(Look up limb gangrene images if you want. It’s not nice)

Why is this relevant?

I spend 5 – 10 hours running in the Jungle/Rainforest each week. I’ve mapped in detail about 600km2 of the Titiwangsa range in Malaysia. I am one of the fastest mountain runners in Malaysia. That experience really means squat when it comes to surviving in the jungle with nothing.

EVERY time I go into the jungle I carry a knife, first aid kit, rations for a day and a small survival kit. With this I may be able to survive up to a week. I even carry morphine because out of phone coverage and by myself I have to self rescue. 20km with a broken leg is a shitty thing to cope with if no one comes to rescue you.

From what I can see, and have been taught by the indigenous inhabitants, most of the great food is up in the canopy. At the right time of year. At the wrong time of the year even the monkeys can’t get food. They migrate to the forest edge and steal trash to survive.

I am white guy who’s only been doing this for a few years.

Would I do any better if I had grown up in the jungle?

Most inhabitants, called Orang Asli in Malaysia, live in small villages. These are surrounded by concentric rings of fruit trees, banana, durian, rambutan, guava, jackfruit and more. That’s because a hunter gatherer existence in the forest is too hard. Limited farming plus hunter gathering is ok.

However, many of the skills take a LONG time to acquire.

A few years ago, 7 small children ran away from their boarding school. They were Orang Asli, aged between 7 and 11. They and their parents lived in the jungle. They survived for 46 days. Well, 2 did.

The others died from starvation, impalement on bamboo stakes, drowning and being eaten by a monitor lizard.

The runaway children Malaysia failed to save

It’s tough. The jungle is neutral. If you treat it with respect then likely enough you will be treated with respect. If you don’t then you will have a terrible time.

Going in with nothing is rank stupidity.

Paul Theroux, in his book “Mosquito Coast”, had this idea. The reality was that he traded off white privilege and took enough goods with him to replicate a planter lifestyle. That ended with failure as well.

If you do it I hope that after a few hours you realise how uncomfortable and dangerous it is and take steps to save yourself. If not then you will be lucky to be found. The kids mentioned in the article above were less than 2km from home and were only found after 46 days because someone saw one of their corpses floating in the river.

If you throw everything away you can spend the rest of your life in the rainforest.

Personally I would like nothing better. That’s why I spend so much time there.

The harsh reality is that, like me, you will get infected wounds but with no modern medicine you will soon die.

What is important to most people is quality of life. You cannot have that in the jungle, with just the clothes on your back, without losing most of the benefits of 20,000 years of human development.

Shorpy

What is something a bartender did that you will never forget?

Several years back, a group of us ended up at a local bar after a friends funeral. Friend had died young, and the funeral had turned into a 2 hour hellfire and brimstone sermon that none of us were prepared for.

It was mid day, and the group of us were the only ones there, just catching up since it had been years. Bartender finally comes up and starts talking with us. We told him we were all there coming from our friends funeral.

A few moments later, he brings out a round of shots for all of us (him included) and one for our friend. He gave a quick toast, and we poured that one out for our friend.

Didn’t charge us for the shots (there were maybe 10 of us there). And continued hanging out with us while he could.

A random gesture from a stranger that day really helped all of us to get out of the post funeral funk and really celebrate the life our friend had had.

Juicy Roast

Ingredients

1 (2 1/2 pound) chuck roast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (.75 ounce) package dry brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups juice of choice (apple, orange, cran-raspberry, etc.)

Instructions

Place roast in slow cooker.
Sprinkle dry mixes over roast.
Pour juice over the top.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Another Scandal Hits California While McDonald’s Considers Leaving the State

If a police vehicle is tailgating you, should you speed up, maintain speed, slow down, or pull over and stop?

I was out with my family one night, left lane, cruise control set to 70 in a 65, and passing people. A Sheriff came flying up behind me, probably going 85–90 mph without lights on, which made the vehicle look like any other Dodge Durango.

I set my cruise down to 65 in an attempt to slot into the middle lane, which applies the brakes of the car because of how its cruise control works. Dude decides to light me up for it.

I pull over and he asked why I hit the brakes because he was on a call. I explain to him that’s how the cruise control works in my car and that I was trying to get out of his way. He tells me he’s going to write me a ticket because I brake checked him and that he did have his lights on. I tell him that not only did he not, that I was also going to show him the replay. I proceeded to download the last 5 minutes from my dash cam system to my phone, footage showing him flying up on me, and then asked if he really wanted for me to present the video as evidence against him in court.

“Have a good night, sir, and drive safely.”

You too, Deputy Doofy, you too.

Moral of the story:

Pass left, drive right, and get yourself a dash cam system with front and rear cameras to protect yourself from everyone else’s BS.

Edit:

First – thanks for the 4700+ upvotes. This is wild for me – I haven’t had this much traction on anything I’ve posted since running a meme page on Facebook. I appreciate all of you who enjoyed or related to this.

Second – For all the people who are assuming I’m one of those people that camp in the left lane, a little note about the road I was on that night – three lanes, slight congestion, people in the left lane going between 45–55, people in the middle lane going 55–60. In the states of Missouri and Kansas, you have the right to be in the passing lane as long as you’re passing people, then you’re required to get back over as soon as you safely can. I was following that law.

Third – Yes, I know traditional cruise control uses engine braking to slow down your vehicle when you adjust speed. Adaptive cruise control uses the brakes to slow down. This is true for Mazda and across many other brands of vehicles, but not all.

Fourth – For those interested in buying a dash cam, I have a Nextbase 522GW camera system with a rear camera in my Mazda and some Rexing thing in my wife’s Chevy, I think the R4 but I’d have to look. The 4-channel Rexing is also handy for navigating tight corners in parking garages since her car doesn’t have backup sensors or an “birds-eye view” camera system. I’m not posting links as I have no interest in becoming an affiliate, I just like to suggest what works for me and isn’t too expensive while still being decent quality.

Fifth – While taking the evidence to court would be a thing to do, I’d rather avoid the courtroom or giving my lawyer money if I can.

China surpasses U.S. as India’s top trade partner despite “boycott” rhetoric

In 2023, China surpassed the United States to become India’s largest trading partner, a seemingly absurd news that contradicted India’s previous “boycott Chinese goods” movement reported in the media. Data showed that in 2023, India’s total trade with China reached $118.4 billion, slightly higher than $118.3 billion with the US. Of this, India imported $101.8 billion from China but exported only $16.6 billion, resulting in a massive trade deficit of $85.2 billion.

A closer look at India’s $101.8 billion imports from China in 2023 revealed that 98.5% were industrial products, with Chinese goods accounting for as high as 43.9% of electronics, telecommunications equipment and electrical appliances. This reflected the reality that despite India’s calls to “boycott Chinese goods”, Chinese products still held a significant market share in India due to their superior cost-performance.

In fact, India’s “boycott Chinese goods” movement was largely a superficial gesture. Taking pulse oximeters as an example, despite Indian media reports of the “boycott movement”, Chinese pulse oximeters still occupied 98% of the Indian market. The reason was that if Chinese pulse oximeters were truly boycotted, ordinary Indian citizens would not be able to afford them, harming their livelihoods.

Beyond consumer goods, India was also highly dependent on Chinese products in the industrial raw materials sector. In 2023, 71% of India’s bulk drugs came from China; 69% of yarn imported by India originated from China. Prohibiting the use of Chinese raw materials would directly lead to higher costs for Indian products and a decline in industrial competitiveness.

Overall, although India exhibited nationalistic sentiments to “boycott Chinese goods”, practical economic interests meant that India found it difficult to completely boycott Chinese products in areas where the cost-performance ratio could not be easily replaced. This led to a continued increase in India’s imports from China in 2023, making China its largest trading partner.

On the other hand, India’s imports from the US plunged 20% in 2023, mainly due to the Fed’s interest rate hikes driving up US manufacturing costs. In comparison, India’s dependence on Chinese goods was more thorough.

It is noteworthy that while India had a huge trade deficit with China, it enjoyed a $36.7 billion trade surplus with the US. From trade data alone, it seemed that the US was “boycotting” Indian goods, while China “generously” welcomed Indian products into its market.

In reality, from 2019 to 2023, India’s imports from China grew from $70.3 billion to $101.8 billion, but its exports to China fell from $16.75 billion to $16.67 billion. During this period, the US contributed a $337 billion surplus to China, and India $85.2 billion, together accounting for nearly half of China’s total surplus.

Following business logic, “the customer is king”. Although the US and India treated China “excessively” in rhetoric, China had to tolerate their “petty behavior” due to the enormous benefits they brought. Only when the US and India run out of funds will China refuse to tolerate such conduct.

In summary, despite the apparent contradictions, China’s surpassing of the US as India’s largest trading partner reflected India’s inability to completely boycott highly cost-effective Chinese products in livelihood and industrial sectors. Meanwhile, the US seemed to “boycott” Indian products to a greater extent, leading to an interesting contradiction among the three countries in trade.

Slam Dunk

Last night was the weekend. My seventh-grade child spent the entire evening discussing the Japanese anime “Slam Dunk” with me. He talked about every aspect of the show—from the multiple storylines to the theme song, the fate of the characters, and the main character Hanamichi Sakuragi’s injury. Then he told me that this show has been a constant source of strength for him.

My child is 13 years old. I’ve never heard him speak so earnestly, especially during a casual family conversation. It was particularly striking because these serious words were about an anime. So, I asked him what had happened.

He then shared the lessons he learned from the show. For instance, even if you’re not a genius, you can achieve greatness through hard work. And repeated failures did not crush these young boys. Basketball was their youth and life. Troubled youngsters found their way back to the team through basketball and were accepted by everyone. These touching storylines almost perfectly mirrored his own middle school life. Therefore, he constantly learns from these beloved characters in his studies.

Next, we discussed the movie adaptation of “Slam Dunk.” We talked about the movie’s dark tones and the main character’s family troubles. My child told me that the entire movie left him with a subtle sadness. I asked him where this sadness came from. He mentioned the death of the protagonist’s brother and the failures and injuries in the tournament.

I thought for a moment and shared my perspective—that sadness is a multifaceted emotion, not just stemming from the story itself but also from the passage of youth. The beautiful youthful years, the most glorious vitality in life, inevitably fade away as one grows.

I hope my child can have a youth without regrets. To study, explore, embrace nature, connect with the world, give and receive love, understand civilization, and understand the nation and society. I am grateful for “Slam Dunk,” which was also my favorite thirty years ago. Classic works never go out of style and always provide strength.

Terrible Simpsons Predictions For 2024

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said in a foreign language by accident?

I was actually quite proud of my progress in learning the Chinese language. I was living in Shanghai, and I had learned how to count: “Ee, arr, sun…”

The next morning, I approached a steamed bread vending shop and ordered proudly: “Arr Baoz’i!”

I could swear that life stopped around me.

For emphasis, I indicated the number with my fingers, and got my steamed bread. At the office, my secretary explained to me that “arr” wasn’t really used to indicate quantity, and that I had actually said something more like “stupid dumplings.”

My Chinese learning has slowed down a bit since then.

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Another time, I decided to tell a taxi driver my address in Chinese instead of showing him a hand written card, as usual: “3, Yuyao Lu.” To this day, I have no idea what he understood, but he was spewing tea all over the inside of his windscreen and laughed so hard and so long that I thought he was going to have a seizure. Never before had I heard someone laugh so heartily, with such mirth. The poor guy was in tatters.

In the end, I found the silly card. I still heard the driver laugh out loud helplessly even as he pulled away twenty minutes later, once I had disembarked at my apartment.

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These days, I let my wife do the talking when we are in China.

What is the rudest thing you have ever done?

I used to have a very serious short temper problem. One day, I was angry with my mother (for some silly reason) and started shouting at her. We had a small puppy dog, who got scared by my shouting, came to me, and started pulling my leg. It’s her (the dog’s a girl) way of asking me to stop shouting.

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Out of anger, I kicked that puppy with my right leg so hard that she’d hit the wall and bounced back. She screamed for few seconds out of pain, stopped screaming, came back to me again, and this time, started licking my feet: it’s her way of expressing apology.

She thought that she’d done some mistake, and asked me to forgive her!!

I was shattered. The dog was a two month old baby, still her eyes were so expressive that I’d understood her every emotion. I can never forget that moment, my short temper has gone for ever!

The dog loved me a lot, she’d always tried to impress me and get my attention for pampering. She was intelligent, beautiful, and adorable.

She died recently, six years after the incident.

I feel guilty and sad to this day for being a jerk; I cry whenever I remember that incident and cannot forgive myself, I’m crying now.

What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?

The year was roughly 1999, when internet access for most of us was dialup. I lived in Newtown, CT, and the nearest access point was in Bridgeport. That was a toll call, so access would be quite expensive.

The local telephone company, SNET, had a program where you could forward a call from one number to another. A group of us arranged for a friend in Monroe, CT to set up a phone number which would forward my call from Newtown to Bridgeport. Since it was a local call from Newtown to Monroe, and also a local call from Monroe to Bridgeport, there was no charge for this call.

I had a phone line installed that I kept dialed in to the service provider to Bridgeport (via Monroe). Another line was installed for my friend Dave, also in Newtown to dial in to my computer. A third line was installed for Dave’s friend Stan (in Danbury — a local to to Newtown) to dial in to my computer.

I registered the domain NAI.net

(North American Internet) and had three more telephone lines installed for others to dial in. We sold subscriptions (but never made any real money) to our own dial up service under the North American Internet name. I forget the actual data rate, but the modems were around 24Kbits per second.

A few years later we sold the domain NAI.net

for a few hundred dollars. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have. Three letter domain names are pretty rare.

Why does Biden say in a 60-minute interview that US troops will defend Taiwan, while the White House says this is not official US policy?

He has said it 4 different times in the role of the sitting American president.

Each time, the white house has walked back on the words, assuring the American public that the commitment to one China, and the three communiques remain unchanged.

Observers claim the opposing statements create ambiguity which keeps China guessing, and strengthens America’s position on the issue of taiwan.

China is willing to give Joe a pass because his verbal promise can be walked back on. But changes to American legislation or a defense treaty with Taiwan are a different matter.

We have seen China downgrade communication and cooperation with America due to Nancy’s visit. The situation can get a whole lot worse if America keeps up the provocation. We are dangerously close to the tipping point, and the risk of misreading intentions has increased.

Compilation: UFOs & Aliens!

Can I ask a cute police officer for his phone number? Is it okay to do this?

I did this once. I was walking back to my car after dinner with some friends and noticed a police officer was writing parking tickets up ahead. She was one car away from mine. I looked at my watch, realized my meter was expired, so I broke into a dead sprint.

By the time I got there, I was completely out of breath, but she was already behind my car, jotting my license plate number into her ticket book. I had my hands on my knees, head down, desperately trying to catch my breath, but I asked, “This is my car. Can you please not give me a ticket?”

I finally caught my breath, looked up, and was face-to-face with a stunning woman. She gave me a crooked smile and said, “Sure. Only because you worked so hard to get here in time and because you asked nicely. It’s your lucky day.” She tore it up and started to walk away.

I took a deep breath to gather up some courage and asked, “Hey. Can I ask for another favor?”

She asked, “What’s that?”

I asked, “Can I get your phone number?”

She said, “Sorry. It is your lucky day, but not that lucky.”

Denied.

UPDATE: Some have noted that she was a meter maid, not a police officer. Yes, this is true, but I didn’t really know the difference back then. What I did know for sure is that she didn’t give me the ticket, looked very nice in her uniform, and was smoking hot. (Doing my best to keep descriptions as PG as possible.)

The Kids Aren’t Alright: Facing the Hard Truths About Childhood Trauma and Neglect

May 17, 2024

Let’s get real about the fucking elephant in the room: childhood trauma. The kind of shit that happens when you’re a kid that fucks you up so badly, you spend the rest of your life trying to un-fuck yourself. I’m talking about abuse, neglect, abandonment – the experiences that teach you, before you’re even old enough to spell your own name, that you’re worthless, unlovable, and unsafe in your own goddamn home. It’s a topic that makes people squirm, because it forces us to confront the ugly reality that we’re failing our kids on a massive scale.

But we can’t afford to look away anymore, because the effects of childhood trauma don’t just magically disappear when you blow out the candles on your 18th birthday cake. They shape every aspect of your adult life – your relationships, your mental health, your sense of self-worth. And until we start talking about it, acknowledging it, and working our asses off to prevent it and heal it, we’re going to keep seeing the same cycles of addiction, homelessness, abuse, and dysfunction playing out on repeat like a fucking broken record.

We’re about to dive into some heavy shit. But it’s shit we need to talk about, because the only way out is through. And I promise you, there is a way out – but it starts with staring the darkness in the face and refusing to blink.

When you experience trauma or abuse or neglect as a kid, it doesn’t just hurt you in the moment. It fundamentally reshapes your understanding of yourself and your place in the world. It’s like a fucking earthquake that shatters the very foundation of your identity.

See, when you’re little, you don’t have a fully formed sense of self. You’re basically just a sponge, soaking up messages from your environment about who you are and what you deserve. And if those messages are consistently negative – if you’re being told through words or actions that you’re worthless, that you’re unlovable, that you’re a burden – then that becomes your default programming.

And when those messages are hammered home through abuse – physical, emotional, sexual – it’s even more devastating. Because abuse isn’t just painful in the moment, it’s a soul-level mindfuck that tells you, “You are so worthless that you deserve this. You are so unlovable that the people who are supposed to care for you are instead violating you in the most intimate ways possible.” Abuse teaches you that you’re not safe in your own body, in your own home, in your own fucking skin. It teaches you that the people who are supposed to protect you are actually the ones you need protection from. And that kind of betrayal, that kind of fear and confusion and shame – that shit buries itself bone-deep.

And that belief gets wired into your nervous system. It becomes the lens through which you see yourself and interpret the world around you. So no matter what happens later in life, no matter how many people tell you that you’re smart or talented or worthy, there’s always this voice in the back of your head saying, “Nah, they’re just being nice. If they really knew me, they’d see what a piece of shit I am.”

Trauma and neglect teach you that you’re not safe, that you’re not worthy of protection or love or respect. And that’s a fucking hard lesson to unlearn, because it’s not just a thought or a belief – it’s a felt sense, a visceral knowing that’s rooted in your earliest experiences of the world.

And the thing is, that kind of early damage doesn’t just go away on its own. It’s not like you hit 18 and suddenly you’re a well-adjusted adult with a healthy sense of self-worth. That shit stays with you, coloring every relationship, every career move, every decision you make about how to move through the world.

It’s why you see so many people who grew up in fucked up situations struggling with addiction or abusive relationships or self-sabotage. They’re not just making bad choices because they’re stupid or weak – they’re acting out the only story they know, the one that says they’re damaged goods, that they don’t deserve anything better.

And breaking free of that story is a fucking marathon, not a sprint. It takes years of therapy, of self-reflection, of learning to rewire those deep neural pathways that tell you you’re garbage. It takes surrounding yourself with people who reflect back your inherent worth, even when you can’t see it yourself. It takes a daily practice of choosing to act like you matter, even when every fiber of your being is screaming that you don’t.

So when we look at someone who’s struggling with homelessness or addiction or any other manifestation of a shattered sense of self, we can’t just write them off as lazy or weak or hopeless. We have to have some fucking compassion for the battle they’re fighting every day, just to feel like they deserve to take up space, to draw breath, to exist.

And we have to recognize that the solution isn’t just about providing housing or rehab or job training – although those things are important too. It’s about healing the deepest wounds, the ones that convince a person they’re irreparably fucked up and unworthy of love.

It’s about creating a society where every child is treated as inherently valuable, where no one grows up believing that they’re disposable or broken or undeserving of care.

Because when we shatter a person’s self-worth, we shatter their ability to function in the world. And until we learn to put those pieces back together, to heal the deepest hurts, we’re just putting band-aids on compound fractures and wondering why people aren’t magically fixed.

We have to do better. We have to go deeper. We have to give a shit about the pain people are carrying, and work like hell to make sure no one else ever has to carry it again.

That’s the only way out of this mess – hard fucking work, and a whole lot of give-a-damn. There are no easy answers, but there is a path forward. If we’re willing to walk it.

Everywhere I go I see “Help Wanted” signs. None of these jobs pay minimum wage anymore and yet they go unfilled. What’s happening?

Originally Answered: Every where I go I see "Help Wanted" signs. None of these jobs pay minimum wage anymore and yet they go unfilled. What's happening?

The simplest answer is : The person who needs the work done can’t find anyone to do the job for the terms they are offering.

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Skills Don’t Pay the Bills (Published 2012)

Here’s a salient quote :

Last year, he received 1,051 applications and found only 25 people who were qualified. He hired all of them, but soon had to fire 15. Part of Isbister’s pickiness, he says, comes from an avoidance of workers with experience in a “union-type job.” Isbister, after all, doesn’t abide by strict work rules and $30-an-hour salaries. At GenMet, the starting pay is $10 an hour. Those with an associate degree can make $15, which can rise to $18 an hour after several years of good performance. From what I understand, a new shift manager at a nearby McDonald’s can earn around $14 an hour.

The going rate is 30$, he only wants to pay 10$. For a job that requires 5–10 years of experience and skill.

How does this man own a factory?

There is a lot that goes into a ‘good’ job –

Most workers want a single job at a single location with regular hours that is not too dirty and that allows them to keep a shirt on their back, a roof over their head, and allows them to save a little bit, and maybe grow so that someday they can have a spouse and children. Most people don’t mind occasionally putting in a few extra hours, assuming that those extra hours get a bit more pay.

Most employers want someone who will show up on time, put in a good day’s work, not complain too much, display adaptability and flexibility, and look out for their employers’ interest just enough to avoid unforseen disaster.

If a job goes unfilled, it’s because one of the parties is not generally willing to provide what most of the other parties want.

What is the funniest thing you have heard someone say when they are angry?

My friend was savagely drunk and stumbling home from the bar when he decided it would be fun to kick over some garbage cans.

Doing his best imitation of kung fu poses, he began screaming like Bruce Lee as he kicked the cans left curbside for morning pickup. At 3 am. On a residential street.

His impromptu reenactment of Enter the Dragon woke one of the neighbors, who called the cops.

As the officers were cuffing my idiot friend and trying to get him into the back of a police cruiser, he was incensed and insisted he was being falsely arrested. As they were closing the door he screamed:

“YOU’RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE! I KNOW MY RIGHTS, I WATCH LAW AND ORDER!”

I had to bail the idiot out the next morning. At the time I was employed in my first post-graduation job as a late night crime reporter for a newspaper, so I knew the cops. They gleefully told me about Mr. Law & Order’s drunken lectures on criminal law before letting me take him home.

Of course he didn’t remember a damn thing, but he never lived the Law & Order incident down. For the rest of his time at the paper, whenever there was a newsworthy incident involving a drunk someone would pipe up with some variation of “too bad he didn’t watch Law and Order!”

5 Aircrafts US Secretly Tests To Wipe Out China! World Shocked!

The Brutal Truth About Professional Bodybuilding

May 17, 2024

Look, I’m all for pushing yourself and striving to be your best. Setting ambitious goals, working your ass off, making sacrifices to achieve them – that’s admirable stuff. But there’s a line between dedicating yourself to a challenging pursuit, and straight up abusing your body. And when it comes to professional bodybuilding, that line isn’t just crossed, it’s obliterated.

Let’s be real here. You don’t get to be a top level competitive bodybuilder by practicing healthy, balanced habits. We’re talking about guys who are 5’9″ and 280 lbs in the off-season. That’s not accomplished by eating a sensible diet and training hard a few times per week. It requires consuming a ridiculous 8,000+ calories per day and injecting obscene amounts of anabolic steroids and other drugs.

But the off-season is just the beginning. Leading up to a competition, they’ll radically cut calories and amp up the workouts to shed 30-40 lbs in a matter of months. The drug stack shifts to hardcore cutting agents like trenbolone and clenbuterol. Diuretics are added at the end to achieve that totally peeled, dehydrated look on stage. It’s an incredibly grueling and unnatural process to put a body through.

Sure, from the outside it may look impressive – I mean, these physiques are otherworldly. You can’t help but be in awe of that degree of muscularity and definition. But the reality is that it’s just not healthy. You’re forcing your body to crazy extremes, first bulking it up far beyond normal capacity, then starving and dehydrating it down to skin and sinew. And you’re doing it over and over, year after year.

I don’t care what the pro bodybuilders say – all that stuff about how they’re perfectly healthy and do it the “right way.” Give me a break. Your organs don’t care that the drugs are pharmaceutical grade or that your 9,000 calorie diet is “clean.” Abuse is abuse. And the toll this takes long-term on the body is severe. You don’t get to be 300 lbs with 4% body fat without paying a steep price.

Look, if an extreme physique is really someone’s dream and they feel it’s worth the sacrifices, I can’t stop them from pursuing that. But I sure as hell am not going to play along with the convenient fiction that it’s a healthy endeavor. Let’s at least be honest that it’s self-destructive on a fundamental physiological level.

Ultimately, I think a lot of it comes down to self-acceptance. If you can’t be satisfied without turning yourself into a sideshow freak, you’ve got some deeper issues to confront. There’s more to life than being a mass monster. You can build an awesome physique while still treating your body with respect. Work hard, but be kind to yourself. Push yourself, but not at the expense of your health. That’s the sustainable path.

But what do I know? I’m just a guy who believes in moderation and not doing stupid shit. If you want to chase glory on the bodybuilding stage, by all means, go for it. Just don’t expect me to pretend it’s anything other than a profoundly unhealthy pursuit. The human body was not meant to endure that kind of self-inflicted abuse. But I guess that’s not as catchy of a slogan for the supplement companies to put on a t-shirt.

Are China’s air and sea forces now capable of enforcing a blockade of Taiwan?

Yes. Due to Taiwan’s close distance to China, approximate 100 miles away and the small size of Taiwan.

This places any attacking foreign force well within all of China’s weapon delivery systems. And it is NOT just ASBMs (hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles). The problem for the US is that every Chinese weapon system outranges the US ones. And that is not an accident.

China has been studying the US Air Sea Battle strategy for 30 years and devising tactics and weapons to beat the US, NATO, Japan, SK, Australia, and India at the same time.

If the US dares to show up. The US fleet would be wiped out. The US knows how this scenario turns out. The Pentagon has been running thousands of simulations for the last 10 years. And the simulations has gotten worse for the US as time went by.

High-Value Man TRIGGERED American Women After He Told Them They Aren’t Wife Material

There is currently an argument in Quora, was the PVA considered a peasant army? Did a peasant Army manage to defeat the mighty US?

Even a worm will turn! They are both a peasant army and battle-hardened warriors.

Yes, most of the PVA Soldier were farmers, Even Mao and Peng was born into a peasant family and worked in farming locally. What they enjoyed most was living and farming in a peaceful environment, but the invading army that was eyeing them did not give them such an opportunity.

As they themselves say: We fight all the wars that we have to fight, so that our children and grandchildren will be saved from warfare.

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They often found some ammunition boxes next to the frontline tunnels and grew vegetables. Since you can pass the time, you can also see hope by watching these seeds germinate and see the sprouts grow. Under the hail of bullets, they still maintained their strong will, maintained their yearning for life, and survived the difficult moments in their lives.

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Before his death, an American veteran wrote a short essay of about ten pages confessing his heartfelt feelings. In it, he recounted his experience of fighting with the Chinese volunteers in the Korean War in a physical battle that plunged him into that kind of despair and horror. In his short essay he says this:

I didn’t feel much fear about physical combat because I fought bayonets with Japanese soldiers in World War II and killed them.

Although every Japanese soldier shouted ‘Be loyal to the emperor and fight to the end’, I clearly saw fear and cowering in their eyes.

But when I fought with the Chinese on the Korean battlefield, I saw no fear in their eyes, as if they were not fighting you at all.

Sometimes when they reach the last moment of their life, they don’t dodge at all, but use their last strength to grab you. They even use their teeth to bite any part of your body, they don’t want to live at all, their purpose is to die with you.

They are like messengers from hell, you don’t even dare to look into their eyes, that kind of gaze scares people to death.

What’s even more frightening is that when the Chinese blow their horns, the shrill sound is like the sound of a bell counting down to death, because you instantly feel that you have been sentenced to death. So you get so scared that you shoot randomly with your hands and turn around and desperately run away, and I was really lucky that I didn’t get killed by them.

What made you realize your life will never be the same?

In February 2024, my best friend thought she had a pinched nerve because her foot was tingling and then starting to feel “dead“. She had lost almost all feeling in it, and it started to go up her leg. She had an MRI of her lower back, which showed nothing and they thought it might be in her upper back or her neck. When they did a second MRI they saw that she had a tiny tumor on her neck. She went to a neurologist who sent her for a third MRI of her brain. It turned out the tumor on her neck was benign, but they also found a glioblastoma brain tumor , that is 100% fatal. This is my best friend for the last 48 years. She’s been on treatment and in June she was supposed to find out how much good the treatment had done in shrinking the tumor and giving her more time. Last week she could barely wake up and the little bit she was awake, she couldn’t keep track of what was going on or who was in the room with her. Of course we got her to the hospital in an ambulance. Her entire brain swelled and they were afraid they were going to lose her. She was put on massive steroids and they did another MRI, which said the tumor has not shrunk. It has grown. There’s an excellent chance I won’t even be able to see her for Christmas, we text 50 times a day, I don’t have a single clue how I can possibly survive without her.

What is the most bizarre way you’ve landed a job?

I was unemployed and down to my last $20. A friend was having a party and persuaded me to spend my last $20 on booze and show up at the party. “What are you going to do with $20, invest it in the stock market? Have some fun. You’ll be fine.”

I went and a couple of hours into the party some drunk bastard yelled out, “Anyone looking for a job?”

I was well past the legal limit and answered back, “Me!” He told me to show up at his house at 7AM Monday.

Spent years working for and with that crew installing carpet. Made a ton of money and worked my a$$ off. Blood and sweat.

Mary Nell’s Goetta

Ingredients

1 pound ground round
1 pound Bob Evans Zesty Pork Sausage
6 cups water
4 bay leaves
Pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups pinhead oats

Instructions

Put water, salt and pepper in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes.
Add pinhead oats and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours.
Mix meat well and add to slow cooker with onion and bay leaves.
Cook on LOW for 3 hours.
Uncover and, if not thick enough, cook longer, stirring often.
Pour into greased bread pans and cool.
Refrigerate, and fry until browned.

“Am I wrong for telling my girlfriend I don’t want her going for a drink with her ex?”

May 17, 2024

I have been with my girlfriend for just under 3 years. She has had 2 previous relationships that both ended when they cheated on her. Her first boyfriend she has not spoken to in 6 years and the other one she hasn’t spoken to in 4 years.

Her first boyfriend recently messaged asking how she has bene and just wanting to catch up. She told me about it and told me she was planning on replying. I told her I didn’t see why she’d want to bother talking to him when he’s not in her life anymore but just said I can’t stop her talking to him.

She told me a couple more times when he messaged but I believe they have been messaging slightly more than that. She mentioned today that he suggested them going for a drink with a few other friends and catching up. I told her I wasn’t comfortable with her going and she asked why. I just told her it’s disrespectful to be out drinking with your ex. She said she just wants to catch up with him and the other friends but I just repeated that I wasn’t comfortable with her going.

I said if she chooses to go then that will be it with us since I’m no going to just sit back while she’s out drinking with her ex boyfriend. She said I was being controlling but I just pointed out I was only tell her what I am comfortable with and what I’m not comfortable with.

She said I shouldn’t be telling her not to go and should be fine with her going.

Here’s the deal: If your girlfriend’s planning to catch up with her ex in a group setting, why aren’t you invited? That’s a legitimate question to ask.

Let’s cut to the chase: she’s basically telling you she wants to go out and party with her ex. Most people would find that pretty disrespectful. It’s not about you being insecure; it’s about mutual respect. She knows his intentions, and if she’s entertaining his advances, that’s a red flag. If someone cheats on you, cutting them off completely is the norm for most people. Why she would want drinks with someone who disrespected her so badly speaks volumes.

You have every right to set boundaries in your relationship. It’s not about controlling her; it’s about maintaining respect and trust. She’s free to go, but as you’ve clearly stated, there’s a cost to that. If she chooses to prioritize a night out with her ex over your comfort and trust, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate what you both want from this relationship.

At the end of the day, it’s about finding common ground. Have an honest conversation about your boundaries and see if she respects them. If not, it might be time to consider whether this relationship is what you both need.

ANOTHER RUSSIAN NUCLEAR RADAR HIT

This makes two in one week. Very concerning.

Which habit changed your life?

I worked at four startups in two years.

They all failed.

And they were in four different markets: pharmaceuticals, real estate, crowdfunding, and the music industry.

So I founded my own company, an online publication.

A year later, that failed, too.

Then I became the VP of Marketing for a mobile app company that failed.

I lost all my money.

Had zero job prospects.

So I moved into my Dad’s tiny apartment.

Without space, we slept in the same room.

I got a job as a copywriter that paid $12 an hour. It was awful.

At the same time, I made a decision to read for five hours every day on average.

This led to 170 books read over the next year about psychology, business, and marketing.

A few months after my copywriting gig, I had saved enough money to take a risk.

To work at a Facebook software company where I got paid half.

In eight months, I led their marketing.

Landed a few clients, then wrote a book about Facebook marketing.

Took that credibility, became the head of growth for a venture-backed company in San Francisco.

Then the head of growth for a 50-million-dollar VC firm.

Next the growth evangelist for one of the fast-growing SaaS companies.

Today, I’m the co-founder and CEO of a multi-million-dollar company.

Entirely bootstrapped.

The lesson –

Adopt the habit of persistency.

Persistent enough to where you’ll pursue what you want no matter where you live, how much money you make, or connections you have.

If you want results, do what 99% of people won’t.

What is the most disgusting experience you have had at another person’s house?

I am a Code Enforcement Official; I’ve seen some nasty stuff.

When I first started my job, years ago we were called by child services to render a decision on if a mobile home was habitable. They were looking to remove the two children. It was mid week…very hot outside…we knocked on the door. The door swung open with a loud thump as this decrepit old trailer rocked.

A large woman in her nightgown…at around 11AM no less, was filling the tiny doorway, cigarette hanging out of her mouth. The cigarette smoke rolling out of this tiny place was unbelievable.

In we went…I first noticed a giant big screen TV (the vintage style, that are about 3 foot deep) across from a nasty old couch…with roughly 18 inches of path to walk between. To this day I have no idea how they watched a TV that large being so close up.

We noticed open dried-out cans of cat food, roaches picking the last of the meat out of them. Wires hung low exposed everywhere, and the bathroom reeked of urine, roaches and feces.

We made our way to the back, and there were two small children who should have been in school…but they weren’t. Instead they were playing with their trucks on the floor, giving roaches rides in them, dumping them out of the dump truck bed. To them, it was like the roaches were little friends, there to play with.

I had seen enough to render my part (the electrical) worthy of shutting off. I went to leave…this is where it gets nasty…er.

The master bedroom door (a curtain or blanket nailed to the door frame) began to move. I laid eyes on him…quite a spectacle…I’d say he was late forties, probably 5′ 10″, 350 pounds, and naked. Smoking a cigarette, he begins to tell me how horrible the neighborhood is, how the cops are worthless etc., etc. I stepped out…he filled the doorway and continued the rant.

Interesting thing about a mobile home: when you step out, you’re about eye level with waist of the person inside.

Soon I heard my boss ask him from inside, “Sir, I need you to come here for a second.” It’s at that point he turned around 180 and to my surprise he had tightey whitey underwear on, from the front I couldn’t tell because of his large belly hanging down. He took one step toward my boss, and there I was marveling how his underwear was totally hidden up front, and he lets go of a large amount of gas…and then the underwear quickly turned brown and wet.

As the crap rolled down his leg…he didn’t miss a beat, gave that leg a shake onto the floor…and begins to converse with my boss.

I in turn being full witness to this, and eye level to this mess only a few feet away…turn into the yard and begin to hurl.

As my boss came bouncing out of the house, oblivious to what just happened…he said, “What’s the matter, buddy; it didn’t smell that bad in there.” (We’ve been in some nasty places.) I pointed and said that dude just crapped his pants in my face.

And that’s the nastiest thing that I’ve seen in a house.

Pepperoncini Beef

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini

Instructions

Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts.
Place roast in slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve on sub rolls with cheese.

Confessions Of A Woman In A Polygamous Marriage

May 17, 2024

How did you end up in a polygamous marriage?

How old is your husband?

Early 50s

How soon before the wedding did you meet him? What would have happened if you didn’t like him/he didn’t like you?

Why did he marry you?

Has your husband mentioned how many wives he plans on having?

Do you have a good relationship with him?

We have a fairly good relationship. Although he doesn’t spend as much time with me as his new wife, he’s very polite and nice to me, and doesn’t mistreat me at all.

Do you love him? Does he love you?

Do you guys have children?

Yes, we have one child, a beautiful two-year old baby girl!

How does your husband treat you? Does he treat all his wives equally or is he biased?

How old are his first and third wife?

What do you think of a man in his early 50s marrying a girl of 16?

Why are you more concerned for her after he dies than what might happen during the marriage?

I don’t think it’s right for him to marry someone so young, but at least this way she is provided for. Once he dies, I’m not sure what’s going to happen to any of us once he dies.

What typically happens to the wives once their husband dies? Say you are 50. Do you get an inheritance?

He must be very rich to afford 3 wives, 3 households. Are you allowed to spend any money?

What do you enjoy spending your allowance on?

Well, its usually not enough to buy anything more than the essentials, but I love cooking and buying new ingredients, and i always put a little aside to buy paints and art supplies with.

Are you allowed to work?

How are mealtimes? Do you cook? Do you all eat together?

I usually cook meals for myself and daughter, and maybe a few friends, but we usually I don’t eat with our sister wives, except for on Friday, when we usually eat a meal together with our husband.

When it comes to sex, is it only ever you and him? Or is part of it that the four of you have sexual relations?

It is always only him and one of us, he has never asked any of us to have relations with him at the same time. It’s a very private affair.

Do you spend time with the other wives? Are they your friends? Or do you keep separate lives?

How is she rude to you?

What’s the best thing about your marriage?

If he were to die soon, would you still be friends with the first wife?

I think we would. Even if we didn’t share a husband, I think we would have been friends anyway, and I think we would stay friends even if we weren’t married to the same man.

What is the worst part about living in such a relationship?

Do you feel any resentment towards your father for putting you in a situation you may not have necessarily chosen for yourself?

If you were given a chance to, would you get out of the marriage?

Would you prefer a different future for your daughter?

Absolutely. I would never want anyone, least of all my daughter, to be in the same relationship as me.

Did you have a childhood sweetheart/relationship before your marriage?

How do you feel about the fact that a lot of the world (at least a lot of the Western world) looks down upon plural marriages. Do you ever question your own lifestyle?

How has your life changed because of the marriage?

The fifth element -Adventure Movie Full HD | Bruce Willis

What is the oddest thing you have ever found while taking a walk?

25 years ago I had just left the safeway supermarket in the uk. Right beside the exit doors is a cash machine and as I walked past I realised there was a wad of cash hanging out of it. I looked around, couldn’t see anyone. In my head I was thinking oh wow, perfect timing. Single parent, an ex who didn’t pay child support and I was struggling to support my 3 kids under 5, but then it was like someone hit me across the head and said stop it. Hand it in to customer services immediately.

So I walked to the entrance and went to the customer service desk and explained what I’d found. She counted it, £620. She took my name and phone number and said she was shocked someone actually came to hand it in instead of just taking it. I just shrugged and left. Refused to think about how I almost got so much money and did the right thing instead of the wrong thing.

6 months later, December, I got a phone call from the supermarket asking me to come in to see them about the money so I did. She informed me that the bank knew who’s money it was but they had never reported it missing and as such the money was mine to keep. I cried. I’d been struggling so much. I knew I could barely afford to heat our home or buy Christmas presents and then all this money just got given to me.

I kept half and donated the other half to the local homeless shelter who were able to have a Christmas meal because of the donation. No names of course, just anonymous donor. My kids and I were warm, they had gifts and a roof over our head.

Edit

I only had contact with the supermarket customer service lady so I don’t know exactly what went on with the bank. All I know is what she told me, that the bank knew who’s money it was but it was never reported by the account owner as missing or forgotten.

Now after speaking to you all I suspect it was because I handed it in to the supermarket instead of a bank, however I have no idea which bank the cash machine belonged to and there wasn’t a bank office in the area, just the supermarket, a restaurant, post office and community centre. Seeing as the machine was on the outside of the supermarket building I thought my only option was to hand it in to them as I didn’t have time to catch the bus to town to the police as I had to pick up my kids.

What is Gordon Ramsay’s true personality?

I worked with him on several episodes of “Kitchen Nightmares.” I was a lowly PA, so his treatment of me speaks a lot.

Firstly, he rode in the front seat of his car, next to the driver. This says something about him not being high and mighty. During my first three days, he would give me a brief nod whenever he passed. He knew I was part of the team, but PAs come and go. He’s not going to waste a lot of time on me.

On my second episode, also three days, he would engage people around me in friendly banter. He’s the type of guy who makes fun of people, but with a broad smile on his face so you know he’s joking. He also joined us in tossing around a football during a slow point.

By my third episode, I ranked a “hello” and smile. On the last day of the third episode, just before the restaurant opened, a producer pointed out my untied shoe. Being bone tired, I pulled out a chair to sit and tie it. Gordon suddenly shouted, “What are you doing?! That’s it! Fired!” I looked up in shock and he immediately laughed at me. It felt awesome.

Famous people are expected to be “on.” It uses up energy to be charming. For temporary employees, he was polite, but didn’t spend a lot of time with us. As he grew to know and trust us, he became warm and open. He’s a little gruff and sarcastic, but a lot of fun. And others who did multiple seasons on the show told me he was very loyal to them. I can’t count him as a friend, but how he treats other people says a lot about him.

Your Worth Is Inherent, Unchanging, and Absolute

May 17, 2024

You are worthy. You are enough. You are inherently, unequivocally, absolutely valuable, just as you are.

So fuck the haters. Fuck the doubters. Fuck anyone who tries to convince you otherwise. Your worth is not up for debate, and it never will be.

Embrace that truth. Lean into it. Let it be the foundation upon which you build a life that feels authentic and fulfilling and joyful as hell.

Because you, my dear, are worth it. And that’s the fucking tea.

Jeffrey Sachs: The Untold History of the Cold War, CIA Coups Around the World, and COVID’s Origin

Good topics. Hit the mainstream.

So long, but really worth the time to listen to.

“Hello there. Where do you come from? Do you like China?”

One of the occupational hazards as an expat in China is that everyone wants you to practice speaking English with them.

Oh, that’s fine if you are visiting. It’s a nice charming way to interact with locals.

But when you live in China, it’s a totally different story entirely.

I’m dropping my kid off at kindergarten, and a guy chases me, trying to interact with me. It’s like a crazy fruit fly that won’t leave you alone. “Hello there. Where do you come from” Do you like China”

Or, I have a half an hour to eat a quick bite at a restaurant and am smunching on a burger, and another man pulls up a chair. Sits directly opposite to me and tries to talk with me. “Hello there. Where do you come from” Do you like China”

Or, I am just sitting alone on a bench near the ocean. I am reading my daily affirmations, and a guy stands in front of me. He keeps repeating himself. “Hello there. Where do you come from” Do you like China”

Or, I am trying to buy groceries… some school age kids come up… “Hello there. Where do you come from” Do you like China”

Yes. I get it. Everyone wants to have some time to practice their English skills, meet new people and so on and so forth, but Lordy! I just want to live my own life. To cross the street without being interrupted. To talk on my phone without some granny trying to get my attention, and to just drink a beer without interruption.

Expat hassles. Ugh.

Today…

What do you think President Xi Jinping means by the transformation of traditional industries can also develop “new productive forces”?

“Let’s build whole new hi-tech industries based on new revolutionary Chinese technology so that we can drive U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo crazy, and destroy the market cap of the leading U.S. tech companies, and replace them with new Chinese national team companies like Huawei in global markets.”

I really love Nicaragua and things like this are so good!

China seeks gold in Nicaragua, receives 13 concessions in 190 days

China is gaining large areas for metal mining in Nicaragua at an accelerated pace. In six months, between October 2023 and April 2024, three Chinese companies have received thirteen mining concessions. The sum of these thirteen lots granted is equivalent to 11.66% of the total number of hectares granted for metallic mining in Nicaragua.

The thirteen metallic mining lots in Nicaragua, granted to China, are in the hands of three companies: Zhong Fu Development S.A., Thomas Metal S.A., and Nicaragua XinXin Linze Minera Group S.A.

Each mining concession is valid for 25 years, and the three companies have exclusive rights to explore, exploit, and establish beneficiation plants to process mining materials.

Be the Rufus

MILITARY CENSORSHIP ORDERED: EGYPT ARMY FIRES UPON ISRAELI ARMY – RAFAH

Hal Turner World May 27, 2024

There has been a serious “incident” at the Rafah Border Crossing between the GAZA Strip and Egypt. Egyptian forces opened fire upon Israeli forces – one Egyptian soldier is reportedly dead.

The Israeli Defense Force ORDERED complete Censorship by the media. No reports can be aired in Israel even reporting that anything happened, never mind that shots were fired between the two armies or that one soldier is dead.

Thanks to Amendment One of the Constitution for the United States, we Press here in the United States cannot be stopped from reporting this.

According to witnesses, last night, the Israeli Air Force sent “waves” of fighter jets to bomb areas in and around Rafah, GAZA.

The witnesses say the Israelis dropped bombs on the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) TENT CITY for REFUGEES, slaughtering dozens and injuring hundreds.

Below, a single frame from a video shows an IDF laser-guised PAVEWAY Bomb just before it struck a tent city and detonated:

IDF PAVEWAY Laser Guided Bomb Hitting Tent City

The witnesses describe “Apocalyptic” scenes inside the tent city, with civilians decapitated and others blown literally to pieces by the bombing.

Apparently, it was all too much for some Egyptian Soldiers who – according to witness reports – took it upon themselves to open fire on the Israeli Army.

The situation in GAZA grows worse by the hour. It is now beginning to appear that the Egyptian Army may start taking action on its own, outside of Civilian Control! It also appears that the Israeli Army has had enough of their civilian leaders backing-off, and may be moving to act on its own.

If the two armies reject civilian control and choose to engage, the situation will spin out of control almost immediately.

CHINA INVESTS $50 BILLION in CHIP SELF SUFFICIENCY – biden and usa look foolish…

Japan says that it will help Taiwan if attacked. What do you think?

As a Chinese, I can promise you that if Japan announces or sends troops to Taiwan last one second, China’s missiles will fly to all Japanese military facilities, government agencies, ports, and power facilities the next second. What I said is the most basic idea of all Chinese people. A large number of Chinese people think that we can directly use hydrogen bombs against Japan if Japan sends troops to interfere in China again. China is not a warlike country, but if Japan dares to send troops to Taiwan again, China would rather be an enemy of the whole world and bomb Japan flat, so that those Japanese who started the war will disappear completely.

What Happens When You Use Money to Attract Women

May 22, 2024

Money can buy a lot of things: cars, houses, yachts, a better education, the latest gadgets, and even an island or two if you’re into that sort of thing. But there’s one thing it can’t buy: genuine human connection. Yet, many men fall into the trap of using their wealth to attract women. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well. Here’s what really happens when you use money to attract women and why it’s a terrible idea.

You Attract the Wrong Kind of Attention

Let’s get one thing straight: if you lead with your wallet, you’re going to attract women who are interested in your wallet. It’s as simple as that. These women aren’t interested in you for who you are, what you think, or how you make them feel. They’re interested in what you can provide materially.

You might get a few dates or even a relationship out of it, but it’s all based on a transactional foundation. The moment the money stops flowing, so does the affection. And let’s be honest, that’s not the kind of attention you want. It’s superficial, fleeting, and ultimately unfulfilling.

You Devalue Yourself

When you use money to attract women, you’re sending a clear message: you don’t think you’re enough without it. You’re basically telling the world (and yourself) that your personality, your values, your interests, and your character aren’t sufficient to attract someone on their own. That’s a pretty depressing narrative to live by.

Over time, this belief can erode your self-esteem and make you even more reliant on material wealth to feel worthy. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to break. You become more focused on acquiring and flaunting wealth rather than developing the parts of yourself that truly matter.

You Miss Out on Genuine Connection

The best relationships are built on mutual respect, shared values, and emotional intimacy. When money is the primary attractor, these essential components take a backseat. You’re not building a relationship based on who you are as a person, but rather on what you can offer financially.

This lack of genuine connection can lead to a shallow, unfulfilling relationship. You might find yourself constantly wondering if your partner really loves you for who you are or if they’re just in it for the perks. That’s a tough pill to swallow and can lead to feelings of loneliness and insecurity.

You Set a Precedent for Future Relationships

If you rely on money to attract women, you’re setting a precedent for all your future relationships. You’ll start to believe that wealth is the only way to find and keep a partner, which can limit your ability to form meaningful connections with people who might be genuinely interested in you for who you are.

Moreover, you’re likely to attract people who are more interested in your bank account than your personality. This can lead to a series of superficial relationships that leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled. It’s a cycle that’s hard to break once you’re in it.

Using money to attract women is a losing game. It might work in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable or fulfilling strategy for building meaningful relationships. Instead of relying on your bank account, focus on developing your character, pursuing your passions, and building genuine connections with people who appreciate you for who you are.

Remember, real attraction is about more than just what you have. It’s about who you are. And no amount of money can replace the value of a genuine connection. So, put your wallet away, be yourself, and watch what happens. You might be surprised at how much more fulfilling your relationships can be.

Chinese Dumplings Changed Our Lives

Shorpy

Meanwhile in Russia

Deli Brisket

Ingredients

1 (4 pound) beef brisket
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

Place brisket fat side up in slow cooker.
Sprinkle garlic powder on top and rub ketchup generously into brisket.
Add onion slices all around and on top of meat.
Add enough water to coat the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cook on LOW, all day, for the most tender brisket you will ever eat.
For gravy, remove brisket and turn thermostat to HIGH.
Mix flour with 1/4 cup water, add to pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

How does a rescuer deal with a person who has been cut in half by a truck and obviously will not survive, but is still alive?

One night at a small local community hospital around 1982 we heard a call over the hospital intercom system “Any surgeon in the hospital, please report to the ER STAT.” Now that was a highly unusual overhead announcement. We all looked at each other but didn’t say anything in case a patient or visitor overheard us. About 20 minutes later one of our young respiratory therapists, I’ll call him Jim, came through the stairway door, white as a sheet. There was a young man in the ER, in his 20s, he said, who’d been hit by a car. The car had a large hood ornament, which was common years ago. The way the young man was hit, the hood ornament cut him from his perineal area (crotch) all the way up to his breastbone. So there was a vertical cut rather than horizontal and it was catastrophic. But the young man was alive. They had been able to access his veins,start an IV & were giving him fluids & once they got to the ER, they hung blood.

Jim said, ““He’s fully awake. He’s asking us if he’s going to be ok. I had to leave. They asked him who to call, he said his mother, but she might not be home. (No cellphones back in the day).” Two surgeons responded to the announcement. One said the intestines had been badly mangled, the other said the young man’s bladder was in shreds. They said surgery couldn’t save him, they just didn’t have the resources & the number of surgeons that would be needed to even try, and everyone was waiting for him to die.
We have these things called foot frames…you put them at the bottom of the bed to keep sheets and blankets off the feet. They put a foot frame in the middle of the bed and put a sheet over it so the patient wouldn’t be able to see his body, but the drs could see everything.
“He keeps saying, ‘‘I’m gonna be ok, right, guys? I got hit by a car, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe I got hit by a car. But I’m going to be ok, right? Do I have a broken leg?’ They’ve called his mother, there’s no answer. He’s getting pale and now he says he’s cold and wants blankets…”

He was cold because he was dying and Jim couldn’t bear to watch him die. “He’s my age. He says the car didn’t have lights on, he didn’t see it.” Poor Jim, he was one of those kind of guys who always had a smile & a joke; always laughing. His hands were shaking. “He’s been here at the hospital at least 20 minutes, nobody expected him to stay conscious this long….they’re just waiting for him to die and he’s still talking…. he’s still awake. He said he’s glad he made it because it would kill his mother if he’d died when the car hit him. ….It’s so bad. It’s just so bad…”

The nurses and surgeons stayed there talking to him until he died. Then the nurses did post mortem care. Nobody told him he was going to die because the young man really thought he was going to be ok. He wanted to believe he was going to be ok.

23 Things Only People Who Were Raised By Really Strict Parents Understand

By Katie Mather, August 20th 2015

1. You were always the first person who had to leave when everyone was hanging out.

2. Asking permission for a sleepover at your friend’s house took 37 hours of mental preparation, a detailed powerpoint presentation of your friend’s family tree, and a signed contract in your blood saying you wouldn’t drink and would be in bed by 10pm.

3. Whenever your friends would make plans for later that night, you knew your parents would say no because it literally took them 2-3 business days to process whether they would allow you to go out.

4. You would practice asking your parents for permission to do something in the mirror and preemptively come up with answers to questions you knew they’d ask.

5. You also always had to wait until they were in a good mood before asking for anything.

6. You sometimes whipped out the wounded puppy look and would sigh and say “never mind… you’re going to say no anyway” to garner sympathy from your parents before asking for a really big favor.

7. You would ask your parents once, and only once, if you could hang out at someone’s house. You never understood why your friends would think that “asking them again” would make any difference.

8. You always had to choose between going out on either Friday or Saturday night because there’s no way your parents were going to agree to both.

9. You understand THE PURE, UNADULTERATED PANIC that channels through your veins when your idiot friends change the plans 10 times and you have to keep reexplaining to your parents what you’re doing.

10. You lied constantly. About everything. You still do.

11. You never cursed until you got to college.

12. You never had “The Talk” with your parents. They probably left a book on your bed about your ~changing body~ and let you figure it out.

13. Family dinner conversations revolved around your academics and class schedule—never about your social or love life. As far as your parents were concerned, you didn’t have either.

14. To this day, you still can’t get dressed without wondering what your parents would think about what you’re wearing. Middle and high school were a 7 year war over whether that skirt was too short or if the words on your Abercrombie shirt were too suggestive.

15. Getting one piercing in your ears was the extent of what you could do to your body. If you even thought about dying your hair an unconventional color, getting a tattoo, or even getting a second piercing, hell would freeze over.

16. You probably shared the same first name as at least 4-5 other people in your classes growing up.

17. You always changed the channel if your parents walked in on you watching something where the characters might kiss.

18. Your parents always tried to sign up to chaperone school functions and field trips.

19. Manners were everything. You got the “I don’t want people to think you were raised by wolves” speech almost as often as the “is your napkin not on your lap at the dinner table? Do you do this at other people’s houses? I can’t let you out in public if you don’t put your napkin on your lap” lecture.

20. You’ve spent years dreaming of rebellion in the form of making spontaneous plans or wearing flip flops to the airport.

21. Your impulse reaction to hearing your friends say they had sleepovers with their significant others is open-mouthed shock.

22. You’re careful telling jokes to your parents because their response toes the line between laughing along to immediately going off on a 45 minute rant and probably sending you to your room afterwards.

23. If you miss one phone call, your parents suddenly assume you’re smoking “that marijuana” with “that one friend of yours” they KNEW was going to be a bad influence.

New fear unlocked

How would the U.S.A. beat China in a war?

It depends on where the war is fought. If it’s fought out at sea, far from China’s territory, then the USA would have the advantage in naval power.

If it’s fought on Chinese territory, the Americans don’t stand a chance. China’s defensive capabilities are unmatched. China has the world’s largest army. China has the world’s largest navy (destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines, etc.). China bristles with rockets and missiles (esp. hypersonic). China has a large and rapidly growing fleet of stealth aircraft.

What is the rudest thing that anybody has ever said directly to you?

“I know your type!”

I was about 22 years old, meeting a friend from work at a bar near the beach when he introduced me to one of his friends, a woman about the same age as we were.

She took one look at me and said, “I know your type! You’re a business major. You’re in a fraternity. You think you’re privileged and better than others.”

I didn’t know what to do. She looked at me and then said, “See! Just try to deny it. I nailed it didn’t I!?”

I can’t remember much else. I looked over at my friend for help but he had turned the other way talking with someone else and hadn’t heard anything she had said.

I may have said something like, “Do you think Neil would be friends with someone like that? Please ask him about me.” I felt like maybe something bad had happened to her and rebutting her at that moment wasn’t as good as having her talk to our mutual friend. I felt unwelcome and left. I wasn’t really interested in arguing or apologies. The moment was ruined.

It was rude because none of it was true. I was a drama major, working a minimum wage job paying my way through college, never had any interest in fraternities and generally disliked the whole good ole boy mentality. I was however blonde, blue eyed, clean cut, and wore 50’s retro style clothing. I probably looked the part.

Be the Rufus

Anti-communism, not anti-semitism, is constituted in Malaysia. Why doesn’t Malaysia recognize Israel but hold Communist China’s legs?

Why should Malaysia recognize Israel?

Why should we have any diplomatic relations with an occupying government in Palestine that commits genocide and other human rights violations on the Palestinians?

Why should we allow these type of genocidal Zionist people in our country? So they can lord it over us? We didn’t celebrate Merdeka so we can be colonized again. An Israel embassy is a colonial outpost. If you know Malaysian history, you know that the British Resident was the advisor to the Sultan and in effect was the real leader during the British colonial era. An Israeli ambassador is not here to be a regular ambassador, he would be a Jewish Resident. After the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonial eras, we don’t need a Jewish colonial era. We have seen what happens to Jewish colonies.

As for Communist China, while we do have relations and even trade relations and a visa free policy between Malaysia and China, what we have are bilateral relations on equal terms. Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese do not lobby Malaysia to champion Chinese hegemony the way America’s Jewish corporates lobby the USA to champion Jewish hegemony. We also do not allow China to spread communism or other Chinese origin ideologies here and China respects that because China does not interfere in Malaysia’s affairs.

If Malaysia ever recognizes Israel, that is the day I will leave Malaysia, because it means the minority Chinese and Indians are truly no longer safe. A Malaysia that supports Israel is also going to be a Malaysia that has no qualms about committing genocide on the ethnic Chinese and Indians in Malaysia with the help of Zionist Jews. I really don’t think any of our esteemed minorities in Malaysia have thought that through.

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients

2 pounds round steak, cubed
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in slow cooker. Stir in flour and mix to coat steak cubes.
Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT sour cream. Stir well.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving, and stir in thoroughly.
Serve over hot buttered noodles.

He is trying to steal this car…

MSM Silent As Court Holds PCR Covid Tests 97% Inaccurate – Unfit for Purpose

Hal Turner World May 26, 2024 Hits: 29693

The main stream media (MSM) in Europe and the US is deathly silent as a court determines the PCR test legally useless to test for Covid.

The Landmark legal ruling finds that Covid tests are not fit for purpose. So what does the MSM do? They ignore it

Four German holidaymakers who were illegally quarantined in Portugal after one was judged to be positive for Covid-19 have won their case, in a verdict that condemns the widely-used PCR test as being up to 97-percent unreliable.

Earlier this month, Portuguese judges upheld a decision from a lower court that found the forced quarantine of four holidaymakers to be unlawful. The case centered on the reliability (or lack thereof) of Covid-19 PCR tests.

The verdict, delivered on November 11, followed an appeal against a writ of habeas corpus filed by four Germans against the Azores Regional Health Authority. This body had been appealing a ruling from a lower court which had found in favor of the tourists, who claimed that they were illegally confined to a hotel without their consent. The tourists were ordered to stay in the hotel over the summer after one of them tested positive for coronavirus in a PCR test – the other three were labelled close contacts and therefore made to quarantine as well.

Unreliable, with a strong chance of false positives

The deliberation of the Lisbon Appeal Court is comprehensive and fascinating. It ruled that the Azores Regional Health Authority had violated both Portuguese and international law by confining the Germans to the hotel. The judges also said that only a doctor can “diagnose” someone with a disease, and were critical of the fact that they were apparently never assessed by one.

They were also scathing about the reliability of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, the most commonly used check for Covid.

The conclusion of their 34-page ruling included the following: “In view of current scientific evidence, this test shows itself to be unable to determine beyond reasonable doubt that such positivity corresponds, in fact, to the infection of a person by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”

In the eyes of this court, then, a positive test does not correspond to a Covid case. The two most important reasons for this, said the judges, are that, “the test’s reliability depends on the number of cycles used’’ and that “the test’s reliability depends on the viral load present.’’ In other words, there are simply too many unknowns surrounding PCR testing.

Tested positive? There could be as little as a 3% chance it’s correct

This is not the first challenge to the credibility of PCR tests. Many people will be aware that their results have a lot to do with the number of amplifications that are performed, or the ‘cycle threshold.’ This number in most American and European labs is 35–40 cycles, but experts have claimed that even 35 cycles is far too many, and that a more reasonable protocol would call for 25–30 cycles. (Each cycle exponentially increases the amount of viral DNA in the sample).

Earlier this year, data from three US states – New York, Nevada and Massachusetts – showed that when the amount of the virus found in a person was taken into account, up to 90 percent of people who tested positive could actually have been negative, as they may have been carrying only tiny amounts of the virus.

The Portuguese judges cited a study conducted by “some of the leading European and world specialists,” which was published by Oxford Academic at the end of September. It showed that if someone tested positive for Covid at a cycle threshold of 35 or higher, the chances of that person actually being infected is less than three percent, and that “the probability of… receiving a false positive is 97% or higher.”

While the judges in this case admitted that the cycle threshold used in Portuguese labs was unknown, they took this as further proof that the detention of the tourists was unlawful. The implication was that the results could not be trusted. Because of this uncertainty, they stated that there was “no way this court would ever be able to determine” whether the tourist who tested positive was indeed a carrier of the virus, or whether the others had been exposed to it.

Sshhh – don’t tell anyone

It is a sad indictment of our mainstream media that such a landmark ruling, of such obvious and pressing international importance, has been roundly ignored. If one were making (flimsy) excuses for them, one could say that the case escaped the notice of most science editors because it has been published in Portuguese. But there is a full English translation of the appeal, and alternative media managed to pick it up.

And it isn’t as if Portugal is some remote, mysterious nation where news is unreliable or whose judges are suspect – this is a western EU country with a large population and a similar legal system to many other parts of Europe. And it is not the only country whose institutions are clashing with received wisdom on Covid. Finland’s national health authority has disputed the WHO’s recommendation to test as many people as possible for coronavirus, saying it would be a waste of taxpayer’s money, while poorer South East Asian countries are holding off on ordering vaccines, citing an improper use of finite resources.

Testing, especially PCR testing, is the basis for the entire house of cards of Covid restrictions that are wreaking havoc worldwide. From testing comes case numbers. From case numbers come the ‘R number,’ the rate at which a carrier infects others. From the ‘dreaded’ R number comes the lockdowns and the restrictions, such as England’s new and baffling tiered restrictions that come into force next week.

The daily barrage of statistics is familiar to us all by this point, but as time goes on the evidence that something may be deeply amiss with the whole foundation of our reaction to this pandemic – the testing regime – continues to mount.

Vintage Illustration

What did someone do or say at the bank that made you say, “You gotta be kidding me!”?

I took a ship to Chittagong to be scrapped. The owners sent money to a local bank to clear the wage bill. Since the crew hadn’t been paid for some time, this amounted to a lot. When I went to collect the cash, the manager gave me about half in currency notes and the rest in American Express travellers cheques. “There isn’t that much currency in the whole of Bangladesh.” I paid my Myanmarese sailors and three Russian officers in cash and the Indians with the TCs.

On return to India I went to deposit the TCs in my bank. It was a well known foreign bank which had taken over the retail banking business in India of BoA.

“You won’t get the money in your account for one month because we have to send the TCs to New York for verification.” American Express had an office in Chennai. They accepted the TCs and gave me a cashier’s cheque for the amount. I deposited the cheque in my regular bank and the funds were available the next day.

Insane save!

The United States used to have cachet in China. Not anymore.

There was a time not so long ago in China when anything American was automatically seen as better. In the 1990s, weddings were held at a McDonald’s near Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. By the 2000s, Nike sneakers, iPhones and dates at Pizza Hut were the badges of middle-class achievement.

America, which is called “Meiguo” or “beautiful country” in Chinese, was the bastion of wealth and ease. Even the moon hung larger in the United States than in China, people used to joke.

Now, Chinese media and commentators mockingly refer to the United States not as “Meiguo” but as “Meidi” — “the beautiful imperialist.”

And Chinese shoppers are more likely to be sipping a drink from Luckin, a Chinese coffee chain, than Starbucks or lining up all night to buy Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro than the latest Apple device. Today, no one says the moon is any different when seen from the United States.

“Back in the days you looked at American brands you just felt they were cooler,” said Tracy Liu, a 30-year-old translator in Shanghai. “Now people chase after domestic brands.”

WTF?

What’s the most brutal and intense hand-to-hand fight you’ve ever had?

In my freshman year of high school, I pissed off 5 upperclassmen on the football team at once.

On the first day of football practice, I commented that the team’s starting linebacker was a tiny dude. For comparison, I was 6′1″, 230 Lbs and he was 5′7″, 190 Lbs. Well, when you’re a piece of shit freshman who hasn’t even played a game yet, you just don’t talk about a Senior like that. I didn’t know that because I was a dumbass and sophomores were baiting me into talking shit about that guy who everyone except me knew was extremely aggressive.

After practice, the Senior who I talked shit about confronted me. Instead of apologizing and moving on, I told him to fuck off. As you can guess, that didn’t make him very happy.

A few weeks later, him and 4 of his closest friends attempted to jump me in my neighborhood. I got off the school bus and as soon as the bus drove away, they started surrounding me. One guy got his phone out and said “this is gonna be epic, better record it.”

They quickly started closing in around me. My adrenaline started pumping and I was in the zone. I had never fought 5 dudes at once before, so I was definitely on edge. However, these guys had challenged me and I was going to respond in kind and protect my honor. I was an amateur boxer, I knew that a few well placed strikes would knock these guys out. I started taunting the guy who I offended and making fun of him for needing so much backup to fight one guy. My hope was that this tactic would appeal to his ego and make him fight me one on one, where I was guaranteed to win. My strategy worked, the other guys backed off and he decided to take me on alone.

When I saw the other guys back off, I got into my fighting stance and hit him with a hard right cross. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, out cold. The other guys started ganging up on me. I took off my belt and started whipping them in the face. I quickly moved on the biggest guy in the group and hit with a left-right jab combo, he hit the ground – I broke his nose. He was out. I took the belt and strangled another guy and bashed him in the head with my elbow. He went down. The other 2 dudes grabbed me from each side and started beating the shit out of me. I felt blood trickling down my nose. I used a technique my dad taught me and tripped one of the guys and stomped on his face. He didn’t get up and the other guys hit me with a right uppercut. I literally flew up in the air and came crashing down. I was a bit woozy and everything looked blurry. That guy started running towards me like an enraged bull, I got up quickly staggered backwards and hit him with a left jab and right upper cut, he went up and then he came down. He came back up, I kneed him in the face and he went down. The adrenaline rush wore off and I kind of crashed down next to a tree stump.

Some lady had seen the whole thing and asked me if I was ok. It wasn’t a pretty sight, my clothes were torn up and my face was all bloody. I told her I was fine. I got up and called my buddy, explained the situation and asked him what I should do. There were 5 dudes on the ground, 3 unconscious, 2 writhing in pain. He told me to just walk home and I did. I guess they all got up and went home at some point.

The next day at football practice, I was ushered into the Coaches office and all 6 of us got yelled at for at least an hour. Then we were forced to shake hands and apologize to each other. Those guys never bothered me after that. I had earned their respect and they didn’t want to escalate the situation. I never disrespected them again either.

The good thing was that my fight became legendary in school. The defensive line coach took to calling me “Iron Adi” based on “Iron Mike Tyson”. He even made fun of it from time to time. He told the other guys if they ever pissed him off, he’d let me loose on them.

The Circleville Letters Mystery | Why can’t we solve this?

Why do people prefer to emigrate than to fix their countries?

Because some people don’t want to fix them.

A friend of mine decided to give something back to the UK community and taught GCSE maths at a community centre. He charged them nothing for it, those who wanted it could pay the £120 (at the time this was 00s) to take their exams. They could give 50p or something to the community hall for them to pay their bills.

He saw a problem and tried to fix it at his own cost. He gave up after 2 groups. He managed to get about 12 people to graduate and put up their photos as success. He gave up because the vast majority of people who took his course were wasters. They were sent by the job centre and had no interest in learning anything and would simply go there to drink tea and play on their phones.

That’s literally an unfixable problem, they don’t want to learn and have no interest in learning.

What were some things kids did in the 70s that would horrify today’s parents?

My brother and I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Here’s a few common things that we did, which might make modern parents uncomfortable…

Riding bicycles and skateboards without helmets, knee pads, elbow pads or anything else…
Spend most of our free time outdoors and unsupervised, including walking to school.
Driving in cars without airbags, seat belts and without cell phones.
Playing outdoor sports and games in the middle of the street.
Playing with BB guns, pellet guns, real bows and arrows, sling shots, lawn darts, cap guns, firecrackers and acetylene cannons.
Building things, like tree houses in trees found on vacant lots, from scrap lumber at construction sites…
Playing on “real” playground equipment, like 30-foot high swing sets, 8-foot high monkey bars, 15-foot high steel slides or even old decommissioned F-86 fighter planes, like we had at our elementary school.
Paddles with holes drilled in them, hanging in the Principal’s office at school.
Playing with toys like chemistry sets, with real reactive chemicals, radioactive science kits, hot plate cooking sets, where you make your own edible rubberized candy, which resembled insects, or buying snacks like candy cigarettes, which resembled real cigarettes.
Dressing up at Halloween like hobos (homeless people.) Politically incorrect, which wasn’t a thing back then…
Building plastic model kits, using model cement (styrene glue.) Using electronic kits to build radios and other devices using hot soldering irons and lead solder.
Going to the library to check out books for information, since there was no internet, cell phones, iPads or personal computers.
Mowing lawns, building a lemonade stand or selling candy at school to raise money. We’d use our hard-earned money to go to the record store and purchase albums and 45’s.
Listening to transistor radios for music, since there were no iPods, Walkman players or cell phones.

Too many things to remember…

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you after doing a good deed?

I got arrested, handcuffed, and stuffed into the back of a police cruiser and driven downtown to be booked for felony assault and battery…

I cold-cocked a guy (from behind, without apologies – he was twice my size) who was beating the crap out of a woman maybe half my size with his fists on the sidewalk, and she instantly leaped on my back and started shrieking at me and trying to pull my hair out for “attacking her man”. When the cops arrived (somebody had already apparently called them), they really had no choice but to arrest me….

When we got to the police station, the arresting officer sat me down on a bench right next to the front door, and took off my handcuffs, saying, “Now don’t you run off or anything… We haven’t even got your name yet”, and disappeared into the back with the desk sergeant.

About ten minutes later, after seeing both of them poke their heads around the edge of the door to check on me a few times, the desk sergeant came back out, squatted down next to me, sighed heavily while shaking his head sadly, and said, “You’re either way too good to be true, or way too stupid to survive, but you need to listen carefully here… <wink wink> You are sitting, unrestrained, one half second away from freedom while we, silly trusting saps that we are, forgot to even ask who the fuck you are. Why, if you were to walk out of here, it’s unlikely we could ever figure out who to look for, much less where to find you… <wink wink wink wink>… So don’t <wink like a natural spastic> go getting any funny ideas or nuthin’…” <heavy sigh>

About a minute later, the light-bulb went on in my head (I guess the adrenaline level had dropped enough) and I walked out the door, a free, but terrified and utterly confused nineteen year old…

That was forty four years ago, and the desk sergeant retired in 2003, but I still see him at Whole Foods or Home Depot from time to time – and he still shakes his head sadly and wink winks at me every time I run into him.

Bastard!

Daddy’s Golden Mushroom Chuck Roast

This is great on Portuguese rolls.

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast, browned in 2 tablespoons oil
4 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
1 large can mushrooms, drained, or 12 ounces washed fresh mushrooms whole or sliced
Milk (use the 4 soup cans to fill each 1/2 way)

Instructions

Place browned meat into slow cooker.
Mix the 4 cans of Golden Mushroom Soup with the milk, using a whisk to blend smoothly. Stir in drained can of mushrooms or fresh mushrooms.
Set slow cooker on LOW for 8, and let cook for 8 to 10 hours. If you like it thicker, shut off slow cooker and mix cornstarch and water and stir into gravy.
Serve with mashed potatoes or wide noodles or dumplings and a veggie.
Also good as a sandwich because meat pulls apart.

Expert says a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be over in less than an hour

12 People Who Survived a Suicide Attempt Reveal Their Last Thoughts Before Attempting To Take Their Own Lives

May 22, 2024

1. Tried to overdose on Oxycontin, last thoughts were immediate regret after I pushed the plunger on the syringe all the way down, all I felt was remorse and sadness that I wouldn’t be alive anymore. Woke up 20-24 hours later extremely grateful to be alive and got help with my drug addiction, now 4 year sober on 8/14.

2. I have severe depression and never knew what genuine happiness felt like until I was 17 and on meds from the hospital after my suicide attempt, it was so overwhelming I just started sobbing in the car with my mom, out of nowhere.

Anyway, I had taken a bottle of Xanax when my mom left for church, it wasn’t planned I was just at my mental breaking point and panicked, I sat in the kitchen floor and I felt an overwhelming sense of euphoria, I just kept thinking ‘it’s over. It’s over. It’s over’

I didn’t regret it until my mom found me because she turned around after realizing she left something at home, I will never forgive myself for putting her through that. I’m 24 and the memory of her crying and tell me she loved me and she was sorry still haunts me. I have a lump in my throat just typing this.

3. The 3rd attempt was the final one. After 2 failures (tried to OD on benadryl demerol and vodka, 2nd attempt was hanging), the pain was just too much to handle.

I remember it was the Monday after Easter in 2000 I just turned 21. I came home from my internship with a bottle of skky vodka and sheet plastic. It was after 9pm, I had finished the vodka and put the plastic over my bed. I made a few phone calls to say sorry and got the box cutter out. I had it on my wrist ready to slash down to my elbow, blood began welling up and my father came in.

I saw the look of disappointment in his eyes, just one more thing I did wrong. I went through my window and took off. I went running no idea where to but I wanted to find a busy road to jump into traffic. I jumped in front of a car, it stopped. My friends got out and put me in the car to go to a diner for coffee to sober up.

Sobered up some, took off again looking to jump in the street again. I remember being so tired and fell to the ground. Next thing I know is that I’m in a hospital waking up even more depressed.

I ended up getting the help I needed. I still take zoloft everyday, but I am well adjusted now. Still have ups and downs but never that low. That was 16 years ago and this was the first time I have fully told this tale.

4. “I hope this works.”

“Oh, gods, that hurts!”

“Fuck, I made a mess on the carpet. I always make a mess for other people.”

Getting light headed

“Damn it, he’s going to have to deal with my death if I let this happen here… He doesn’t deserve that.”

Goes to stop the bleeding

“Fuck, why did I do that? So stupid. What will everyone think of me?”

5. I took around 20,000 mg of ibuprofen. At first, all I felt was relief. I wouldn’t have to deal with the shit going on in my head any longer. But I started vomiting, and then I started having these weird visions of how people I know would react to my death. People at my school gossiping about it, my teachers talking to each other in hushed voices. I saw my little sister hearing the news and breaking into tears. I saw her go down the road of self-destruction, just as I did. I saw my mother devastated. Once I stopped having these visions, I threw up some more and told a family member to bring me to the hospital. They got all the ibuprofen out of my system. I’ve been seeing a therapist and I’m doing quite a bit better now.

6. I tried to cut my throat, but I stopped because my dog was scared. I didn’t want to lose her, or my family.

7. “Everything is so fuzzy. This could be it… Goodnight.” I tried to OD several times. It’s a wonder my organs are okay.

The last time I tried to kill myself was by jumping under a car. My last thought was “fucking do it, nobody will care and you know it.” Then a drunk person pulled me back. It hit me- what a selfish way to go. Someone would have had to live with that- hitting a 17 year old girl at 6am on their way to work.

8. I laid down in my bed hearing my husband prepare my infant daughter her nighttime bottle and thought: “she’ll be fine without me, better off in fact.” She didn’t know me yet and I thought my husband and parents could raise her without my toxic damaging influence. All I could think was that I was giving my daughter a gift, a life without me as her mother. She could imagine me as anything she wanted or needed. She’d never know my weaknesses and failures. I’d just be a few photos on her dad’s Facebook. And maybe not even that if he remarried. It was the ultimate feeling of release.

9. I jumped off of a bridge. 80 ft. I remember looking down and instantly diving off. In the air I had done a flip and was thinking “What happens next happens.” Falling was so peaceful, I felt free. It was only a few seconds but it felt like a life time of floating towards heaven. Then I hit the water. I thought I was dead until I took a breath of air and was like “oh shit. it didnt work. lol. now what.” I started laughing really hard and thought “of course i survived. lol. of course this would happen to me. It took me 30 minutes to get out of the Puget Sound. Very cold. Almost drowned. Almost died of hypothermia in the hospital.

I’m so much better now. I wouldn’t say that I am happy that I jumped off of the bridge, but it changed my life for all of the better. I found a therapy that worked for me and wow. lol.

10. I didn’t go through with it… But I wrote down my feelings about the time I came close.

Things all came to a head one night in the parking lot at WalMart. I was devastatingly drunk. Crying. Drowning in self-loathing and alcohol. I hated myself. I hated the person I was. I hated the things I had done to the people that loved me. I wanted to die. I kept a .40 cal semi-auto handgun tucked between the front seats in my truck. I looked at it. I picked it up. I felt like freedom was inside it. I had to let it out. All the pain would go away. Nobody would have to deal with me anymore. I couldn’t do any more damage to anyone if I were gone. I pulled back the hammer, I stuck the barrel into my mouth, it tasted just like it smelled… I started to squeeze the trigger… People in my life started to flash into my mind and the thoughts of how it would affect them. First was my son, 23 at the time. He had a girlfriend blow her head off with a .357 magnum when he was 19. How will this affect him, I asked myself. He got over it once, he’ll get over it again, I answered. I squeezed the trigger a little more. My step-daughters, 20 and 25 at the time, how will this affect them, I asked. They would be glad to see me go, I answered quickly. I squeezed the trigger a little more. My mom, who lost her oldest child to cancer 12 years ago, how will this affect her, I asked myself. She lost one, she can lose another, I answered. I squeezed the trigger a little more. My ex-wife… How would… I stopped squeezing. I saw an image of her on her knees. Crying. Not just crying, bawling. That deep, gut wrenching, terribly broken soul heaving cry. I pulled the gun out of my mouth, unloaded it and threw it into the back seat which was full of everything I owned. I broke down and cried harder than I ever had in my life. That was it. I was done.

11. “Finally I’ll have some peace.”

I tried to overdose- mixed opiates and benzos. My best friend found me and took me back to his place. I was severely loopy. Slept for hours. Woke up and immediately thought “I wasn’t supposed to wake up.” I walked to the pharmacy and bought gel cap sleep aids and liquid sleep aids. Proceeded to chase the entire box of pills with the syrup. Apparently my best friend found me scarfing the pills down in his bed saying “nothing matters.” 911 was called. I ended up in a psych ward for 5 days. I haven’t suffered from su

Expert says a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be over in less than an hour

icidal ideation in a while, I manage my depression with talk therapy.

For the record- I never felt regret or that last minute “what have I done?!”

12. I hung myself within the last year. Reasons are…..well my reasons. The last thought I render before blacking out was one of peace. It was the one and only time I remember feeling in control of my own life. I felt, for lack of a better word, right. It scares the absolute shit out of me, because I can’t stop thinking about it, and how much I wish I felt that way always.

Everything seems so much worse now, I have friends who are angry they couldn’t talk me through it so they have cut me off for being “selfish”. The only thing keeping me from trying again is my mom. But it’s strained our relationship.

I feel worthless, and love the feeling of being 100% in control.

Answers (Impossible to explain)

German Bundestag Calls For Ukraine Air Defense Zone by NATO

Hal Turner World May 26, 2024

The German Bundestag has called for expanding the European air defense zone to the territory of western Ukraine in a corridor 70 to 100 km wide.

This would see NATO engaging air targets to protect LVIV all the way south to Odessa, which Russia is presently hitting.

If NATO engages Russia air power over Ukraine, then Russia can engage NATO.

The West just won’t stop interfering, and sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. Ukraine is not a NATO member.

Developing . . . .

“I’m jealous of how easy boomers had it”

May 20, 2024

Boomers had a much easier time getting a stable job and buying a house than today. They were able to easily hold the same job for 40 years, retire with a pension and buying a decent home. They were able to do that even if it wasnt a prestigious white collar job

Now stable jobs are almost non existent as layoffs happen to almost everyone multiple times in their life, housing prices are unimaginably high to the point where buying one is only for the wealthy. Even getting a job is harder because there is no face to face interaction you are just another application.

This is why I can’t take them serious when they lecture younger generations about making money or being successful

Hey there,

I get it, you’re feeling envious of the boomers and their seemingly easy lives. But let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Sure, some boomers had stable jobs and affordable houses, but that’s not the whole story. Many of them faced incredible hardships that we often overlook. Take my uncle, for example. He got shipped off to Vietnam, along with a bunch of his peers. Can you imagine the trauma and pain they experienced? It’s no wonder that so many of them came back with what we now call PTSD, but back then, they were just told to “walk it off” and deal with their “shell-shock.”

And let’s not forget about the rampant racism, sexism, and homophobia that plagued society during the boomers’ formative years. If you were anything other than a straight, white male, life was a constant battle. Women were treated like second-class citizens, gay people were ostracized and faced the horrors of the AIDS epidemic, and people of color dealt with systemic oppression and discrimination.

Even the economy wasn’t as rosy as some might have you believe. The 1970s and early 1980s were marked by recession, inflation, and job losses. Many boomers saw their careers upended and their savings wiped out.

And what about the lack of mental health awareness and the stigma surrounding seeking help? Or the fact that many diseases that are curable today were a death sentence back then?

It’s easy to look back with rose-colored glasses and imagine that life was simpler and easier, but the reality is that every generation faces its own set of challenges. The boomers had their fair share of struggles, just like we do today.

Instead of complaining about how much easier the boomers had it, focus on what you can control. Work on developing valuable skills that will make you indispensable in today’s job market. Learn to live below your means so you can save money and invest in your future. And most importantly, stop comparing yourself to others.

So, don’t get bogged down in envy or frustration. Use it as fuel. Understand that the world has changed and is still changing. Adapt. Innovate. Take risks. The boomers had their shot; now it’s our turn to shape what success looks like in this era. The game is different, but that doesn’t mean it’s unwinnable.

You got this.

High-Value Man TRIGGERED American Women After He Told Them They Aren’t Wife Material

Why Playing It Safe Is Holding You Back from Your Best Life

May 20, 2024

Alright, folks, let’s get something straight. If you think you can achieve happiness and success by playing it safe, hiding from discomfort, and avoiding risks, you’re living in a fantasy. Sorry to burst your bubble, but happiness and success are not hiding behind the curtains of your comfort zone. They’re out there, in the real world, where things are messy, unpredictable, and sometimes downright scary.

Cowardice, my friends, is a trap. It lures you in with promises of safety and security, whispering sweet nothings about how avoiding confrontation will keep you safe. But here’s the brutal truth: cowardice will keep you safe from nothing. It will rob you of the very experiences that make life worth living.

When you avoid risks, you avoid the possibility of failure. But guess what? You also avoid the possibility of success. When you avoid discomfort, you avoid growth. And when you avoid confrontation, you avoid the chance to stand up for what you believe in and make a real impact.

Because here’s the deal: all the truly worthwhile things in life – deep relationships, meaningful achievements, personal growth – they all require courage. They require you to step outside your comfort zone, to take risks, to face your fears head-on.

Think about it. That dream job you’ve been pining for? You’ll never land it if you’re too scared to apply or put yourself out there. That person you’ve been crushing on? You’ll never know what could be if you don’t muster up the guts to make a move. That life-changing adventure you’ve been fantasizing about? It’ll remain a fantasy if you’re too chicken-shit to actually go for it.

Now, I’m not saying it’s easy. Facing your fears is fucking terrifying sometimes. It’s uncomfortable and awkward and there’s always the chance of failure or rejection. But you know what’s worse? Waking up one day and realizing that you let all your opportunities pass you by because you were too busy cowering in the corner.

Because at the end of the day, happiness and success aren’t about avoiding pain or discomfort. They’re about embracing the full spectrum of human experience, the good and the bad. They’re about having the courage to go after what you want, even when it scares the hell out of you.

So stop making excuses. Stop letting fear dictate your choices. Start taking bold, courageous action towards the things that truly matter to you. Will it be easy? Hell no. Will it be worth it? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Remember, fortune favors the bold, not the cowardly. So get out there and start facing your fears, one terrifying step at a time. It’s the only way to unlock your full potential and create a life that truly fulfills you.

Have you ever had to tell something like “You have exactly 9 seconds to get out of my house” to someone whom you knew very well? If so, what made you do that?

I was in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Alaska, along with my wife and preschool children. My mother-in-law came up from Iowa to visit. She walked off the plane with my wife’s nephew. MIL had been invited … toddler nephew was not invited. The look I gave my wife probably scorched her a bit.

As we were leaving the Anchorage airport, we pointed out all the foreign flagged aircraft. This turned out to be beneficial less than an hour later.

Minutes after arriving at our apartment, the phone rang. Collect call from one of wife’s siblings. Wife hears me say, “Yes, I will accept collect call charges.” I then handed the phone to MIL. I didn’t say anything to MIL or to my wife. My wife looked at me and, based on the look on my face, decided to not say anything to me either.

When MIL hung up (after an extended discussion), I said to MIL, “We invited YOU up to visit. We DID NOT invite [nephew] up here. Furthermore, we DID NOT invite intrusions by [wife’s] brothers and sisters.”

I continued by explaining, “I need that phone for my Air Force duties. If we lose that phone due to not being able to pay for lots of collect calls, I will be forced to move on base.”

I went on to explain that family housing on base was very limited. So, I would probably be assigned single enlisted quarters on base. [Wife] and our children would have stay in this apartment. I would be allowed to visit them, provided I notified my supervisor or chain of command each and ever time I’d be out of telephone contact, as well as how long I expected to be out of contact.

(Even if I didn’t have a roommate in the enlisted quarters, wife and children would have to be signed in and signed out.)

I finished by telling MIL, “If this continues, we will put you and [nephew] on the very next plane out of Anchorage.” My wife chimed in to say, “And we won’t check to see where the plane is headed.”

The Mindfuck of Parental Abandonment (And How to Unfuck Yourself)

May 20, 2024

Imagine this: you’re a little kid, and one of the people you depend on most in this world – a parent who’s supposed to love you unconditionally – up and leaves you. They peace out, either physically or emotionally, and you’re left holding the bag of your own shattered expectations and broken heart.

Now, as a child, you don’t have the cognitive or emotional resources to process this kind of trauma in a healthy way. You can’t rationally say, “Well, Mom/Dad are clearly dealing with their own issues and limitations which have nothing to do with my inherent lovability.” Nah, your kiddie brain defaults to the most obvious, ego-centric explanation: “It must be my fault. I must not be good enough. If I were better, they wouldn’t have left.”

Boom. In one fell swoop, your self-worth takes a major hit. And that belief – that you’re fundamentally unlovable or deficient – can linger in your psyche like a bad fart in an elevator, stinking up your emotional wellbeing for years to come.

Fast forward to adulthood, and you may find yourself unconsciously replaying this abandonment drama in your relationships. You pick partners who are emotionally unavailable or who treat you like shit, because on some level, you’re still trying to prove your worth to that original abandoning parent. Or you push away anyone who gets too close, because vulnerability equals the risk of being left again, and fuck that noise.

Meanwhile, you’re walking around with a gnawing emptiness inside, a sense that you’re just not quite good enough, no matter what you accomplish or how much external validation you rack up. Because that wounded little kid is still calling the shots, defining your worth through the lens of an event you didn’t have the capacity to understand at the time.

So how do you break free from this emotional mindfuck? How do you reclaim your self-worth from the jaws of abandonment?

It starts with recognizing that your parent’s choices had fuck-all to do with your value as a person. They left because of their own limitations, not because of yours. You could have been the most perfect, adorable, lovable little rugrat on the planet, and they still would have bailed, because they were wrestling with their own demons that had nothing to do with you.

Next, you have to grieve. You have to feel the pain of that abandonment fully, to sit with the anger and sadness and hurt, instead of constantly running from it or numbing it with self-destructive habits. This isn’t easy, and you may need the help of a therapist to navigate this emotional shitstorm, but it’s necessary to heal that wounded little kid inside.

Finally, you have to start redefining your worth on your own terms. You have to learn to love and accept yourself, flaws and all, without needing constant external validation to prove your value. This means setting boundaries in your relationships, pursuing your passions unapologetically, and treating yourself with the kindness and respect you deserved all along.

It’s a long, messy, uncomfortable process, but it’s so fucking worth it. Because when you can stare down the pain of abandonment and come out the other side still knowing your inherent worthiness, that’s real freedom. That’s self-love in action.

So if you’re struggling with the aftermath of parental abandonment, know that you’re not alone, and your pain is valid. But also know that you have the power to rewrite the story. You get to decide what defines your worth, not some emotionally stunted adult who projected their own issues onto an innocent child.

It won’t be easy, but few worthwhile things are. The journey to wholeness never is. But trust me, it beats the hell out of staying stuck in the emotional quagmire of self-blame and unworthiness.

Compilation: UFOs & Aliens!

Say no to mega farting

When I was attending university, I would eat at the cafeteria. They had numerous cafeterias, all spread out on the campus. And after (we) would eat, we would hike to the Engineering library to study, and then when it closed, to the law library.

One day it was before midterms and all the libraries were closed, so we went into the English building, found our own individual rooms and started to study in absolute silence.

But on this particular day, I started to develop amazing gas from the food. I don’t know what they did, but it was fart-central for me. I was just in pain from the bloated stomach and abdomen, and I was a farting up a storm. And for three hours I studied and farted. I studied and farted. And then I farted some more.

A couple came up and looked into the quiet room and then went over to the pipes near the end of the building. Perhaps they were a sewer pipe they mused.

Another hour passed. I farted and then farted. I was a darn machine!

When my buddy Jay came up to get me he exclaimed “Damn! It smells like a God damn sewer up here!” ha ha.

Yeah. It was that bad.

It was on this day that I experienced “mega farting”.

I advise you all not to duplicate this feat. Fart at will, but when it comes to mega-farting, go get help. Take some medicine and let it settle. Be kind to those around you.

Say no to mega farting.

Today…

What is the rudest thing you have ever done?

The rudest thing I ever did also changed my life.

During my first year in college, I was sitting at a little outdoor coffee shop on campus. It was a nice, sunny day, and the patio was packed with people. The shop was alongside one of the main campus arteries, and crowds of people were walking by, to and from their classes.

In the distance I noticed a young blind woman working her way among the human traffic flow. She had a cane, as many blind people do, and was using it to navigate along the edge of the path at a steady pace. Just another young student like me, going to class. As she made her way along the railing of the shop and past my table, I glanced over my shoulder to view her road ahead.

And then I saw it.

A large tree was on the edge of the path, its old branches had long since grown out in every direction. One particular branch, on its heavenwardly ascent, cut an angle into the avenue. It only intersected the path at head height for a few feet, an easy obstruction to duck aside or avoid on such a wide lane.

Easy, of course, if you can see it.

I froze. In the massive throng of people, no one else seemed to notice the impending meeting between head and branch. Just me. I knew I should shout out. I absolutely and unquestionably knew I should start yelling loudly “blind woman, please stop!” Maybe vault the rail that separated the coffee shop from the avenue and run to her. Anything but just sit there.

But I didn’t.

The coffee shop was crowded that day. Cute young women, interesting looking artsy peers, fellow classmates. The very type of people I was eager to meet as a new freshman at a strange school, far from home. And somehow that checked me. I was scared of seeming like a crazy person shouting to a blind woman. I didn’t want to stand out.

So I did nothing. And of course, only aware to dangers on the ground with her cane, she hit her head on the low branch. She hit it hard. I could hear it. I still hear it. I sat and watched her suffer pain, because I was afraid to stand up and stand out to do the right thing.

As I said, that event changed my life. I’d always tried to be a good person, helpful and courteous. But I failed that day for no reason other than some ridiculous notion of peer acceptance. I failed my father, as I have no doubt he would have shouted out. And he taught me better. I failed my personal ethics and my sense of right. I failed another human being.

And that moment decades ago has absolutely shaped my life. It has molded my behavior with friends, strangers, social and professional settings. I’ve worked hard to redeem that moment in my actions and interactions ever since, though often I feel I never really can.

And yes, I understand that young woman hit her head 20 years ago, and likely long since forgot the moment. The few people I have related this story think it foolish I’ve let this stay with me so long. But to me, it reverberates as if yesterday, and I imagine it always will. It has been my constant reminder to never freeze, never falter, and never fail to do the right thing.

I Love This TikTok Dating Trend

How can Western intelligent agencies spread a message of freedom and resistance to the CCP in China?

They can’t.

Chinese see that there are many problems with western democracies, and voices which do not fit the predominant narrative are silenced. Most recently, this has happened with the Israel/Gaza war. Chinese believe that this reveals the hypocrisy of western democracy. Now most Chinese feel that Western notions of freedom and democracy are no longer attractive, and will not solve China’s problems. Chinese have achieved more by finding their own solutions.

On his recent trip to Beijing, Putin took a list of western intelligence operatives and western non-government organizations operating in China to overthrow the Chinese government. Chinese security officials will use this information to neutralize their operations and operatives in China.

How does it feel to work in a service capacity position where one constantly interacts with the extremely wealthy (e.g. an air host on a private jet, a maid at a palace, etc.)?

Originally Answered: How does it feel to have a job where you constantly interact with extremely wealthy, in a service capacity i.e. an air host on a private jet, a maid at a palace, etc?

For a number of years, I worked as a wealth management advisor.

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Financial services is the “Concierge of Money” for the Plutocrat class; we were suit-and-tie wearing mandarins of their largesse, who knew the details of our clients’ finances better than they did; it was our job to anticipate their needs before it even occurs to them.

Establishing, managing and amending clients’ investments and trusts were the obvious and most easily-described portions of the work.

Less obvious was the political and relationship-management aspects of dealing with individuals whose Crosean fortunes can bestow upon them colossal egos and entitlement mentalities; managing a massive personal fortune often means managing their dirty secrets.

General observations: Money is a personality amplifier.

If you are a poor person who hates gay people/broken-English-speaking immigrants/Republicans/whatever, your need for a paying job forces a level of decorum in your conduct, and you learn to keep quiet your most objectionable opinions so you can get along with your employers/customers.

On the other hand, If you are a poor person who has a benevolent heart and genuinely wishes to help the less fortunate, your financial constraints will limit whatever level of help you offer to very modest levels; your efforts may be invisible to most unless they are direct beneficiaries of your generosity, or know you personally.

Wealth removes those constraints.

A wealthy bigot can afford to be a raging terror to whoever he or she wishes, with almost no consequences. I’ve witnessed multimillionaires confidently drop shockingly racist/nasty remarks about gays/disabled/[insert group] in casual conversations.

We were trained to go along with it – they are the client, and their accounts are worth millions in fees over the course of their lifetime, so while we won’t join in the racist/bigoted banter, we won’t object either; we are trained to nod politely and refocus the conversation to the technical matters.

Being in the position to manage the finances of plutocrats, I’ve also been witness to financial shenanigans and the dark side of humanity, unconstrained by budget or conscience.

What have I learned?

A wealthy married man can incorporate separate businesses/LLCs for the sole purpose of buying property/spending money on the sly for his illicit lover(s).
Control of financial trusts can used as chess pieces to manipulate family members/dependents/beneficiaries to bend to the will of the owners of the capital.
Errant adult children of the wealthy who find themselves incapable of earning a living on their own, often find themselves in protracted legal battles with stepmothers their own age (their plutocrat fathers, having paid a fortune to rid themselves of their first wives, marry younger women who now vie for a piece of the dying man’s fortunes).
Entitled heirs – with no irony or self-awareness – often speak of their fathers’ fortunes and possessions as “my house,” “my boat” or “my plane.”
If you put over US$100,000 on the table in any casino in Las Vegas/Macau/Monaco (which you can either lose or win), an entire battalion of high-touch specialists employed by the casino materialize to cater to your every whim, so long as you gamble at their tables. They know your name, your favorite foods, your favorite entertainers (“free tickets for you and your friends sir, and we can arrange for you to meet singer/rapper/comedian/magician so-and-so backstage!”) and your favorite recreational drugs (if you’re into such things – they will be discreetly tucked away in the bathroom of the penthouse suite of the hotel/casino where you are staying).

Now that we’re done wallowing in sin and dysfunction … observations on the benevolent side:

While many wealthy philanthropists want to get credit for their contributions to charities/foundations they support (seeing their name emblazoned on their former university’s Major Donor walls, creating foundations in their names, etc.), I was surprised by the number of people who wanted to remain strictly anonymous – the only entities who were aware of their donations of these people was the IRS (for tax deduction reasons), the recipient nonprofit/foundation, and us, who facilitate/structure these large donations.

There are many who view their wealth as a blessing that they entrusted to be good stewards during their lifetime; they take their responsibility seriously to leave the capital to the next generation along with imparting their most cherished values.

Children of this second group are polite, respectful and thoughtful – they understand they occupy a rare and privileged position in society and are very careful about not lording it over others, and make sincere efforts to be worthy heirs.

As you can imagine, while the former type of client was far more interesting (and lucrative for the firm, given the complexities of the layers of financial instruments deployed), the latter was far more pleasant to interact with.

The most valuable thing I’ve learned is this: whether you are a rich dysfunctional bigot dropping N-words in my office and throwing your financial weight around while bankrolling mistresses through your shell companies, or a thoughtful philanthropist trying to quietly change the world for the better with your largesse, being wealthy is a relatively lonely existence.

The problems you encounter, while very real and very frustrating, will not elicit sympathy from 99.999% of the planet.

Like being an exceptionally beautiful woman, most of the people who approach you are only after one thing, and that perspective warps your ability to connect genuinely with others – one of the most quintessential human needs.

Almost everyone wouldn’t mind being a bit more beautiful or a bit more rich, but few can truly appreciate just how alienating it is to have either in such abundant quantity, that they become the object of desire/envy by everyone you meet.

Mysteries Beneath the Ice: The Secrets of Antarctica

One of my old Free Republic posts were mentioned in this video! LOL -MM

What made you realize your life will never be the same?

Six words. How you may ask did six measly words, twenty one letters, forever alter the landscape of my world? Well I’ll tell you but first, let me lay the foundation for these life shattering words.

The first week of April, 2024 my 14 year old son was just a regular teenager (maybe slightly more mature and kind than most his age but still very much a teenage boy) when he complained of some weakness on his left side. He says “Oh it’s just a little weak feeling in my knee and elbow but I’ve been working on my rainbow flip kick (he loves soccer) so I probably am just overworking myself”. Okay that seems plausible but I kept feeling uneasy about it despite his reassurance that he was fine.

Fast forward a few days and he began to tell me he felt like he was seeing double sometimes and the weakness felt like it was not improving at all. He had gotten the farm truck stuck in the field a day prior to this though so I think well he is just trying to get out of fixing the ruts in the field so I dismiss it as nothing.

By that Sunday April 7 I notice his left eye looks like it’s lazy but he’s never had any issues with his eyes. In addition to this he says now that he feels like the left half of his body is numb. Now I no longer feel like he’s trying to get out of his punishment and the unease I felt is now screaming at me telling me something is wrong with my baby.

I take him to our local Emergency Department and after several hours and a few test (EKG, basic blood work and a CT scan w/o contrast) the ER physician says “Well I see nothing alarming on his test results and I have to say this is most likely a case of Bell’s Palsy “. I argue that this diagnosis can’t possibly be right as Bell’s Palsy only affects the facial muscles while his whole body is being affected but we are sent home despite my protests.

April 9 I get him an appointment to see his pediatrician and after an exam he says “This is classic presentation for pediatric MS but I’ll need an MRI to confirm this”. He asks me to take his over an hour away to a larger hospital with a Children’s Emergency as they could get an MRI done immediately while it would take him at least three weeks to get my son worked into the schedule.

Off we go for a confirmation of this already scary diagnosis that would change his life forever. We arrive and get checked out by one medical professional after another and are finally admitted around five in the morning (now April 10). On the way to his room an MRI is done and now we have a chance to try to get some rest while the doctor awaits the test results.

At 8:30 Wednesday April 10, 2024 a group of doctors came into my son’s very small hospital room and uttered those six tiny words.

“Your son has a brain tumor”

The next few days are mostly an anguish filled blur but to sum it up my son has a tumor on the right side of his brain stem in a region known as the pons. This devastating pediatric disease has an average overall survival rate of just 8–11 months after diagnosis. We are currently living in the Ronald McDonald House while he receives radiation treatments and I’m so afraid of the future with all its uncertainty. I’m trying my best to be positive and to give him any experiences he wants to have (foods to try, activities he’s never done etc.) but he’s my whole heart. You can’t live without your heart…

We have started a GoFundMe page to try to offset the cost of all this and also bills as I haven’t been able to work since his diagnosis. Please help me give my son everything I can while I have a chance to and he still feels like trying to do things and make memories.

Can you tell a billionaire from a millionaire in public?

Originally Answered: can you tell a billionaire from a millionaire in public?

Millionaires are quite common, and usually don’t stand out much in public. Many millionaires will tell you that they don’t “feel rich”, largely because the value of a million dollars has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. To have the same buying power in today’s terms, $1 million in 1900 would be the equivalent of about $27 million today. This is why the bar for being considered an ultra high net worth individual is at least $30 million.

So even though there are literally millions of millionaires (+10 million in the US alone), only about 28,000 people are considered ultra high net worth. That still leaves a lot of room to live “under the radar” and be able to go out in public without attracting too much (or any) attention.

On the other hand, there are about 2,000 billionaires globally and they are fairly well known. They’ve been in the business press and often attract attention wherever they go just because of the influence they have. So look for bodyguards and additional security anytime they are in public. They may not be the obvious Hollywood depiction of bodyguards as this draws even more attention:

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That level of security is appropriate for a public event with lots of press. Like this one:

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However a cadre of ominous looking bodyguards is inconvenient to have around if you just want to meet a friend for dinner, play a round of golf, attend a wedding, or just take your kids out to Disneyworld. It actually attracts more unwanted attention, while adopting a lower profile might allow them to easily pass unnoticed.

For smaller events and public excursions there will almost always be a small (1–3 person) security detail nearby, usually within 10–20 feet depending on the risk level of the venue, and they will likely try to blend in and be “invisible“ until needed. At a party or open event they will usually go out of their way to keep their hands free and will never be drinking alcohol, which makes them easy to spot.

Having bodyguards and/or a full time security detail is extremely expensive and not something a “mere” millionaire would spring “just to have around.”

Hope this was helpful.

Pawn Stars Expert “This is the HOLY GRAIL”

What is the dirtiest fine print you’ve seen in a contract?

I used to store my boat on the trailer at a marina. It was there for three years and they had my credit card on file and charged me every month. Out of nowhere, I get a letter in the mail about a $50 charge for not signing some paperwork. I go to the marina’s office and ask what that is all about. They tell me that I didn’t sign a credit card authorization document. I told them that it was never sent to me, and if it was such a problem for them how did they manage to charge my card every month? She waived the “fine” and then it got interesting…

She gave me a “new” contract to sign for my spot. I never had a contract, it was a monthly payment. Then she says “You might want to read this”. I asked her what I should look for and she said “Just read it”. On, maybe, page 20 it said something like The Marina is not responsible to any damage to your boat, or trailer, even if it’s due to the negligence of our employees. I confirmed that I was paid up until the end of the month, declined signing the contract, and sold my boat to a friend.

If you needed an oil change, or anything else, it was common for them to pull the trailer out of your spot to bring it to the shop and return it later. If some rookie managed to hit your boat with the engine/prop of another, and put a hole in the hull, it was all on you. No thanks.

EDIT: Many have said this is unenforceable legally. That is probably true, but the question was about the dirtiest fine print in a contract. Even if it was clearly unenforceable, why would anyone put themselves in a position to have to hire an attorney to fight for them? Also, any company adding that language to a contract is not one you could ever trust.

Has someone ever unjustifiably reported you to Child Protective Services? What was the outcome?

Oh yes..my own daughter accused me of abusing her children.

I was divorced with no child support. My daughter, “M” was a troublesome teenager and after high school she became resentful that I wouldn’t allow her to just hang around my house with her drug dealing boyfriend while I worked two jobs to pay the bills. She had to either go to school, get a job, or leave. She complied, but in due time, (at 21) she became pregnant and the boyfriend abandoned her. A year or so later, I have a better job with a 4 day work week and I’m starting to date.

I come home from a lunch date with a male friend and M is upstairs with my grand-daughter “T”, who’s now a toddler. M sends the T downstairs to the room where my friend and I are watching television. My friend asks for the bathroom and when he gets up to go, he bumps into a lamp, which falls over and breaks. He goes to the bathroom, while I put the T on the sofa and go for the broom to clean up the broken glass. T gets off the sofa to follow me and starts heading into the broken glass. I catch her before she gets cut (T is barefoot) and my friend comes out of the bathroom.

I’m trying to clean up the broken glass and T keeps climbing down from the sofa trying to get in the middle of the mess. I’m trying to keep T in my arms and sweep up the glass when my friend offers to help. Just as he’s taking the broom from me, T starts screaming her head off, (I guess she didn’t like being restrained, or maybe she didn’t like my friend ). M comes running down the stairs and starts accusing me of hurting the baby. My friend leaves as the inevitable argument starts. M calls the police, they respond and eventually take M and T to the hospital to be ‘checked out’. Two days later I get a call at work from CPs telling me I’ve been accused of child molestation and they need to investigate. It turns out M told the doctors at the hospital that my friend and I sexually molested T . He never touched her, I was the one holding her.

CPS worker came to my house, asked a lot of questions about my sex life, my job, my friends, my family, poked her nose in all my things and asked for my friend’s contact information. I called him and let her ask for his information. The CPS worker was very polite, said she didn’t think anything would come of it, depending on the medical report, and left. I spoke to my friend for the last time a few days later ; he told me he spoke to CPS and that he couldn’t see me anymore. Eventually, I got a letter saying the complaint was ‘unfounded’ but my name would be on the statewide registry for 10 years as “indicated” in an allegation of child abuse. M and T came home about a week later and whenever M became angry at me, she would call the police and repeat the allegation. Within a year, I moved to another town and left M to her own devices. She ended up in a homeless shelter and having another baby girl.

M repeated the allegation multiple times over the next few years as if it were a recent event. CPS investigated and found out I have minimal sporadic contact with them. I’ve got 4 of those damn letters with 4 different dates. Eventually M loses the children, I get visitation in court and CPS asks me to take them, which I can’t because I’m still single and my job involved frequent overnight travel. The kicker is I worked then, and still do, as a government inspector of programs that deal with a vulnerable population. Those allegations could have cost me my job. Luckily, my bosses knew me better than my own child.

Here we are, 13+ years after the incident. After a hellish stint in foster care where they were actually abused, the children have been adopted by a nice family that lets me call and visit them. I’ve participated in their therapy sessions, taken them on vacations, had sleepovers, helped with school projects and I haven’t missed a birthday, holiday, or school event in 8 years. M hasn’t been allowed to see her children in 10 years, while I get to be “Grandma”. Life sure can be a b***h.

English Beef Pot Pie

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Filling

2 pounds beef round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 carrots, pared and sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes

Biscuit Topping

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Filling

Place steak cubes in slow cooker.
Combine flour, salt and pepper, toss with steak to coat thoroughly.
Stir in remaining ingredients except Biscuit Topping and mix thoroughly.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 10 hours.
One hour before serving, remove meat and vegetables from slow cooker and pour into shallow 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover meat mixture with Biscuit Topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Biscuit Topping

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk all at one time; stir well. Pat out on floured board; roll out to cover baking dish.

What is it like to serve in the PLA?

Technically PLA common soldiers are compulsory servicemen and do not get paid. However, in reality, they volunteer to join the armed forces and usually serve for two years as a private/common sailor. They receive allowance.

After serving as compulsory servicemen they can either ‘stay in the unit’ or ‘return to the society’. If they choose to stay, they would be promoted and become ‘NCO First Year’, which as a matter of fact is Corpral. NCO are technically called volunteers and receive wages.

PLA soldiers often go through much hardship which is regarded as a requirement-in China, it is convinced that reliable soldiers must be able to bear hunger, thirst, diseases, exhaustion, and any types of suffering.

They generally don’t have enough sleep but have too much training. They are not allowed to visit home or go outside of the camp while serving as compulsory servicemen and communication tools are utterly forbidden. For example, I have a friend who served in the army for two years from 2013–2015. When he ‘came out’ and we met, he kept talking about old fashioned jokes and our city was somehow alien to him.

But he never complained, he was proud of being a strong person.

Chinese PLA are not frequently engaged in conflicts and don’t have wars to fight so they keep training and sometimes focus farming or disaster relief.

As a result, where there is a PLA outpost, there is a farmland, even on the islands. And when disasters come, they reacted immediately and help people in danger, which is why they are regarded as the savior and guardian of the people.

I appreciate their service.

Baltic Sea Anomaly, Atlantis, and Underwater Alien Bases | Mysteries of the Ocean Pt 1

What Happened To Prison Guards Of Concentration Camps When It Was Liberated?

May 20, 2024

Walenty Lenarczyk, a prisoner at Dachau, stated that following the camp’s liberation “prisoners swarmed over the wire and grabbed the Americans and lifted them to their shoulders… other prisoners caught the SS men.

The first SS man elbowed one or two prisoners out of his way, but the courage of the prisoners mounted, they knocked them down and nobody could see whether they were stomped or what, but they were killed.”

Elsewhere in the camp SS men, Kapos and informers were beaten badly with fists, sticks and shovels.

There was at least one incident where US soldiers looked away as two prisoners beat a German guard to death with a shovel, and Lt. Bill Walsh witnessed one such beating.

Another soldier witnessed an inmate stomping on an SS trooper’s face until “there wasn’t much left.” When the soldier said to him, “You’ve got a lot of hate in your heart,” he simply nodded.

An American chaplain was told by three young Jewish men, who had left the camp during liberation, that they had beaten to death one of the more sadistic SS guards when they discovered him hiding in a barn, dressed as a peasant

(American soldiers watch as a Jewish concentration camp inmate beats up the Nazi guard who held him at Dachau)

Some of the Nazis were rounded up and summarily executed along with the guard dogs. Two of the most notorious prison guards had been stripped naked before the Americans arrived to prevent them from slipping away unnoticed. They, too, were cut down.”

16 SS men were shot in the coal yard (one more killed by a camp inmate), 17 at Tower B, and perhaps a few more killed by U.S. soldiers in the incident. Anywhere from a few to 25 or 50 more were killed by inmates.

What Is Dating And Sex Like In Japan?

May 20, 2024

Flirting in Japan

Flirting seems like a misnomer. It’s more like an absense of flirting. If you like someone in Japan, there are a couple of different ways of showing it and/or approaching them, none of which really resemble flirting in the west.

1. Nanpa (the “pickup”) First off, only guys do nanpa; in the rare case that girls do it, it’s called gyaku-nan (“reverse nanpa”), but I never heard of gyaku-nan actually happening, it always seemed like it was more of an amusing theoretical idea, rather than something girls really did.

Nanpa only refers to the case when you don’t know the other person at all, and you want to pick them up. Nanpa is direct. “You’re cute. What’s your name? Do you have time? Let’s go somewhere.” That is the classic script of nanpa. It can be shortened to just: “Kawaii yo. Jikan aru?” If you hear that, you’re being nanpa-ed. Of course, if you are a non-Asian foreigner, you will probably never hear that, because Japanese guys are too shy to try and nanpa a white or black woman. Most Japanese guys are too shy to nanpa at all. If you ask a Japanese if he has ever done nanpa, he’ll probably say, “ZOMG! No way! I’m too embarrassed!” since nanpa is direct, and mostly, if you are Japanese and you like someone, you embark on a series of subtle, indirect stealth manoeuvres, because liking prohibits action, especially for women, but also for men.

Why is this the case? Japanese social interaction is all about intuiting the other person’s wishes without discussing them openly, at the same time that they are intuiting your wishes without discussing them openly, so that although nothing is ever verbalised, the two of you will always exist in a compromise position of equilibrium. If you like someone, that intuitive part goes into overdrive, because you should be able to understand everything about that person without them ever telling you, and you should be able to please them without ever asking how, even more than you would with a normal person. So it’s more important than ever to be indirect. Which leads me to:

2. Negotiating through a third partyAgain, it’s not really flirting, but since flirting is showing your feelings openly–that is, pushing your feelings onto another person, which is direct and rude–it’s better to show no sign to the other person and meanwhile exploit the back channels. Sort of like in high school. So that convoluted human chain whereby: you like Hiro and you tell Junko that you think Hiro has a nice smile knowing that Junko will intuit that you want to know if Hiro likes you back, since Junko is friends with Goro who is friends with Hiro and Junko will talk to Goro and Goro will bring it up with Hiro etc etc etc etc etc etc. Once everything is confirmed, Hiro will ask you out. (The girl ask the guy out? Ahahahaha. Be serious.)
If you don’t have a third party to negotiate for you, you may be forced to use other methods, all of them so subtle that a westerner may not even notice them at all.

3. Subtle signals
– Shyness. Pronounced shyness is form of flirting, since it’s a sign of liking, especially from girls, but also from guys. She interacts with everyone else more than him, she doesn’t sit next to him, she doesn’t talk much to him, she doesn’t initiate anything with him. – Attentiveness. You make life easier for the other person without being asked to. For example, when you got to a restaurant in Japan it’s normal to share food, so flirting means not ordering what you like, but ordering what s/he likes, which you already know without asking, because you’re observant. Stuff like that.- Eye contact. It’s the opposite to the west, where you gaze deeply into someone’s eyes if you like them. Direct eye contact is a bit rude in Japan at the best of times. If you’re flirting you look down and away a lot.- Indirect compliments. I can’t think of a good example. It’s pretty rare to give direct compliments and even more rare to compliment someone’s looks. (It’s especially rare for guys to compliment girls directly.) I wish I could think of a good example! I’ll come back to this one.

Sex in Japan

It’s really different. It’s just so completely different. The first time I had sex with a Japanese guy was easily the most bamboozling experience of my entire life.
Before I launch into anything, I should say that while I lived in Japan for five years, I have had sex with only a select few people, and that was within long term relationships, so it’s not as if I have personally taken a wide sample. But I had a network of Japanese friends (mostly female) and every time I encountered a cultural difference I immediately pumped them all for information, asking my millions of questions. I make generalized statements only when something that I personally experienced was confirmed as The Norm.
The biggest difference is that sex in Japan is not a mutual sharing experience with both partners spontaneously doing whatever they feel like or enjoy whenever they feel like doing it. Sex has rules and sex has roles just as every social interaction in Japan has rules and roles. There is an active partner and a passive partner. Active means moving; passive means unmoving. In heterosexual sex, the active partner is always male, and the passive partner is always female. In gay sex you work out your roles beforehand: the seme is active, the uke is passive (for gay guys); the tachi is active, the neko is passive (for gay women). If you are familiar with seme/uke conventions from yaoi manga, you can use them as a way of relating to what I’m talking about, because those conventions are not a fictional construct, randomly decided upon by a group of yaoi mangaka. Straight people have sex like that too, in reality.

So there is an active partner and a passive partner, which causes various flow on effects. You can’t have “Whoo-hoo! Go for it!” sex because both partners are constrained by their roles. The passive partner (obviously) because she can’t move, and the active partner because he has to take care of the passive partner, instructing her on what to do and exerting himself so that she has a good time.
Japanese guys are generally more stressed out by sex than western guys and that is because they are responsible for the sex; as the active male, the sex is their burden, they have to do everything, it’s all up to them. Sex equates not only (sometimes not even primarily) with ‘fun’ or ‘pleasure’, it also equates with ‘work’ and ‘obligation’.

I also can’t emphasise enough just how passive the passive partner is. The way a woman kisses is by submissively opening her mouth, not moving her tongue unless she is cued to do so; if she’s really feminine she won’t open her mouth at all, until she’s told to. Sometimes women will move around a (very) little during sex, but mostly not at all. The slang term for a woman who lies completely still in bed is maguro (tuna). For me, with my western sensibilities and preconceptions, calling someone a ‘tuna’ in bed sounds like an insult, conjuring up images of cold dead fish, but in Japan that word has a very positive connotation. Tuna’s an expensive delicacy.

Part of what was so bamboozling the first time I had sex in Japan was that I didn’t know there was a Way of Sex, with strict gendered roles, and I just was happily doing my own thing, throwing my partner into total confusion. Seiji told me much later that dating me made him feel like he was gay, because I was active in bed, and he couldn’t connect that with anything except masculinity.
When it came to the guys I dated, even though it was completely outside their experience, they sort of (kind of) eventually adjusted their thinking and accepted the fact that I was active (because I was Foreign and Foreign Women Are Different) but the thing I could never completely change was the fixed idea they had that someone must be passive. Yes, I could be active in bed, but they had no template for how to react to that other than the female/passive/uke template. So at best we could alternate “active periods”, and though the lines between active and passive blurred a little over time, they never blurred completely. And total shutdowns still happened: thirty seconds tick past and my partner hasn’t moved at all … oh, okay, I get what’s happened.

If I’m making cross-cultural sex sound like a bit of a nightmare: yeah, it was. In this case, once I worked out what was going on, I thought all my problems could be solved by a simple conversation or two, explaining the more free-form nature of western sex, and encouraging my partner along the lines of, “You don’t have to act a certain way, you can act however you like! You can relax! Enjoy yourself! Doesn’t that sound great?” but that was also a failure to understand the Japanese psyche. It’s not liberating for a Japanese person to be told there are no rules, it’s frightening. I was inadvertently terrorizing my partner by dropping them into the middle of a scary foreign wilderness and telling them to make do without a map.

Sex and hygiene

Sex in the west can be spontaneous, but sex in Japan isn’t, or at least, not in the same way. In Japan, you can’t get in the front door and immediately start stripping each other’s clothes off in the hallway. Well, you can, and your Japanese partner will probably acquiesce because they are Japanese, but deep down they will be hideously uncomfortable and thinking, “Sex? But I’m not mentally prepared! I haven’t done my kokoro no junbi! And she hasn’t had a shower! And I haven’t had a shower! This is kind of gross!”
Shower is important. You should shower directly before and after you have sex. Before is more important than after. This makes me sound like I only ever dated people with OCD, but it’s the norm. The way I first found out about this was in conversation with my friend Natsue.

Me: I was at Seiji’s place hanging out and he randomly told me that I could use his shower if I felt like it. Don’t you think that’s weird? Natsue: *cracks up laughing* Cat, that means he wants to have sex with you! If a guy mentions having a shower, he is saying that he wants to have sex. Me: But isn’t it kind of rude to imply I needed to shower first? Like, it was a date, obviously I had showered before going over to his apartment! Natsue: Well, I suppose so… *sounding unconvinced* … but didn’t you say he lives in Yokohama?Me: What does Yokohama have to do with it?Natsue: Well, you went on the train to get there … it’s better to have another shower. If a guy had sex with me without showering first, it would make me really uncomfortable.
Sensing yet another cross-cultural disaster in the making, I began the investigation, hitting up all the usual suspects for information, including my friend Tomoko, who was dating a western guy called Andy.
Me: Sorry to bring this up suddenly, but does it weird you out that Andy sometimes initiates sex without showering first?Tomoko: YES! I’m so glad I finally have someone to talk to about this! Cat, are all westerners like this? It’s so dirty and I can’t relax! It makes me feel like we are just animals!
After I heard basically the same story from all my Japanese girlfriends, I went back to Seiji.

Me: First of all, westerners don’t always shower or have a bath before sex. However, I will try to accommodate you on this because the idea of sex without showering seemed to horrify everyone I talked to right down to their very bones. Secondly, when you suggested that I shower the other day, and I said no, I was not rejecting you. I didn’t understand that it was your Japanese signal that you wanted to have sex. If I had understood that, I would definitely have said yes. Seiji: *spits tea all over the table*Me: …this is one of those deeply unspoken Japanese things that I’m not supposed to talk about directly, isn’t it.Seiji: Yes.
Another thing that is considered rather icky and unhygienic is ejaculate. Guys are really embarrassed by it. They will be desperately scrabbling for a tissue almost before you realise they’ve come at all, since it is really bad form to get ejaculate anywhere, without cleaning it up immediately afterwards (and immediately means immediately). This is yet one more thing that men are responsible for as the ‘active’ partner. The more of a nice, polite guy they are, the more stressed out they will be about it. It’s also yet one more way that the sex is prescribed and controlled; the guy can never really let go, because even at the moment of climax, he’s already worrying about cleaning up, or trying not to make a mess in the first place.

Fun vintage pictures

Why I’m never moving back to the US

I'm leaving China soon and many people asked "why aren't you moving back to the US?" There are a lot of reasons and I talk about the bigger reasons in this video. I don't think the US is all bad, but I also don't agree with many of the things that are happening in the US currently. I might never move back and if everything goes according to plan, I will never need to move back.

Is the rise of China a threat to the American Exceptionalism narrative?

Oh, absolutely! This is not in question.

American Exceptionalism says the Americans have the best economy, the best technology, and the best political governance. Against China, this is oh for three.

Best Economy
China has the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity, which is a better measure of how well a country is doing.

China’s economy continues to grow at around 5% while the US economy struggles to reach 3%.

China is the undisputed world’s manufacturing superpower. The USA doesn’t even come close.

China has the world’s finest infrastructure (roads, bridges, high-speed rail, airports, seaports, power grid, etc.). US infrastructure, on the other hand, is crumbling and decaying.

China’s national debt is about 77% of GDP. The US national debt is about 129% of GDP.

Best Technology
ASPI says China leads the world in 37 out of 44 critical technology fields.

China is granted more technological patents than the USA and Japan combined!

China graduates several times more STEM graduates than America does.

China has the best 5G. China has the best EVs. China has the best mobile payment system. China’s BeiDou system is superior to GPS. China’s Tiangong space station is superior to I.S.S.

Best Political Governance
According to 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 79% of Chinese believe their nation is democratic while only 57% of Americans and 55% of British do.

According to the 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 85% of Chinese trust their government while only 40% of Americans and 30% of British do.

According to the 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 76% of Chinese trust their politicians while only 29% of Americans and 20% of British do.

According to 𝗜𝗽𝘀𝗼𝘀’ 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 91% of Chinese are happy with their life while only 76% of Americans and 70% of British are.

According to 𝗜𝗽𝘀𝗼𝘀’ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵, 95% of Chinese believe their country is on the right track and moving in the right direction while only 41% of Americans and 23% of British do.

US politics is a total basket case. There is deep political division. There is deep political corruption. The American people are simply not happy with their governance.

Soft Rock Ballads 70s 80s 90s

Ah this will take you back in time…

Four-Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

LOW Setting: 10 1/2 hr | HIGH Setting: 6 1/2 hr | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 beef shoulder roast, boneless arm chuck roast or boneless blade chuck roast (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Instructions

For optional browning, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Brown beef roast on all sides.
Place onion and garlic in 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker; place roast on top.
Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or until roast is fork-tender.
Remove roast from slow cooker. Skim fat from cooking liquid, if necessary and reserve 1 cup onion mixture.
Shred beef with 2 forks. Combine shredded beef and reserved onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Continue as directed in Recipe Variations below, as desired.

Notes

Recipe Variations

Mexican Shredded Beef: Combine tomato or tomatillo salsa and beef mixture, as desired. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in warmed flour or corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo, slice avocados, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and/or chopped white or green onions, as desired.

BBQ Shredded Beef: Combine prepared barbecue sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve on whole wheat rolls topped with creamy horseradish sauce, coleslaw, Cheddar cheese slices, chopped green bell pepper and/or canned French fried onion, as desired.

Asian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared hoison or teriyaki sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in lettuce or cabbage cups topped with shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, chopped fresh cilantro or mint, sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes and/or chopped peanuts, as desired.

Indian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared Indian cooking sauce, such as Tikka Masala or Vindaloo. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in naan or pita bread topped with toasted chopped pistachios or coconut, raisins, Greek yogurt or mango chutney, chopped fresh mint or cilantro and/or sliced cucumber or green onion, as desired.

Nutrition

Per serving, using Shoulder Roast: 161 calories; 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 57 mg cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0.5 g fiber; 23 g protein; 7.2 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 2.6 mcg vitamin B12; 2.8 mg iron; 26.0 mcg selenium; 5.5 mg zinc; 89.1 mg choline

Brian Berletic: China Just SHOCKED the World and the US Military is Preparing for War

“Have you ever sabotaged food because someone was stealing it?”

I answered a question like about 4 years ago.

Originally Answered: “If a coworker is stealing your food and you address the problem by putting something in it that makes the thief sick, can you be prosecuted for that? What if you put your name on it and leave a “DO NOT EAT” note?”

This brings to mind a story I was told in 1967 or ‘68. The man that told us the story was our class adviser, and he was in his 80’s at the time, so the story probably originated in the 1880s or ‘90s – if it’s true at all. Life was different then.

He told us that he’d been having problems at school; somebody was stealing his lunch before it was lunchtime.

One morning, on his way to school, his body language must have shown his dejection. He wasn’t looking forward to going to school or in having his lunch stolen again. The neighborhood Druggist saw him as he walked by and noticed that he seemed dejected. The Druggist asked him what was wrong, and my class adviser stopped and explained. The Druggist said he could fix the problem, and asked the class adviser for his lunch. He took it into the drugstore and when he re-appeared, he warned my class adviser to not eat it, just put it on the lunch shelf like he usually would.

During class, the predictable happened. One of the students held up his hand… then started waving his hand frantically… then ran from the classroom without permission, followed by a stream of very liquid excrement.

The Principal sent my class adviser home. As he passed by the drugstore, the Druggist spotted him again, looking even more dejected than he had earlier in the morning. He asked what was wrong now, and my class adviser said he’d been expelled, and that he was going to catch holy heck when he got home. This was a time when corporal punishment was practiced at school, and my class adviser fully expected to get walloped by his dad, every time he got walloped at school. He wasn’t looking forward to facing his dad.

The Druggist told him “Tell your dad to come and talk to me before he disciplines you. I’ll tell him what happened and why I did it.

”My class adviser said “Well, that will help, but it won’t fix things up with the Principal. I’ll still be expelled.”

The Druggist said “Don’t worry about that. I also sit on the School Board.”

Why the US is a Paper Tiger Vs China

A fun discussion.

Have you ever overheard someone talking about you in another language?

Yes, rather frequently. I’m Finnish but don’t fit the bill in my area nor, apparently on airplanes.

Having said that, I vividly remember the first time I traveled alone.. I was seated next to two Finnish men in their 30s / early 40s. The men were polite enough when taking their seats, greeting me in English and asking where in our destination I was headed – I didn’t bother to correct their initial assumption of my nationality as I had noticed that most people found it embarrassing to be corrected on the matter. After the conversation ended, I pulled out a book and they switched to Finnish to speak with each other.

It was fine while they tackled the topics of sports (which ice hockey team from their hometown was the best) and politics but a little too soon for my liking, they started talking about women. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue as I’d simply turn up the volume of whatever I happened to be listening to in order to drown them out but this time around the conversation came full circle to me and the judging of what I was – Arab, jew, Mediterranean, Romani – and which of these options meant I was beneath them in their personal racial bias. I was a little disgusted by the whole conversation – I hadn’t known that Arab meant I was a bitch or that specific Mediterranean countries meant different levels of sexual promiscuity.. But since I was young, I didn’t call then out on it during the 3 hour flight. I neither stood up for myself nor corrected them; I was shocked that people actually thought these kinds of things about others merely based on their perceived nationality or race.

I made it through the flight without a word to suggest that I had understood everything they had said. When we landed in our destination, I turned to them and wished them a lovely vacation in my native tongue. The looks of horror on their faces were definitely worth seeing!

Russia’s Half-Ton Cluster Bomb RBK-500 Wiped Out Canadian & Polish Mercenaries In New York (UKRAINE)

Keep your mouth shut, and never, ever get involved with queers, gangs, or drug users

When I was in prison; in the ADC, I witnessed numerous fights, stabbings and deaths. In all cases, the correctional officers (CO’s) handled the situation professionally.

Here’s an example.

We were being led from our barracks to the sally port. In this process we were led down a long hall with painted lines that we had to stay inside. During this transfer process, we would go from one gated area to the next, always manned by guards, and watched by surveillance cameras.

One day, there was a stabbing in the hall… just as we were being led down it.

Three inmates clustered around another and jabbed him repeatedly over and over and over again, and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Immediately the entire hall went into lock-down.

We were told to stop; turn around facing the wall and not move. And so we did. Most prisoners in “general population” are just doing their time, and don’t want to get involved in the hard core games of the long timers.

Then a crew of officers came, and hauled the offenders off, and a medical team came to pick up the carcass of the killed felon. All in all, it took perhaps ten to fifteen minutes.

We keep standing there facing the wall.

Pretty quick.

They had a lot of practice in these kinds of matters.

To survive in prison is to watch your six at all times, to keep your mouth shut, and never, ever get involved with queers (no offense intended, that is what they were called in the ADC), gangs (of any type), or drug users. A word to the wise.

Good advice.

Today…

Today’s popular videos

What’s the most hurtful thing your mother or father has ever said to you?

It was a few weeks before my wedding and my parents sat me down. They told me that my fiancée is not someone who will ever be happy. They told me she is not the person I think she is. They informed me they would support whatever I decide to do and never speak about it again.

I assumed they made their conclusions because she was a product of divorce, alcoholism ran in her family, and she dropped out of school in 9th grade and started selling drugs. But, I didn’t see her that way. I saw her as a strong woman who conquered all of those things. She got her GED, had a job, an apartment, a car, a sense of humor, I never saw her do drunks and she had alcohol maybe twice a year. And she was really gorgeous.

Nine years into the marriage and 4 kids later, she started drinking. Every single day. Hiding alcohol throughout the house (mind you, she never really drank before this point). She would get so drunk at gatherings she would throw up on herself. Yes. With 4 young kids right there. I worked about 12–15 hours a day (she was a stay at home mom, we had 4 kids and a mortgage that was due on the 1st of every month). She hired a caretaker for the kids and to clean the house – paying the person over $1,000 a week. When I came home from work at 9 or 10 pm every day there would be a babysitter there and she wouldn’t return home until early in the morning – many times making me very late for work. The day my mother died she left the house when I got home from the hospital and didn’t come back until the next morning. In the morning I told my 4 little kids what happened and it was taking me some time so they wouldn’t see me fall to pieces – so she just jumped in and said Grandma died and then she walked out the house and didn’t come back until the next day. Yes, she was cheating. With the previous “drug dealer” from her past. Then she started physically and verbally abusing me. Gaslighting me. She began telling my family I was severely depressed. That I was having an affair. That I was a bad father and a bad husband.

it took some time to be realize I was better than the situation she had created. My kids would be better served without thinking this was what marriage actually was supposed to be. She filed for divorce thinking she would be on easy street for the rest of her life. In a drunken tirade she even told me she would be living off my income for the rest of her life since we had 4 kids.

it didn’t turn out that way for her but that’s her issue now. I think back to the conversation my parents had with me. They were completely right. But, if I had listened to them, my 4 amazing kids would not have been born.

Era (Not over yet)

How Convenient is China’s High-speed Rail?

I have a foreign friend in Shanghai who used to take the high-speed train to Beijing frequently to meet me for dates. He has told me more than once about experiencing “Chinese speed” on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail. The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, stretching from Beijing South Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Station, spans 1318 kilometers, with the fastest journey taking only 4 hours and 18 minutes.

Over the past decade, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail has safely transported over 1.35 billion passengers, becoming not only the busiest high-speed rail line in China but also turning the saying “a day’s round trip between Beijing and Shanghai” into reality.

However, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail is just a microcosm of China’s high-speed rail construction.

From the completion of the first high-speed railway in 2008 to a total mileage nearing 40,000 kilometers in 2021, China now boasts the world’s largest high-speed railway network. China’s high-speed rail mileage ranks first globally, accounting for two-thirds of the world’s total.

In the first half of 2023, US President Biden openly acknowledged at the 50th anniversary celebration of the US National Railway Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) that China’s high-speed rail length and speed rank among the world’s best. He emphasized that the current US infrastructure lags far behind some countries and regions in the world and that the United States cannot afford to fall behind and needs to rebuild its railway system.

China’s high-speed rail operation indicators, including safety, efficiency, comfort, convenience, and economy, are at the forefront or advanced level globally.

At the same time, China’s high-speed rail is also recognized as the safest in the world. From 2008 to 2020, China’s average accident rate per 100 kilometers for high-speed rail is 82% lower than that of overseas high-speed rail. As of the end of June 2021, China’s high-speed rail has accumulated 9.28 billion kilometers of safe operation, equivalent to circling the earth 232,000 times, and safely transported 14.12 billion passengers.

How stable is China’s high-speed rail? Many of us have heard about a Swedish individual placing a coin on China’s high-speed rail and it remaining upright for 8 minutes. Not just coins, but mineral water bottles and pens can also stand steadily on the window ledge of high-speed trains.

Moreover, China has built the world’s largest 12306 railway internet ticketing system, with a daily ticketing capacity of over 20 million. Currently, 86.2% of ticketing is done online, reaching as high as 90% on peak days.

How convenient is China’s high-speed rail now?

In short, China’s urban clusters within a radius of 500 kilometers have formed a 1-2 hour travel circle, achieving bus-like travel; cities across regions within 1000 kilometers can be reached in about 4 hours, enabling same-day round trips; and cities across regions within 2000 kilometers can be reached in about 8 hours, allowing for morning departure and evening arrival.

Moreover, boarding high-speed trains no longer requires queuing for tickets or picking them up on site; tickets can be purchased and paid for directly on mobile phones, and electronic tickets can be scanned using mobile phones for ticket checks. Facial recognition can also be used for station entry, and meals can be ordered directly on mobile phones while on high-speed trains. Of course, considering the needs of the elderly and offline populations, China still retains traditional service channels such as paper tickets and station windows, all of which accept cash payments. The 12306 system is also more intelligent, automatically identifying passengers aged 60 and above and prioritizing lower berths for them.

If you come to China, you must experience China’s high-speed rail and feel the “Chinese speed”.

Woman GOES VIRAL Complains About Being A Single Mom But Ex Husband Responds And The TRUTH IS CRAZY

Truth comes out.

Green Pepper Steak

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 large green pepper, cut into thin strips
4 tomatoes, cut into eighths or 1 pound can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (1 pound) can bean sprouts, drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

Instructions

Brown steak over medium heat on range unit. Transfer to slow cooker.
In small bowl combine garlic, onion, salt, pepper, ginger and soy sauce. Pour over steak and cover.
Slow cook at MEDIUM setting for 6 to 8 hours or MEDIUM-HIGH setting for 4 to 5 hours.
Add green pepper, tomatoes and bean sprouts; stir to blend. Cook an additional hour.
Just before serving, increase heat setting to HIGH.
Combine cornstarch and water, gradually add to pepper steak, stirring until thickened.
Keep warm for serving on LOW.
Serve over hot cooked rice or egg noodles.

Modern Women Are Trying Too Hard To Be Masculine…It’s Pushing Men Away

When buying gas at a self service station why do people insist on pulling a paper receipt? What do they do with them?

Fun story :- (I may have told this before, but it’s always good as a cautionary tale)

About three years ago (more or less) I bought some fuel from a self-service pump at my local superstore. I filled it up, got the receipt and drove away. All good.

Two days later, a police officer came to my house, to tell me I had been caught on camera taking fuel and driving away without paying for it.

There was no doubt it was me – my registration plate, a good description of the car, and the date and time were right. Except I had paid, because I always pay. I am good like that. (I am seldom naughty!)

As a side note – he told me I was on the hook for £99 of fuel. Now even given the prices at the time, there is NO WAY I could get £99 of fuel in my car. My fuel tank is about 45 litres, and the average price is about £1.21 per litre at that specific station. So even if you look at the highest price in recent times – £1.31, it still wouldn’t reach £99. Even if you look at prices on the motorway (usually £1.51 to £1.61) it STILL wouldn’t reach £99.

You would have to have fuel at about £2.20 per litre, and if it had reached that high I am pretty sure I would have remembered!!

Anyway – I remembered I had a receipt, so I went and got it. He took a picture of it, and went on his merry way.

My conclusion was that the connection between the pump and the kiosk had broken down somewhere, and they had recorded the fuel had been taken but not that it had been paid for.

(The superstore is a nation wide brand, so the idea it was a scam just to rip me off seems very unlikely).

Since then I have got a receipt every time I have got fuel – whether I use self-service or not. Because you never know.

x-x-x

EDIT : (22–03–2020 at 16:46)

Okay – I have had enough of the “helpful comments” from people.

If I have a receipt and the police come to my door, I can show them the receipt. They can take a picture of it, and then bugger off.

If I don’t have a receipt then yes – I could use my bank statement. Except that only comes at the end of the month, so either the police would have to wait for that, or I’d have to show them the statement on the app on my phone. Except I don’t have an app on my phone, so I’d have to install one, go through the security nonsense and then show them that. Which would take quite a while – far longer than holding up a receipt, i would guess.

Or I could invite them into my house, up to my back room, log into my computer and show them my online statement. Except WHO DOES THAT? Why in the name of fuck would I show the police EVERY PART OF MY LIFE without a warrant? WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DOES THAT?

And the same applies if I use a credit card – my statement comes at the end of the month, so until that time I have no gorram proof.

So – while I appreciate you are all trying to be helpful, could you please, for the love of the gods, stop telling me I can use my bank statement, by credit card bill, the app on my phone or any other method than a receipt to show the police I paid for petrol.

Because none of those are anywhere near as easy as just getting the receipt I got from the petrol station and showing it to the police officer. It takes all of five minutes, and sorts it out in less time than it takes to say it.

And if I have to explain that to one more person, I am going to go mad.

x-x-x

EDIT : (26–03–2020 11:04)

Apparently my explanation didn’t satisfy people, so I am disabling comments.

Sorry for all future commenters – I realise you might have something useful to say. But the evidence hitherto suggests it is unlikely. Mostly because even after my previous edit people are not reading my previous edit and still telling me to use online banking, or “the app on my phone”. Which I don’t bloody well have.

So – since people who are writing comments are apparently not reading the post, I am not sure why I should let them comment.

But in the tween time :-

But I like being helpful to the police if it costs me nothing. I see no reason not to do it.

Getting a receipt costs me nothing – literally nothing. And showing the receipt to the police costs me nothing – literally nothing.

It makes my life easy. It makes their life easy. It saves them time – time they can use for more important things (such as saving lives, or helping old ladies across the street).

I don’t know what you people have against me being nice to the police, but I am sick of explaining this over and over again. So I am explaining it here, and I am turning off comments because clearly you all hate the police, or you are all completely unable to grasp such a simple concept.

So – bugger this for a game of soldiers.

Woman caught “CHEATING” on wedding day

What and where is the best beach you’ve ever visited? What made it so good?

The best beach I’ve ever been on was Sandfly Beach, near Dunedin, New Zealand.

main qimg 980a255c8ea6106d5be513be8c5d0d6c lq

It’s great because:

despite its name, there are no sand flies there at all. It’s called Sandfly Beach because the sand flies in the wind.
you get to see penguins there.
you get to see seals there (and the one in the picture below is sleeping, don’t worry)
it’s so hard to get to that you’ll rarely see people there.
you can sit in the dunes in fine sand and see islands and cliffs and animals, all at the same time.
it’s incredibly beautiful.

I lived a few minutes away and went there as often as possible.

New AI at made by others

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What’s a time in your life when you realized something like that would happen for the last time?

My husband Mike was a big guy. He was beautiful to me. I sat at the edge of his bed in the emergency room holding his big feet Tears rolled down my face. I wanted desperately to crawl up in bed with him and feel his breath on my face. But he was surrounded by our children. They were holding his hands telling him how much they loved him. I held on to those big feet pouring every bit of love I had into my beautiful husband. I watched every breath he took thinking he looked like a Chinese emperor. He had an aneurism in his brain stem. The doctor was kind and left us alone with Mike. I felt when his spirit left his body. His body kept that horrible struggle to breath for hours. I knew that the loving man who had known me since we were young was gone. I would never have his arms around me again. I would never have him explain some scientific thing to me again. Never would he tell me the name of the singer the year the record came out while we listened to the radio. So many never agains. So much loss. As the years have gone by since Mike’s death I have missed him desperately at times. I had no idea how he had spoiled me cosseted me from ugly people from tedious paper work. Mike had taken care of me and kept me safe. I will never know that feeling again.

AI Sci-Fi Film Colossus: The Forbin Project Removed From All Streaming Platforms – WHY?

This is a VERY GOOD question. Why?

What secret was revealed that ruined you financially?

I 1996, I started a paint contracting company going in partnership with a long time friend of mine. Using the phone book and the post office, I was able to immediately pick up plenty of work.

After about a year, my long time friend decides he going take a job as a golf course supervisor in Texas.

I knew he was going through some tough financial situations because of his austintatious life style and living beyond his means but I assumed he was paying the invoices as they came in. I soon learned that was not the case.

The day he leaves for Texas, I stop by and pick up the checkbook and what ever else I need to have. I knew that he had just finalized his personal bankruptcy the day before.

Next day, I stop by the paint store to pick up supplies for a new contract and my account exec looks at me like he’s seeing ghost. He tells me he assumed I was out of business. When I asked why, he said because the store had been served with a copy of your bankruptcy papers. They could not collect on the $28,000.00 owed to them.

Wow! My partner had not been paying the bills and included the paint company in his bankruptcy. This was just one paint supplier. That were others and a number of vendors such a Sears.

The suppliers all said the same thing. I can have anything I want as long as I pay cash. Problem is, the bank account has been picked clean. I don’t have two nickels to rub together. Another problem is I have signed contracts I needed to complete or my contractor license and my bond would be pulled.

I worked out a deal with the suppliers where I would pay off all the debt, roughly about $80,000.00 but I also needed paint and supplies to complete my contracts. They agreed on the condition that all my contract payments be made out to them.

I used different paint suppliers for different contracts as specified by the builder. I agreed to the terms. They would take 50% from each check and apply it toward my account.

Not only did I have to pay off the bankruptcy debt, I had to pay for new paint and supplies all from the same check.

I laid off all employees and began working 7 days a week from 5 Am until 10 PM. I did all the prep and the painting by myself. Nothing kept me from working like a indentured slave for a year.

After a year, I managed to pay off all the debt owed while at the same time generating enough money to pay the rent and keep food on the table. I was surprised to learn that I had made $40,000.00 in taxable income that year.

My long time friend and partner had shafted me good and I could have walked away from the entire situation as I was not legally obligated to pay the debt, but I was morally obligated to do the right thing. You touch it, you own it.

Does China’s citizenry know that the PLA (China’s Army) has had their oath of alligence changed from “serving the people wholeheartedly” to “serving the Communist Party of China wholeheartedly.”?

I’m Chinese. I listen to Voice of America’s China and BBC’s Chinese broadcasts year-round. I have learned a lot of useful skills from radio stations in the Western free world to help me identify the terrible brainwashing propaganda of the Chinese government. Now is the time for me to apply these skills. So, please tell me:

(1) What is your source of information?

(2) What is your purpose? Is it to help the Chinese people break free from harsh rule? What is your specific plan to fulfill your kind wish?

(3) What kind of force is behind you supporting or forcing you to make this conclusion?

(4) Please provide all supporting documents and photos, will you?

(5) If I believe your point, how would you save me?

Neocon China hawks; Ukraine failed, focus on Taiwan

“Guys, Ukraine isn’t working, just like our last ten war projects! What should we do?” “Oh, we should start another failure project for sure!” 

-Neocon logic 101.

What if China has ten aircraft carriers?

If China has no aircraft carriers, it will be seen as a “weak” country.

If China has 1 aircraft carrier, it will be seen as an “ambitious” country.

If China has 3 aircraft carriers, it will be seen as a “threatening the free world”.

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If China has 10 aircraft carriers, it will be seen as an “important force in maintaining world peace.”

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So, China is now a “serious threat”

In order to become a peacekeeper, they must continue to increase the number of aircraft carriers

Vintage Comix

A Groundbreaking Scientific Discovery Just Created the Instruction Manual for Light-Speed Travel

In a first for warp drives, this research actually obeys the laws of physics.

By Manasee WaghPublished: May 14, 2024

With the ease of starting a car, the crew of the USS Enterprise starship streaks to a new adventure in every episode of Star Trek, somehow traveling at several times the speed of light. This sci-fi mode of practical interstellar travel, which television audiences first saw in 1966, inspired Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre Moya to investigate the feasibility of a real method for light-speed propulsion. Decades later, he published his cutting-edge research to an astonished community of theoretical physicists. The eponymous Alcubierre warp drive hypothetically contracts the spacetime in front of a spaceship while expanding the spacetime behind it, so that the ship moves from Point A to Point B at an “arbitrarily fast” speed. By distorting spacetime—the continuum enfolding the three dimensions of space and time—an observer outside the ship’s “warp bubble” would see the ship moving faster than the speed of light, even though observers inside the craft would feel no acceleration forces.

If a superluminal—meaning faster than the speed of light—warp drive like Alcubierre’s worked, it would revolutionize humanity’s endeavors across the universe, allowing us, perhaps, to reach Alpha Centauri, our closest star system, in days or weeks even though it’s four light years away.

However, the Alcubierre drive has a glaring problem: the force behind its operation, called “negative energy,” involves exotic particles—hypothetical matter that, as far as we know, doesn’t exist in our universe. Described only in mathematical terms, exotic particles act in unexpected ways, like having negative mass and working in opposition to gravity (in fact, it has “anti-gravity”). For the past 30 years, scientists have been publishing research that chips away at the inherent hurdles to light speed revealed in Alcubierre’s foundational 1994 article published in the peer-reviewed journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.

Now, researchers at the New York City-based think tank Applied Physics believe they’ve found a creative new approach to solving the warp drive’s fundamental roadblock. Along with colleagues from other institutions, the team envisioned a “positive energy” system that doesn’t violate the known laws of physics. It’s a game-changer, say two of the study’s authors: Gianni Martire, CEO of Applied Physics, and Jared Fuchs, Ph.D., a senior scientist there. Their work, also published in Classical and Quantum Gravity in late April, could be the first chapter in the manual for interstellar spaceflight.

*****

Positive energy makes all the difference. Imagine you are an astronaut in space, pushing a tennis ball away from you. Instead of moving away, the ball pushes back, to the point that it would “take your hand off” if you applied enough pushing force, Martire tells Popular Mechanics. That’s a sign of negative energy, and, though the Alcubierre drive design requires it, there’s no way to harness it.

Instead, regular old positive energy is more feasible for constructing the “warp bubble.” As its name suggests, it’s a spherical structure that surrounds and encloses space for a passenger ship using a shell of regular—but incredibly dense—matter. The bubble propels the spaceship using the powerful gravity of the shell, but without causing the passengers to feel any acceleration. “An elevator ride would be more eventful,” Martire says.

That’s because the density of the shell, as well as the pressure it exerts on the interior, is controlled carefully, Fuchs tells Popular Mechanics. Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, according to the gravity-bound principles of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. So the bubble is designed such that observers within their local spacetime environment—inside the bubble—experience normal movement in time. Simultaneously, the bubble itself compresses the spacetime in front of the ship and expands it behind the ship, ferrying itself and the contained craft incredibly fast. The walls of the bubble generate the necessary momentum, akin to the momentum of balls rolling, Fuchs explains. “It’s the movement of the matter in the walls that actually creates the effect for passengers on the inside.”

Building on its 2021 paper published in Classical and Quantum Gravity—which details the same researchers’ earlier work on physical warp drives—the team was able to model the complexity of the system using its own computational program, Warp Factory. This toolkit for modeling warp drive spacetimes allows researchers to evaluate Einstein’s field equations and compute the energy conditions required for various warp drive geometries. Anyone can download and use it for free. These experiments led to what Fuchs calls a mini model, the first general model of a positive-energy warp drive. Their past work also demonstrated that the amount of energy a warp bubble requires depends on the shape of the bubble; for example, the flatter the bubble in the direction of travel, the less energy it needs.

This latest advancement suggests fresh possibilities for studying warp travel design, Erik Lentz, Ph.D., tells Popular Mechanics. In his current position as a staff physicist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, Lentz contributes to research on dark matter detection and quantum information science research. His independent research in warp drive theory also aims to be grounded in conventional physics while reimagining the shape of warped space. The topic needs to overcome many practical hurdles, he says.

Controlling warp bubbles requires a great deal of coordination because they involve enormous amounts of matter and energy to keep the passengers safe and with a similar passage of time as the destination. “We could just as well engineer spacetime where time passes much differently inside [the passenger compartment] than outside. We could miss our appointment at Proxima Centauri if we aren’t careful,” Lentz says. “That is still a risk if we are traveling less than the speed of light.” Communication between people inside the bubble and outside could also become distorted as it passes through the curvature of warped space, he adds.

While Applied Physics’ current solution requires a warp drive that travels below the speed of light, the model still needs to plug in a mass equivalent to about two Jupiters. Otherwise, it will never achieve the gravitational force and momentum high enough to cause a meaningful warp effect. But no one knows what the source of this mass could be—not yet, at least. Some research suggests that if we could somehow harness dark matter, we could use it for light-speed travel, but Fuchs and Martire are doubtful, since it’s currently a big mystery (and an exotic particle).

Despite the many problems scientists still need to solve to build a working warp drive, the Applied Physics team claims its model should eventually get closer to light speed. And even if a feasible model remains below the speed of light, it’s a vast improvement over today’s technology. For example, traveling at even half the speed of light to Alpha Centauri would take nine years. In stark contrast, our fastest spacecraft, Voyager 1—currently traveling at 38,000 miles per hour—would take 75,000 years to reach our closest neighboring star system.

Of course, as you approach the actual speed of light, things get truly weird, according to the principles of Einstein’s special relativity. The mass of an object moving faster and faster would increase infinitely, eventually requiring an infinite amount of energy to maintain its speed.

“That’s the chief limitation and key challenge we have to overcome—how can we have all this matter in our [bubble], but not at such a scale that we can never even put it together?” Martire says. It’s possible the answer lies in condensed matter physics, he adds. This branch of physics deals particularly with the forces between atoms and electrons in matter. It has already proven fundamental to several of our current technologies, such as transistors, solid-state lasers, and magnetic storage media.

The other big issue is that current models allow a stable warp bubble, but only for a constant velocity. Scientists still need to figure out how to design an initial acceleration. On the other end of the journey, how will the ship slow down and stop? “It’s like trying to grasp the automobile for the first time,” Martire says. “We don’t have an engine just yet, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Warp drive technology is at the stage of 1882 car technology, he says: when automobile travel was possible, but it still looked like a hard, hard problem.

The Applied Physics team believes future innovations in warp travel are inevitable. The general positive energy model is a first step. Besides, you don’t need to zoom at light speed to achieve distances that today are just a dream, Martire says. “Humanity is officially, mathematically, on an interstellar track.”

The US Trapped in Delusions as Russia & China Experience a Transformational Moment | Chas Freeman

What are a few bitter truths of life?

Consistency and pacing are the keys to success.

If you pace yourself and do a little, even something very small, every day then time is your friend and you will reap good results.

If you do not build good work habits, instead putting things off until the last moment, then your results will be poor, and time will be your enemy.

Small steps beat big dreams, and the people who succeed are the ones who can connect the small steps to their big dreams. The fact is that most people don’t know how to connect their small steps to their big dreams, which is why they live mediocre lives.

Garlic Orange Beef

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced in strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon orange peel, cut into 1 inch long thin strips
1 can condensed beefy mushroom soup
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons molasses
Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Brown steak strips in oil over medium-high heat. Remove from pan and transfer to slow cooker.
Top strips with onion, garlic and orange peel.
Stir soup, water, tomato paste, orange juice and molasses together and pour over mixture in slow cooker. Sprinkle pepper over all.
Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve over hot noodles or rice.

ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO:

[Commenting on the helicopter crash of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi.]

“This is a result of an atrocious and disgusting US position. I am primarily referring to sanctions.

These scoundrels had no right to impose sanctions against aircraft, jets, helicopters and other vehicles that carry people.

As I remember, they have introduced sanctions against aircraft in Russia, against us, against my jet.

They will not get to President Putin – he has a Russian-built jet, but they have imposed sanctions here.

Is it normal? People are traveling. You have sold this helicopter after all.

It does not matter whether it is 40 or 50 years old. Maybe it made only three flights in 50 years and would have been okay if it were serviced properly.

But they banned their companies from servicing it.

They are in part to blame for this.

They are all believers, and if they are – they will ultimately face a response.

This is not the way to behave in the world.

This shows once again the efforts that Russia and other countries that support it are taking for the unipolar world to fall apart.

A multipolar world will emerge.

These insane people are only bringing it close by their actions.

Who likes this?

They didn’t like something and stole money, in this case from Russia, and not only from it.

They didn’t like something and arrested a vessel, seized a tanker and took the goods.

They think they can do anything because they are strong.

I am not a mystic, but what I am saying is if they are believers they will ultimately answer for all these doings and answer in full.

They will not hide across the ocean.”

Excerpt from statements by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russian-Belarusian talks, Minsk, May 24, 2024.

Colossus: The Forbin Project – AI Predictions from 1970

Yes… Check this out…

What Did Edward Snowden Actually Reveal About the U.S Government?

May 21, 2024

Imagine, if you will, a world where your every move, every communication, every digital footprint is being monitored, collected, and analyzed by an all-seeing government entity. This is the reality that Edward Snowden, a former U.S. intelligence contractor, brought to light in 2013 when he leaked a trove of classified documents exposing the shocking extent of government surveillance programs.

Snowden’s revelations were nothing short of earth-shattering. He disclosed that the National Security Agency, or NSA, had been engaging in a massive, global surveillance operation, collecting data on millions of unsuspecting citizens, both in the United States and abroad. This included the bulk collection of phone records, email communications, and internet browsing histories, all under the guise of national security.

One of the most startling revelations was the existence of a program called PRISM, which allowed the NSA to gain direct access to the servers of major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple. This meant that the government could potentially access vast amounts of personal data without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved. It was a stunning breach of privacy that sent shockwaves through the tech industry and beyond.

But the revelations didn’t stop there. Snowden also exposed the NSA’s efforts to undermine internet security by deliberately weakening encryption standards and exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware. This not only compromised the privacy of individuals but also put the security of businesses and infrastructure at risk.

Perhaps most disturbingly, Snowden revealed that the NSA had been engaging in the bulk collection of communications metadata, essentially creating a vast database of who was talking to whom, when, and for how long. While the government argued that this was necessary for counterterrorism efforts, many saw it as a gross overreach of power and a violation of civil liberties.

The fallout from Snowden’s disclosures was immense. The U.S. government was forced to confront the reality that its surveillance programs had gone too far, and reforms were eventually put in place to rein in some of the most egregious practices. Tech companies, meanwhile, scrambled to reassure their users that their data was safe and secure, implementing stronger encryption and pushing back against government requests for user information.

In the end, Edward Snowden’s revelations fundamentally changed the way we think about privacy and security in the digital age. They exposed the dark underbelly of government surveillance and sparked a global conversation about the balance between national security and individual rights. While opinions on Snowden himself remain divided, there’s no denying the impact his actions had on the world, and the enduring legacy of his decision to blow the whistle on one of the most secretive and powerful organizations on the planet.

“I regret buying a new car”

May 21, 2024

I (25F) recently bought my first car and dropped 50k as a down payment for a brand new Lexus. (a really dumb decision, I know.) I feel super regretful because I let myself succumb to the pressure from my mom and friends to finally buy a car since I landed a higher paying job. I hope to have a family and buy a house one day but I cannot help but feel like I put myself in a poor financial position where I will probably never achieve that. Am I still doing okay financially?

32k invested into Roth IRA
30k invested into 401K
62k in high yield savings account
24k in CD account
30k in debt (car loan)
110k salary
Rent 1,200, Phone 100, Groceries 200

Dear Regretful Car Buyer,

An $80k car? Yes, that was a very dumb move. But hey, at least you bought a Lexus, so you can ride it out for 15-20+ years. That’s the only smart thing about this purchase.

Now, let’s talk about your financial situation. You have $32k in a Roth IRA, $30k in a 401k, $62k in a high-yield savings account, and $24k in a CD account. That’s a total of $148k in savings and investments. That’s fantastic for someone your age!

On the other hand, you have $30k in debt from your car loan. While that’s not ideal, it’s not the end of the world. You have a solid income of $110k, and your expenses are relatively low. You’re paying $1,200 for rent, $100 for your phone, and $200 for groceries. That leaves you with a lot of room to pay down your debt and continue saving for your future.

Here’s my advice: focus on paying off that car loan as quickly as possible. Make it a priority to throw extra money at that debt each month. Once you’ve paid off the loan, redirect that money into your savings and investments.

Remember that we all make mistakes. It’s part of being young. You have time on your side, and you can afford the payments on a $30k loan while still saving aggressively. Don’t beat yourself up too much over this.

You’ve obviously reflected that peer pressure influenced you to make a poor decision. That’s a valuable lesson to learn at your age.

Yes, buying an $80k car on a $110k salary was a dumb move. But you’ve got a lot of things going for you: a high income, fantastic savings, and time on your side. Learn from this mistake, get back on track with your savings and investments, and don’t let peer pressure influence your financial decisions again. You’ve got this!

How I see the UK after three years

The Bleak Reality Faced By The Japanese Youth

May 21, 2024

There used to be a legal concept and now there is a de facto concept known as “lifetime employment.” Basically, when you begin a career with a company, you would have to egregiously fuckup/commit malicious deeds to lose your job. However, businessmen who fail publicly on a major project that they took leadership of, or businessmen who piss off the wrong people in the firm, are often shipped off to undesirable locations (remote countryside, foreign branches, less-than-desirable departments, etc.) or just have their careers turn into a living hell.

As such, if you are a Japanese businessman and you want a relatively cushy path towards middle/upper management, you are dissuaded from taking risks. This leads to situations where people ignore potentially lucrative opportunities in favor of the less risky status quo. This leads to stagnation.

One way Japanese businesspeople bypass this problem is by doing “nemawashi” before business deals. This means taking 6 months or so meeting with all potential stakeholders in small meetings, winning them over one by one, before you ever pitch your main idea to the main committee/bosses (who has also been briefed ahead of time). This way all parties agree with the idea and the risk is mitigated.

Likewise, committees are often formed, sometimes even between multiple business units or even companies entirely, to make sure everyone agrees on everything. This helps everyone save face (as they all agree on the same thing) in the event of failure. Unfortunately this also leads to stagnation on an epic scale as typically it’s impossible to get a bunch of risk-adverse executives to all agree to the same thing.

The Japanese education system does a great job of teaching conformity. This helps squash a lot of the entrepreneurial spirit that you would naturally see out of graduates in other countries. No one wants to be the “nail that sticks out.”

It also teaches Japanese students how to prepare for standardized tests, but not critical thinking skills. This tends to put them at a disadvantage in a global business community, when compared to graduates from other developed nations. Also their foreign language teaching is laughable – designed more for standardized tests than actual international business.

I like to use this story to explain this a bit… As a typical Japanese high school student, here is what you are expected to do:

Spend years of your life studying your ass off before school, during school, after school, 7 days a week so you can do well on the entry exams for the best colleges.
Spend your senior year of college wearing a suit and job hunting, attending dozens of monotonous seminars and taking more exams, in the hopes that you can get a low paying entry level job at a well known firm (like a Toyota).
Slave away for 3-5 years, making $20-40K and working 80 hours a week. Go on forced drinking excursions only to be physically, verbally, and often sexually harassed by your seniors who you actually hate but pretend to like in public.
Live at home until you’re 30 because you don’t make enough to move out.
Finally get promoted to sub-middle-manager as you approach 30. Go on a bunch of forced group dates so you can finally get laid and settle for the plain jane over in accounting.
Get married to plain jane (who secretly resents that you don’t make enough money for her to buy Coach bags) and move into a shithole apartment in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Spend the next ten years working 80 hours a week, going bald, and sleeping with hookers on business trips. You’ll develop a pretty serious drinking problem while your wife sleeps with her high school sweetheart when you’re out of town.
Finally get promoted to middle-manager and make decent money. Now you can afford to buy a shithole apartment in the suburbs. Enjoy your two hour commute on a packed train every day while you contemplate suicide.
Pop out one kid (because that’s all you can afford) now that you’re in your early 40s. Look forward to raising them to be just as miserable as you because “that’s just the way things are.”
Finally retire when you’re in your upper 60s and enjoy life for a bit before you die of cancer.

That is the reality of life for a LOT of Japanese youths. And they know it.

With that knowledge in hand, a lot (millions) are saying “fuck the system” and just choosing to live in their parents’ basements forever, playing videogames and masturbating to pixelated porn and hentai. I can’t say I blame them!

There is a certain bleakness in the Japanese youth. They can’t afford to marry, nor have kids. They have grown up in a 20+ year recession. They aren’t happy but societal pressures tell them to stay on the course they are on because “that’s what it means to be Japanese.”

“My chess rating has become my identity.”

May 21, 2024

I’m an avid chess player, and over the years, my chess rating has become more than just a number—it’s become a part of my identity. Whenever I win a game and see my rating go up, I feel on top of the world. But when I lose and my rating drops, it feels like a personal failure. These fluctuations have started to impact my mood, self-esteem, and even how I interact with others.

Lately, it’s been getting worse. I find myself obsessively checking my rating and replaying my losses in my head, wondering what I could have done differently. I compare myself to higher-rated players and feel inferior and stupid. This has led to anxiety and a lack of enjoyment in other areas of my life. I’m caught in a vicious cycle of self-doubt and pressure to perform, and I don’t know how to break free.

Dear Checkmated by Ratings,

You’re far from alone in letting something external — be it chess ratings, social media likes, income, weight, zip code, a partner’s approval — define your self-worth. Our culture rewards such myopia.

But there’s a common delusion in external validation: that if you just hit the right number, then you’ll like yourself. Except it never produces a lasting sense of accomplishment or self-acceptance. There’s always another goalpost your ego is chasing, another reason to feel “less than.”

So, how to reclaim your equilibrium? First, by understanding that your mind is playing tricks on you. A rating is simply data, a benchmark of chess mastery. That’s it. It is not now, nor will it ever be, an accurate measure of your worth as a human being. You are so much more than any number — on or off the chessboard.

Correcting this mental error frees you to refocus on what matters: the joy of the game. You play because you love it — the elegant strategies, the mental challenge, the thrill of competition. When you’re fully present in the moment, immersed in the flow of the game, there is no room for obsessive thoughts.

Consider a practice of mindfulness, whether through meditation, yoga, journaling or time in nature. It’s a powerful way to override toxic self-talk and shift your attention to gratitude and growth. Savor the journey of getting better at something you love. Thank your body and mind for working in tandem. Process your losses with self-compassion, mining them for lessons, then letting them go.

Lastly, open up to a trusted friend, family member or therapist about what you’ve been going through. Shame and isolation will only keep you stuck. Connection is the antidote, reminding you that your worthiness has nothing to do with wins and losses.

Like the game itself, life is full of highs and lows, advances and setbacks. Our fulfillment lies in meeting both with grace.

Wishing you joy in every game.

The End Of The American Empire Is Here

Play ball, but only if you know how to

When I was a young boy, we moved to a small rural town in Western Pennsylvania; “East Brady”. I started school there, and started to attend third grade.

Right off the bat, all the other boys played basketball, football, baseball, and lots of other sports. But I didn’t. My father never played sports with me, he never watched sports, and my mother forbid me from playing “dangerous sports” outside.

So, when I entered school, I was at a terrible disadvantage.

I didn’t know how to play basketball, dribble a ball, catch a ball or make a basket. But all the others did. They had been doing so since they were three years old.

i was at a great disadvantage, and I was constantly picked on because of it. Not just by the boys, but the girls too. And Lordy! Even the teachers. It became hellish for me.

I tried to explain to my dad, but he wouldn’t have any of that. He would say “be a man”, and “you can learn”, and the proverbial “don’t listen to what they all say, you just ignore them”.

It didn’t work.

Not until i started lifting weights, has muscles the size of oil cans and started to fight back. But that was later on, 10th through 12th grade, but this narrative is about what happened with I was in fifth or sixth grade.

You see, even though I couldn’t play basketball, dribble or anything… my father insisted, and then ordered me to go get on the basketball team and play ball. Why?

Well, it was because that’s what all the other kids were doing.

WTF?

Didn’t he listen to me? I was at a strong and strict disadvantage. I could not play ball. I literally could not, and that made me the laughing stock of the class. We did not watch sports at home, we did not go to sports events, but somehow… somehow… I was supposed to be able to play them.

And I had to do it.

Do it because of what the other kids were doing? Seriously?

So yeah… for three years, I endured the taunting, the jokes and the pain from sixth grade though ninth grade because of something that my father demanded of me WITHOUT him actually participating in helping me obtain any skills.

yes.

Just gave orders. No on-hand training. Never attended the games. Never participated in any way, shape or form.

Fucking jack ass.

On the plus side, I’m making sure that this DOES NOT happen to my kids. So there is something positive that came out of this, don’t you know.

Moral…

Play ball, but only if you know how to.

Today…

What is an experience you had with a “Karen” you’ll never forget?

She brought her car in and asked what it would cost to replace the EGR valve.. Then she promptly spent the next ten minutes running down the shop that has been ripping her off for years, explaining how EVERY TIME she brought her car in to them, they said it was this, and then that didn’t fix it, so she had to pay more…

“So, would you like me to fix the car, or replace the EGR valve? They may not be the same thing..”

“What do you mean?”

“We could inspect the vehicle, identify the faults, and make a recommendation based on our findings..”

“You would charge me for that?”

“Yes, of course..”

“No, just change the EGR valve, they already told me what’s wrong with it! You guys are all alike!”

So, I wrote up the repair order, specifying “Replace EGR valve per customer request.”

I called her a couple hours later and told her the EGR valve had been replaced..

“It still runs terrible! You didn’t even change it, did you?!”

“Of course we replaced it.. I have your old EGR valve right here, along with the large chunk of carbon that had blocked it open.. We took the liberty of inspecting the engine after the work was done so I would be able to explain to you why it’s still running so badly.. If you’ll look right here, you can plainly see the ignition spark escaping the plug wire arcing to the cylinder head.. The chunk of carbon that blocked the EGR open resulted from unburned fuel entering your exhaust.. You need a tune-up.. I have that estimate for you right here, and as soon as you pay for the work we’ve already done, I’ll get started on it..”

“Why should I have to pay for that? You didn’t fix it!”

“Because you asked us to, as evidenced by this signed repair order, which expressly authorizes a mechanic’s lien in lieu of payment for services rendered.. If you choose not to pay this bill, I’ll place your vehicle in storage at $19.00 per day until such time as I can apply for a permit to sell the vehicle..”

She politely paid the bill, and paid up front for the tune-up.. The next day, she drove away in her perfectly running Nissan Quest..

What is the proof that fentanyl is made in China?

I am a Chinese and a worker in the IT industry. Fentanyl is a drug precursor, and its rational application in medicine is necessary. Some excellent answers have already explained the question in detail. Foreign intellectuals understand that this is a minor issue in the diplomatic struggle between China and the United States, and a new issue set by the United States to hinder the harmony of bilateral relations. So, regarding the issue of fentanyl, both the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US State Department are making some clich é s. I want to tell some fresh stories about the relationship between ordinary Chinese people and drug abuse (吸毒). Most of them come from the original works of some guys I have read in Chinese online communities over the past few years. I wrote it down based on memories:

Story 1

A guy from Northeast China, he was in high school at the time. But fighting, sleeping, and pestering girls every day. But as long as he doesn’t take the initiative to provoke, no one cares about what he is doing. One day, he felt very bored and came up with a brilliant idea: to bring a small bag of soy milk powder from home (which is a traditional Chinese food, a mixture of soy powder and milk powder, with a slightly dull white powder appearance). Then roll the tin foil in the chocolate box into long strips. Then, he stole a lighter from home. The show begins: During the break, he takes out a tubular tin foil and carefully takes out a little bit of soy milk powder from a plastic bag, slowly putting it onto the tin foil. Then, light the lighter and bake under the tin foil with flames – this is a common scene of drug addicts in Hong Kong gangster movies. In an instant, all the classmates around him were stunned! A classmate shouted loudly and ran to the teacher’s office, telling everyone that this guy was taking drugs. Two strong male teachers ran into the classroom and knocked him down on the ground. One teacher extinguished the lighter, while the other teacher asked everyone to leave the classroom immediately to protect the crime scene. Then, someone called the police number. No matter how much the guy who usually causes trouble lies on the ground pleading and defending, it is ineffective. Until the police arrived at the school. Finally, the police gave this guy a lesson, and the school gave him a stern warning, requiring everyone in his family to come to the school to receive anti drug education. This guy is no longer arrogant anymore.

Story 2

A Chinese guy was surfing the internet and saw someone asking where to buy methamphetamine? In fact, it is almost impossible to buy drugs in China. So, this guy came up with a brilliant idea. He purchased some rock sugar, which looks like some semi transparent crystals. Then, tell the drug addict online that he has heroin in his hands, and the price is very cheap, only 1/5 of the black market price, and there is also a considerable amount of inventory. This price immediately attracted drug addicts. After some bargaining, the drug addict paid tens of thousands of yuan and bought a small bag of rock sugar from that guy. The supermarket sells for 5 yuan. However, this guy, in pursuit of the pinnacle of art, kindly tells drug addicts: I will mail it to you through China Post. However, in order to avoid the police, we must be smarter. For example, I would use packaging bags of rock sugar to hold these methamphetamine, and when you receive the goods, if someone asks, you would answer, “This is just a bag of rock sugar.”. Okay, they happily reached the deal, and this guy made tens of thousands of yuan with just a bag of rock sugar. And the poor drug addict who couldn’t buy drugs, after receiving sweet and delicious rock sugar, became extremely angry and had to report to the police that he had been deceived. So much so that when the police asked him how you were deceived, he had to admit that he was a drug addict. He said to the police, I would rather be locked up in a drug rehabilitation center than have this scammer get legal sanctions! Finally, this guy was sentenced to three years in prison for the crime of fraud.

Story 3

A boy who is currently in college is hosting a party with several other boys and girls at his home. In China, college student parties mean they eat hot pot together, play computer games, watch movies, eat snacks, and so on. Afterwards, they played cards. And it was agreed that the loser should take a sip of apple cider vinegar, which is a strange health drink that many people dislike. Then, a few college students had a sudden idea. They drilled several holes into the lid of the bottle of apple cider vinegar, each with a long straw inserted. This way, if someone loses a card game, they can use their own straw to take a sip of sour vinegar. After a while, the boy’s parents went home. When they saw their child and a group of young men and women using multiple straws to suck something, the boy’s father immediately called the police and told them, “My child is gathering to take drugs.”. Because in some movies, drug scenes include empty bottles, plastic hoses, and some liquids. The police rushed in, and several children turned pale in fear. What is the final result? The father apologized to all the children and then made a sumptuous dinner for them.

Story 4

This small matter is about myself. My bathroom wall tiles have fallen off. I consulted the owner of the hardware store and he told me that using a type of “tile adhesive” can solve the problem. However, he doesn’t have a syringe, and I have to suck the glue into the syringe and then inject it into the gap between the tiles. So I found a private clinic and told the nurse to sell me a syringe and a thicker needle. The nurse asked me, “What do you want this thing for?” I completely didn’t understand the nurse’s intention and casually replied, “It’s just doing something.”. Then she called the doctor and began questioning me. I have to tell them the truth. Afterwards, the nurse sold me the syringe but firmly refused to give me the needle. And I checked my ID card and remembered the name of the community I live in. Okay, maybe in her opinion, she still hasn’t dispelled her doubts about me.

These stories (perhaps some sentences are exaggerated, they come from my memories) fully illustrate the attitude of ordinary Chinese people towards drugs or drug use.

Pizza Meatballs

Pizza Meatballs Photo2

Yield: 14 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons garlic salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 (12 ounce) cans pizza sauce

Instructions

Mix beef, bread crumbs, milk, onions, garlic salt and pepper together.
Form mixture around cheese cubes to make balls.
Dip balls into flour and brown in oil.
Place balls in slow cooker and pour pizza sauce over them.
Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until meatballs are done.

Pizza Meatballs Photo

“NATO is making a DEADLY mistake” and WW3 will look UNLIKE anything we’ve ever seen | Redacted News

Five ways criminals are using AI

Generative AI has made phishing, scamming, and doxxing easier than ever.

Melissa Heikkilä

May 21, 2024

Artificial intelligence has brought a big boost in productivity—to the criminal underworld.

Generative AI provides a new, powerful tool kit that allows malicious actors to work far more efficiently and internationally than ever before, says Vincenzo Ciancaglini, a senior threat researcher at the security company Trend Micro.

Most criminals are “not living in some dark lair and plotting things,” says Ciancaglini. “Most of them are regular folks that carry on regular activities that require productivity as well.”

Last year saw the rise and fall of WormGPT, an AI language model built on top of an open-source model and trained on malware-related data, which was created to assist hackers and had no ethical rules or restrictions. But last summer, its creators announced they were shutting the model down after it started attracting media attention. Since then, cybercriminals have mostly stopped developing their own AI models. Instead, they are opting for tricks with existing tools that work reliably.

That’s because criminals want an easy life and quick gains, Ciancaglini explains. For any new technology to be worth the unknown risks associated with adopting it—for example, a higher risk of getting caught—it has to be better and bring higher rewards than what they’re currently using.

Here are five ways criminals are using AI now.

Phishing

The biggest use case for generative AI among criminals right now is phishing, which involves trying to trick people into revealing sensitive information that can be used for malicious purposes, says Mislav Balunović, an AI security researcher at ETH Zurich. Researchers have found that the rise of ChatGPT has been accompanied by a huge spike in the number of phishing emails.

Spam-generating services, such as GoMail Pro, have ChatGPT integrated into them, which allows criminal users to translate or improve the messages sent to victims, says Ciancaglini. OpenAI’s policies restrict people from using their products for illegal activities, but that is difficult to police in practice, because many innocent-sounding prompts could be used for malicious purposes too, says Ciancaglini.

OpenAI says it uses a mix of human reviewers and automated systems to identify and enforce against misuse of its models, and issues warnings, temporary suspensions and bans if users violate the company’s policies.

“We take the safety of our products seriously and are continually improving our safety measures based on how people use our products,” a spokesperson for OpenAI told us. “We are constantly working to make our models safer and more robust against abuse and jailbreaks, while also maintaining the models’ usefulness and task performance,” they added.

In a report from February, OpenAI said it had closed five accounts associated with state-affiliated malicous actors.

Before, so-called Nigerian prince scams, in which someone promises the victim a large sum of money in exchange for a small up-front payment, were relatively easy to spot because the English in the messages was clumsy and riddled with grammatical errors, Ciancaglini. says. Language models allow scammers to generate messages that sound like something a native speaker would have written.

“English speakers used to be relatively safe from non-English-speaking [criminals] because you could spot their messages,” Ciancaglini says. That’s not the case anymore.

Thanks to better AI translation, different criminal groups around the world can also communicate better with each other. The risk is that they could coordinate large-scale operations that span beyond their nations and target victims in other countries, says Ciancaglini.

Deepfake audio scams

Generative AI has allowed deepfake development to take a big leap forward, with synthetic images, videos, and audio looking and sounding more realistic than ever. This has not gone unnoticed by the criminal underworld.

Earlier this year, an employee in Hong Kong was reportedly scammed out of $25 million after cybercriminals used a deepfake of the company’s chief financial officer to convince the employee to transfer the money to the scammer’s account. “We’ve seen deepfakes finally being marketed in the underground,” says Ciancaglini. His team found people on platforms such as Telegram showing off their “portfolio” of deepfakes and selling their services for as little as $10 per image or $500 per minute of video. One of the most popular people for criminals to deepfake is Elon Musk, says Ciancaglini.

And while deepfake videos remain complicated to make and easier for humans to spot, that is not the case for audio deepfakes. They are cheap to make and require only a couple of seconds of someone’s voice—taken, for example, from social media—to generate something scarily convincing.

In the US, there have been high-profile cases where people have received distressing calls from loved ones saying they’ve been kidnapped and asking for money to be freed, only for the caller to turn out to be a scammer using a deepfake voice recording.

“People need to be aware that now these things are possible, and people need to be aware that now the Nigerian king doesn’t speak in broken English anymore,” says Ciancaglini. “People can call you with another voice, and they can put you in a very stressful situation,” he adds.

There are some for people to protect themselves, he says. Ciancaglini recommends agreeing on a regularly changing secret safe word between loved ones that could help confirm the identity of the person on the other end of the line.

“I password-protected my grandma,” he says.

Bypassing identity checks

Another way criminals are using deepfakes is to bypass “know your customer” verification systems. Banks and cryptocurrency exchanges use these systems to verify that their customers are real people. They require new users to take a photo of themselves holding a physical identification document in front of a camera. But criminals have started selling apps on platforms such as Telegram that allow people to get around the requirement.

They work by offering a fake or stolen ID and imposing a deepfake image on top of a real person’s face to trick the verification system on an Android phone’s camera. Ciancaglini has found examples where people are offering these services for cryptocurrency website Binance for as little as $70.

“They are still fairly basic,” Ciancaglini says. The techniques they use are similar to Instagram filters, where someone else’s face is swapped for your own.

“What we can expect in the future is that [criminals] will use actual deepfakes … so that you can do more complex authentication,” he says.

Jailbreak-as-a-service

If you ask most AI systems how to make a bomb, you won’t get a useful response.

That’s because AI companies have put in place various safeguards to prevent their models from spewing harmful or dangerous information. Instead of building their own AI models without these safeguards, which is expensive, time-consuming, and difficult, cybercriminals have begun to embrace a new trend: jailbreak-as-a-service.

Most models come with rules around how they can be used. Jailbreaking allows users to manipulate the AI system to generate outputs that violate those policies—for example, to write code for ransomware or generate text that could be used in scam emails.

Services such as EscapeGPT and BlackhatGPT offer anonymized access to language-model APIs and jailbreaking prompts that update frequently. To fight back against this growing cottage industry, AI companies such as OpenAI and Google frequently have to plug security holes that could allow their models to be abused.

Jailbreaking services use different tricks to break through safety mechanisms, such as posing hypothetical questions or asking questions in foreign languages. There is a constant cat-and-mouse game between AI companies trying to prevent their models from misbehaving and malicious actors coming up with ever more creative jailbreaking prompts.

These services are hitting the sweet spot for criminals, says Ciancaglini.

“Keeping up with jailbreaks is a tedious activity. You come up with a new one, then you need to test it, then it’s going to work for a couple of weeks, and then Open AI updates their model,” he adds. “Jailbreaking is a super-interesting service for criminals.”

Doxxing and surveillance

AI language models are a perfect tool for not only phishing but for doxxing (revealing private, identifying information about someone online), says Balunović. This is because AI language models are trained on vast amounts of internet data, including personal data, and can deduce where, for example, someone might be located.

As an example of how this works, you could ask a chatbot to pretend to be a private investigator with experience in profiling. Then you could ask it to analyze text the victim has written, and infer personal information from small clues in that text—for example, their age based on when they went to high school, or where they live based on landmarks they mention on their commute. The more information there is about them on the internet, the more vulnerable they are to being identified.

Balunović was part of a team of researchers that found late last year that large language models, such as GPT-4, Llama 2, and Claude, are able to infer sensitive information such as people’s ethnicity, location, and occupation purely from mundane conversations with a chatbot. In theory, anyone with access to these models could use them this way.

Since their paper came out, new services that exploit this feature of language models have emerged.

While the existence of these services doesn’t indicate criminal activity, it points out the new capabilities malicious actors could get their hands on. And if regular people can build surveillance tools like this, state actors probably have far better systems, Balunović says.

“The only way for us to prevent these things is to work on defenses,” he says.

Companies should invest in data protection and security, he adds.

For individuals, increased awareness is key. People should think twice about what they share online and decide whether they are comfortable with having their personal details being used in language models, Balunović says.

9 Daily Habits that Often Cause 90 Percent of Our Relationship Problems

Written by Marc Chernoff

There’s something to be said for slow and steady progress, but there’s also something to be said for decisive and sweeping action. When it comes to negative relationship habits, there’s no time like today to quit cold turkey. Of course that’s a lot easier said than done, but with practice we can do better almost immediately.

Lately I’ve been making it a point to bring more awareness to the specific negative relationship habits our coaching clients have been repeatedly complaining about or engaging in. And perhaps more importantly than that, I’ve also been noticing how frequently many of the same habits and behaviors surface in my personal relationships. I mean let’s be honest, we all misbehave in our relationships sometimes. None of us are immune to occasional negative mood swings. But that doesn’t excuse what we do to each other on a daily basis.

Over the years, through our coaching practice and live events, Angel and I have literally worked with hundreds of individuals looking to fix or strengthen their relationships, and we’ve learned a lot about what it takes to make that happen. One of the most significant realizations, again, is the fact that most problems in our relationships (both intimate and platonic) arise from the same basic negative habits and behavioral issues. Here are some of the more prevalent ones to be aware of…

1. Giving the silent treatment.

Tuning out, ignoring, disengaging, refusing to acknowledge, etc. All variations of the silent treatment don’t just remove the other person from the disagreement or argument you’re having with them, it ends up removing them, emotionally, from the relationship you have with them. Truly, when you’re purposely ignoring someone you’re really teaching them to live without you. If that’s what you want, be clear about it. And if not, reengage with them in a constructive way.

2. Seeking attention by complaining.

I spoke with a new friend yesterday who all but refused to talk about the positive aspects of their life. After listening to them vent about fairly minor troubles for an hour straight, I asked about some of the exciting projects they have going on (of which they have many). Within three sentences they were back to complaining about trivial things. We all need to share our troubles with friends or strangers from time to time, but don’t fall into the habit of turning conversations into your own personal dumping ground. It’s an easy way to get attention, but it’s a poor way to keep it, and it’s a poor way to view your life.

3. Using disagreements as an excuse to condemn someone’s character.

Complaints are OK. Disagreements are OK too. These are natural and honest reactions to a person’s decisions or behavior. But when complaints and disagreements spiral out of control into global attacks on a person’s entire character, rather than their occasional decisions or behavior, this spells trouble. For example: “They didn’t call me when they said they would because they were busy and forgot, but because they are a horrible, wretched, selfish person.” The bottom line here is that there’s a big difference between who someone is and what they sometimes do.

4. Focusing on the inner monologue instead of the actual dialogue.

“Holy crap! How should I respond? What can I say that will sound smart and clever? I really hope they think I’m intelligent. I could touch on symbolism or make a reference to post-modernism. Wait… what did they just ask me?” Stay focused on the other person’s words and points. People rarely mind when you say, “Hmm, let me think about that for a moment.” Quite the opposite, since it shows that you’re taking the conversation seriously. If you compose your answers while someone else is speaking, you’re really only having half a conversation, and it’s usually quite obvious. (Read “Just Listen”.)

5. Using (subtle) hateful gestures.

Frequent name-calling, eye-rolling, belittling, mockery, childish threats, rude teasing, etc. In whatever form, gestures like these are poisonous to a relationship because they convey hate. And it’s virtually impossible to resolve relationship problems, or strengthen a relationship in any way, when the other person is constantly receiving the message that you hate them.

6. Multi-tasking while engaging with people.

Even if you are a professional multitasker, if you’re talking to someone, talk to them and that’s it. Don’t browse online, don’t watch TV, don’t scroll through social media, etc. If you really don’t have the time to talk, be honest and find another time, or cut it short. The bottom line is that there’s no greater gift of kindness, and no greater expression of caring that you can offer, than your undivided time and attention. (Note: Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the Relationships chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

7. De-emphasizing compliments, or fishing for more of them, with self-effacing remarks.

“Oh, I look terrible today” … after someone compliments you. “I just threw it together at the last minute” … when you obviously dressed up. “I’m really not good at things like this” … when the people you’re with say you are. Don’t do this to yourself and others. It’s not flattering or helpful behavior. By making self-effacing comments, you basically force the other person to repeat their compliment or defend it, which is not a gracious thing to do. It’s perfectly OK to say simply “thank you” when you’re complimented. It’s not snobby, it’s just a basic courtesy.

8. Holding the past against people that have been “forgiven.”

If someone you love or care about makes a mistake and you choose to forgive them, your actions must reinforce your words. In other words, let bygones be bygones. Don’t use their past wrongdoings to continuously justify your own present righteousness. When you constantly use someone’s past wrongdoings to make yourself seem “better” than them (“I’m better than you because, unlike you, I didn’t do XYZ in the past.”), it’s a lose-lose situation in the long run.

9. Leveraging or accepting emotional blackmail.

Emotional blackmail happens when you apply an emotional penalty against someone if they don’t do exactly what you want them to do. The key condition here is that they change they’re behavior against their will as a result of the emotional blackmail. Absent the emotional blackmail they would live differently, but they fear the penalty from you and so they give in. If that sounds familiar, the solution relies heavily on better communication. If two people care about each other and want to maintain a healthy relationship, they absolutely need to be allowed to openly communicate all of their feelings to each other, not just the agreeable and positive ones. If this is not allowed or supported — if one or both people fear penalty or punishment for their honesty — lies and deceit will gradually transpire.

Remember, we all have a responsibility to uphold.

As you reflect on the negative social habits above, do your best to keep things in perspective. If you recognize one or more of them in your relationships, refrain from pointing fingers. Take some responsibility so you can put yourself in a position to make positive changes. Remind yourself that when you deny 100% responsibility in a relationship problem or dispute, all you’re really doing is blaming the other person. You’re saying, in effect, “The problem here is never me and it’s always you.” This denial of responsibility usually just escalates everything, because there’s a complete and utter breakdown of communication.

The key thing to understand is that you have a choice. Either you’re choosing to be in a relationship with another person, or you aren’t. If you’re choosing to be in, then you are responsible for it. Denying this means you’re giving up all your power to the other person — you’re their victim, regardless of circumstances (positive or negative), because you’ve given them 100% of the responsibility for the relationship you have with them. So again, even when the behavior driving a relationship problem belongs to the other person, the only way to find common ground, or simply create a healthy boundary and more space for yourself, is to first own the fact that you have a responsibility to address.

And also keep in mind that when your friendship, marriage, parenting, etc. gets difficult, it’s not an immediate sign that you’re doing it wrong. These intimate, intricate relationships are toughest when you’re doing them right — when you’re dedicating time, compromising, having the tough conversations, and making daily sacrifices.

Healthy long-tern relationships are always amazing, but rarely easy 24/7. Resisting the hard times and seeing them as immediate evidence that something is wrong, or that you’re in a relationship with the wrong person, only exacerbates the difficulties. By contrast, finding the patience and mindfulness to view the challenges as an opportunity to work together will likely give your relationship the energy and strength needed to transcend the problems and grow even stronger in the long run.

And finally, practice tuning in to your own feelings and needs. Note the times and circumstances when you’re resentful of fulfilling someone else’s needs. Gradually establish healthy and reasonable boundaries by saying no to gratuitous requests that cause resentfulness in you. Of course, this will be hard at first because it may feel selfish. But if you’ve ever flown on a plane you know that flight attendants instruct passengers to put on their own oxygen masks before tending to others, even their own children. Why? Because you can’t help others if you’re incapacitated. In the long run, proactively establishing and enforcing healthy and reasonable boundaries in your relationships will be one of the most charitable things you can do for both yourself and those you care about.

The Fundamental Attribution Error: Why You Suck at Judging People’s Behavior

May 22, 2024

We all like to think we’re good at reading people and figuring out why they do the shit they do. Your coworker snapped at you in a meeting? Must be because he’s an asshole with anger issues. That lady cut you off in traffic? Obviously it’s because she’s a self-absorbed, horrible driver.

Well I’m here to burst your bubble. Turns out, you actually suck at judging other people’s behavior. And so does everyone else. It all comes down to a pesky little cognitive bias called the fundamental attribution error.

Here’s how it works: when someone else fucks up or does something annoying, we attribute it to their personality and character. “She’s just a rude bitch,” we say. But when WE screw up in the exact same way, we blame the circumstances. “I was just having a bad day,” or “I was stressed and not thinking clearly.”

See the problem? We cut ourselves all sorts of slack, but when judging others, it’s all about their flaws as a person. We ignore the situational factors influencing their behavior.

Maybe your coworker snapped because he’s going through a rough divorce and hasn’t been sleeping. Maybe that lady cut you off because she just found out her kid is sick and she’s rushing to pick him up. There’s often a lot more to the story that you’re oblivious to.

The truth is, people’s behavior is largely driven by their environment and circumstances, not just their core personality traits. But the fundamental attribution error causes us to zoom in on character and ignore context.

And this doesn’t just lead to us being judgmental assholes. It actually fucks up our relationships and interactions. By wrongly attributing people’s actions to their fixed personality, we assume they’ll always act that way. We write them off or treat them poorly, instead of considering the reasons behind their behavior.

So what’s the solution? How do we avoid this trap?

First step: realize you’re susceptible to the bias. It affects all of us, no matter how smart or perceptive we think we are. Stay humble and recognize your judgment of others can often be flawed.

Second: put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Pause your knee-jerk reaction of “Wow what a bitch/asshole/idiot” and consider the situational factors that could explain their behavior. What’s going on in their life that you might not be aware of? What circumstances could have contributed?

This doesn’t mean you have to excuse everyone’s shitty behavior. Some people do just consistently suck. But very often there’s more to the story. And giving others the benefit of the doubt can improve your relationships and emotional reactions.

So next time someone is pissing you off, take a step back before writing them off as a shit human being. Consider the context. Realize you could act the exact same way in their situation.

Congrats, you’re now slightly less of a judgmental ass. You’re welcome.

SECOND Russian Nuclear Missile Warning Radar Hit By Ukraine – Also an attempt to hit a THIRD!

Hal Turner World May 28, 2024

For the SECOND TIME, Ukraine drones hit a radar of Russia’s nuclear early warning system, and attempted to shoot a THIRD one, with Moscow expecting a fourth radar station to be hit as well.

The attack upon a SECOND Over-The-Horizon radar inside Russia is an extremely worrying development because it is clearly being done not for Ukraine defense, but rather as a NATO destabilization of the combat command and control system of Russian strategic nuclear forces.

This SECOND attack hit the Voronezh-DM advanced over-the-horizon (OTH) early warning radar system in the Orsk region of Orenburg, 1,800 km from the Ukrainian border.

This second attack happened on May 26 into 27. But unlike the first attack, wherein imagery from the ground was available to me almost immediately, no ground imagery is presently available to me. Instead, all I can show is grainy satellite imagery showing scorch marks on the ground:

As you can clearly see, it is difficult if not impossible to determine if the radar is still functional, but I am told it is NOT.

Russian analysts stress that a new blow from Ukraine should be expected. According to them, the next NATO target is the Voronezh-M radar in Lekhtusi (Leningrad region).

If Kiev hits this particular radar in Lekhtusi (Leningrad Region), then Russia’s defense capability in the northern direction will be reduced. Moscow will lose the ability to detect in time the launch of missiles with nuclear warheads against it and, accordingly, to react quickly to what is happening.

Put simply, the “Blind Spots” that are being created in Russia’s early-warning radar, are making Russia vulnerable to a Nuclear First-Strike attack by the West. The Russians are becoming “sitting ducks.”

Austrian Army Colonel Markus Reisner on the (US) attack on Russia’s early warning radar:
– Almost no significance for the Ukrainian battlefield
– Likely a US-led attack to degrade Russia’s nuclear deterrent
– “Boiling the frog” strategy to enable first-strike

HAL TURNER ANALYSIS

When I reported the attack upon the first Russia Over-the-Horizon radar (Story Here), I pointed out that the station did not provide coverage in Ukraine. There was no military advantage for Ukraine to have attacked this radar station.

I pointed out that, in my view, the only reason a station like this would be attacked, would be to set the stage for a NATO nuclear first strike on Russia.

Bolstering my belief that it is NATO engaging in attacking these stations is the fact, revealed over the Memorial Day Weekend holiday, that one of the Drones shot down during the FIRST attack, was a “Tekever AR3” Drone. They are made by Portugal! A NATO member country! A FILE PHOTO image of the Tekever AR3 appears below:

With this second radar station having now been hit, and an attempt made on a THIRD radar station, it seems clear to me that NATO is setting the stage for a DECAPITATION NUCLEAR ATTACK against Russia; the idea apparently being “Solve the Russia problem in one fell swoop.”

I may be wrong about the idea, but I am not wrong about the vulnerability being created inside Russia with these particular attacks.

At some point, Russia is going to be in a position where they have a single choice: Use their nukes, or lose them.

I am of the belief that Russia will USE them, because failing to do so, would leave Russia at the mercy of NATO and would thereby be a conquered nation. I just don’t see the Russians putting up with that. The Slavic mentality is “It is better to die on their feet, than to live on their knees.”

In sum, it is we in the West who are constantly upping the ante in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and now we are upping the ante to actual nuclear war. This is not the Treaty Role of NATO, and I know of absolutely no American or even European citizen that has authorized or even asked for Nuclear World War 3.

These dangerous and reckless escalations are being carried out by elements within NATO and these people should be confronted and stopped.

The survival of us, our families, and out way of life, is at stake.

Cool Vintage Illustration

Russian General: “NATO Training for NUCLEAR ATTACKS upon Russia”

Hal Turner World May 28, 2024

Russian Television (RT) and the SPUTNIK News service in Russia are reporting the Border Protection Service sees NATO Training for nuclear attacks upon Russia.

The head of the Border Service of the Russian Federal Security Service told Sputnik about NATO’s nuclear drills near Russia’s borders and explained how guards regularly thwart Ukrainian attempts to infiltrate Russia.

NATO is training to strike Russian territory with nuclear weapons near its borders, the head of the border service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Vladimir Kulishov, told Sputnik.

“Near the Russian border, NATO’s reconnaissance activities are increasing, the intensity of operational combat training of the alliance’s troops is growing, during which scenarios for conducting combat operations against the Russian Federation, including the launch of nuclear strikes on our territory, are being worked out,” he said.

The top official added that the situation requires “taking appropriate steps to protect and secure our borders.”

NATO is practicing nuclear strikes on Russian territory near the Russian border, head of the Border Service of the Russian Federal Security Service Vladimir Kulishov told Sputnik in an interview.

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) May 28, 2024

Russian border guards together with the Sever Battlegroup have thwarted 29 attempts of Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to infiltrate Russian territory in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod Regions as well as the Crimean Republic since February 2022, Vladimir Kulishov told Sputnik.

Meanwhile, the number of missile and artillery strikes on Russian territory is increasing and drone attacks on Russia’s military, transport, energy and social infrastructure are becoming more intense, Kulishov said, adding that the victims of such terrorist attacks are mainly civilians, including the elderly and children. He also noted that in 2023, more than 5,500 attempts to enter Russia by individuals associated with international terrorist and extremist organizations, as well as special services and armed formations of Ukraine, were prevented.

Downing 1,300 Ukrainian Drones

Russian border guards downed over 1,300 Ukrainian drones that violated the Russian border in 2023, striking more than half of them by means of electronic warfare, the head of the Border Service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Vladimir Kulishov, told Sputnik.

“Means of combating unmanned aircraft systems have long been used by the border services … In 2023, border guards shot down over 1,300 drones that violated the state border from Ukrainian territory, with more than half by electronic warfare equipment,” Kulishov said.

Means of combating unmanned aircraft systems have long been used by the border services … In 2023, border guards shot down over 1,300 drones that violated the state border from Ukrainian territory, with more than half by electronic warfare equipment,” Kulishov said.”

The development of unmanned aviation and marine systems and anti-drone technologies will remain promising areas of technical equipment for border authorities, he also said.

Since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has destroyed Ukraine’s 23,600 drones, 500 surface-to-air missile systems, 590 military aircraft, 270 helicopters, 15,890 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,200 rocket launchers, 9,200 field artillery weapons and mortars, as well as 21,400 tactical vehicles, the Russian Defense Ministry said in early May.

The Last Words Spoken By 69 Famous People

By Nick Lee | May 21, 2024

1. “I know you have come to kill me. Shoot coward, you are only going to kill a man.” Facing his assassin, Mario Teran, a Bolivian soldier. Ernesto “Che” Guevara

2. Leonardo da Vinci was also overly modest, saying, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”

3. According to Steve Jobs’ sister Mona, the Apple founder’s last words were, “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”

4. “Go on, get out – last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity. –Karl Marx, revolutionary, d. 1883

5. “KHAQQ calling Itasca. We must be on you, but cannot see you. Gas is running low.” Last radio communication before her disappearance. Amelia Earhart

6. Frank Sinatra died after saying, “I’m losing it.”

7. George Orwell’s last written words were, “At fifty, everyone has the face he deserves.” He died at age 46.

8. Napoleon’s last words were, “France, armée, tête d’armée, Joséphine.”(“France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”)

9. Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre turned to his partner Simone de Beauvoir and said, “I love you very much, my dear Beaver.”

10. “Now I shall go to sleep. Goodnight.” – Lord George Byron

11. Rainer Maria Rilke said, “I don’t want the doctor’s death. I want to have my own freedom.”

12. Nostradamus predicted, “Tomorrow, at sunrise, I shall no longer be here.” He was right.

13. Author Vladimir Nabokov was also an entomologist, particularly interested in butterflies. His last words: “A certain butterfly is already on the wing.”

14. Author Herman Melville died saying, “God bless Captain Vere!” referencing his then-unpublished novel Billy Budd, found on his desk after he died.

15. Marie Antoinette stepped on her executioner’s foot on her way to the guillotine. Her last words: “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur.” (Monsieur, I beg your pardon)

16. Richard B. Mellon was a multimillionaire. He was the President of Alcoa, and he and his brother Andrew had a little game of Tag going. The weird thing was, this game of Tag lasted for like seven decades. When Richard was on his deathbed, he called his brother over and whispered, “Last tag.” Poor Andrew remained “It” for four years, until he died.

17. When Harriet Tubman was dying in 1913, she gathered her family around and they sang together. Her last words were, “Swing low, sweet chariot.”

18. When Sir Isaac Newton died, he was humble. He said, “I don’t know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”

19. Italian artist Raphael’s last word was simply: “Happy.”

20. How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden? – P. T. Barnum

21. Drummer Buddy Rich died after surgery in 1987. As he was being prepped for surgery, a nurse asked him, “Is there anything you can’t take?” Rich replied, “Yeah, country music.”

22. Johnny Ace, an R&B singer, died in 1954 while playing with a pistol during a break in his concert set. His last words were, “I’ll show you that it won’t shoot.”

23. Richard Feynman, a physicist, author, musician, professor, and traveler, died in Los Angeles in 1988. His last words? “This dying is boring.”

24. As Benjamin Franklin lay dying at the age of 84, his daughter told him to change position in bed so he could breathe more easily. Franklin’s last words were, “A dying man can do nothing easy.”

25. Albert Abraham Michelson was the first person to measure the speed of light and was the first American to win a Nobel Prize for physics. Even as he was dying at age 78, he was measuring light. He wrote in his log: “The following is a report on the measurement of the velocity of light made at the Irvine Ranch, near Santa Ana, California, during the period of September 1929 to—.”

26. Thomas B. Moran was a pickpocket, known by the nickname “Butterfingers.” He reportedly stole as many as 50,000 wallets in his career. He died in Miami in 1971, and his last words were, “I’ve never forgiven that smart-alecky reporter who named me Butterfingers. To me, it’s not funny.”

27. Murderer James W. Rodgers was put in front of a firing squad in Utah and asked if he had a last request. He replied, “Bring me a bullet-proof vest.”

28. Charles “Lucky” Luciano was a mob leader who helped the U.S. work with the Sicilian Mafia during World War II in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. His last words were, “Tell Georgie I want to get in the movies one way or another.” And it worked! His life story is told in the movies Lucky Luciano, The Last Testament of Lucky Luciano, and many more. He also appears as a character in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

29. John Arthur Spenkelink was executed in Florida in 1979. He spent his final days writing these last words on various pieces of mail: “Capital punishment means those without the capital get the punishment.”

30. Convicted murderer Thomas J. Grasso used his last words to complain about his last meal. He said, “I did not get my Spaghetti-O’s; I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.”

31. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, died at age 71 in his garden. He turned to his wife and said, “You are wonderful,” then clutched his chest and died.

32. Writer T.S. Eliot was only able to whisper one word as he died: “Valerie,” the name of his wife.

33. Actor and comedian W.C. Fields died in 1946. He last words: “God damn the whole friggin’ world and everyone in it but you, Carlotta.” He was speaking to Carlotta Monti, his longtime mistress.

34. Percy Grainger was an Australian composer who, with his dying words, told his wife Ella, “You’re the only one I like.”

35. Actor Michael Landon, best known for Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, died of cancer in 1991. His family gathered around his bed, and his son said it was time to move on. Landon said, “You’re right. It’s time. I love you all.”

36. Football coach Vince Lombardi died of cancer in 1970. As he died, Lombardi turned to his wife Marie and said, “Happy anniversary. I love you.”

37. O.O. McIntyre was an American reporter. He died at age 53, and spoke his last words to his wife Maybelle: “Snooks, will you please turn this way. I like to look at your face.”

38. When he was 57, Edward R. Murrow died while patting his wife’s hand. He said, “Well, Jan, we were lucky at that.”

39. John Wayne died at age 72 in L.A. He turned to his wife and said, “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”

40. Humphrey Bogart’s wife Lauren Bacall had to leave the hospital to pick up their kids. Bogart said, “Goodbye, kid. Hurry back.” Not quite, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” but close.

41. Before Ernest Hemingway committed suicide, he told his wife Mary, “Goodnight my kitten.”

42. Donald O’Connor was a singer, dancer, and actor. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 1954. O’Connor died at age 78 with his family gathered around him. He joked, “I’d like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.” He still hasn’t gotten one.

43. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill was born in a room at the Broadway Hotel on what is now Times Square. He died at age 65 in a Boston hotel. His last words? “I knew it! I knew it! Born in a hotel room and, goddamn it, dying in a hotel room.”

44. Jack Soo was an actor on the TV series Barney Miller. On the show, there was a running gag about Soo’s character making crappy coffee in the office. Soo developed cancer of the esophagus, and when was being wheeled into an operating room, he joked to Barney Millerco-star Hal Linden, “It must have been the coffee.” In a tribute episode, cast members raised coffee cups in Soo’s memory.

45. Josephine Baker knew how to party. She sang, danced, and acted. She adopted a dozen kids and lived in Paris. On the last night of her life, she left a party being held in her honor, saying, “Oh, you young people act like old men. You are no fun.”

46. Charles Gussman was a writer and TV announcer, who wrote the pilot episode of Days of Our Lives, among other shows. As he became ill, he said he wanted his last words to be memorable. When he daughter reminded him of this, he gently removed his oxygen mask and whispered: “And now for a final word from our sponsor—.”

47. When Groucho Marx was dying, he let out one last quip: “This is no way to live!”

48. Groucho’s brother Leonard, who was better known as Chico Marx, gave instructions to his wife as his last words: “Remember, Honey, don’t forget what I told you. Put in my coffin a deck of cards, a mashie niblick, and a pretty blonde.” For the record, a “mashie niblick” is a kind of golf club.

49. Wilson Mizner is best known for his bon mots, though he was a successful playwright. He’s known for the line, “Be nice to people on the way up because you’ll meet the same people on the way down.” When Mizner was on his deathbed, a priest said, “I’m sure you want to talk to me.” Mizner told the priest, “Why should I talk to you? I’ve just been talking to your boss.”

50. As he was dying, Alfred Hitchcock said, “One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death, although Catholics have their hopes.”

51. ‘I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.” – Humphrey Bogart

52. Vladimir Ilych Lenin’s last words were, “Good dog.” (Technically, he said “Vot sobaka.”) He said this to a dog that brought him a dead bird.

53. Blues guitarist Leadbelly said, “Doctor, if I put this here guitar down now, I ain’t never gonna wake up.” And he was right.

54. Thomas Fantet de Lagny was a mathematician. On his deathbed, he was asked, “What is the square of 12?” His last words: “One hundred and forty-four.”

55. “I am still alive!” Stabbed to death by his own guards – Gaius Caligula, Roman Emperor,

56. Sir Winston Churchill’s last words were, “I’m bored with it all.”

57. Actress Joan Crawford yelled at her housekeeper, who was praying as Crawford died. Crawford said, “Damn it! Don’t you dare ask God to help me!”

58. Bo Diddley died giving a thumbs-up as he listened to the song “Walk Around Heaven.” His last word was “Wow.”

59. Baseball player “Moe” Berg’s last words: “How did the Mets do today?”

60. Emily Dickinson’s last words were, “I must go in, for the fog is rising.”

61. As Truman Capote lay dying, he repeated, “Mama— Mama— Mama.”

62. James Brown said, “I’m going away tonight.”

63. Surgeon Joseph Henry Green was checking his own pulse as he lay dying. His last word: “Stopped.”

64. “I’ve had a hell of a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Errol Flynn

65. This is the last of earth! I am content. – John Quincy Adams, US President

66. “Let’s cool it brothers . . .“Spoken to his assassins, 3 men who shot him 16 times. – Malcolm X

67. Blues singer Bessie Smith died saying, “I’m going, but I’m going in the name of the Lord.”

68. “Lord help my poor soul.” – Edgar Allan Poe

69. Beethoven’s last recorded words were “Pity, pity—too late!”, as the dying composer was told of a gift of twelve bottles of wine from his publisher

Do Chinese and Korean people forgive Japan for its atrocities or not?

For this Chinese, NO!

Let me repeat.

NO.

NO!!!

Yes, let bygones be bygone, the current generation isn’t responsible for past atrocities, Japan is a peaceful nation today.

Yada yada yada.

I am old enough to have heard all these—and more.

It isn’t the Chinese (or in fact, East Asia) that harbor unforgiveness and refuse to move on.

It is the Japanese themselves.

But first, let’s segue to the Middle East, where recent events have brought a century’s worth of monstrous injustice to the fore.

The Brits began the process with the Balfour Declaration, carving up land they did not own for the establishment of a Jewish State. The Two-State solution, itself a massive compromise built on the rubble of colonialism, is still in limbo today.

Why?

The hegemonic power of the United States has hijacked the natural course of history in the Middle East.

Similarly, it is the United States that has hijacked the natural course of history in East Asia, up to the present.

What do I mean?

Imagine Adolf Hitler surviving WWII in a parallel universe. Post-surrender, Adolf isn’t prosecuted, and elevated to ceremonial leader of the German people, if only to preserve the unity of Germany as a counter to the Soviets.

Similarly, Nazi members of the War Cabinet and key administrators of the Third Reich are either pardoned or given slap on the wrist sentences to rehabilitate them for leadership roles in the New Germany. The Nazi flag of the German Navy is retained.

Now, Hitler in the alternate universe survives another 40 years as ceremonial Fuhrer. He toured Germany, making public appearances at special events and ceremonies, giving speeches celebrating societal progress. He also served as Germany’s top ambassador, traveling abroad to meet important world leaders, rebuilding Germany’s diplomatic image in step with its rapid climb up the GDP ladder.

His funeral in old age was the grandest in teutonic history, and took over a month of careful national preparation. Leaders from all over the world were in attendance, and German society came to a standstill, tens of millions lining the street or glued to the live telecast to send their dear Fuhrer on his final journey.

His eldest son, and grandson, inherit the position of ceremonial Fuhrer in succession.

The reign of Adolf is remembered as Germany’s most glorious, bringing the nation to the forefront of humanity, and respect from the world community. German kids are taught history from whitewashed textbooks where Germany is cast as a victim of WWII, and no Holocaust occurred.

Turned your stomach yet?

Replace “Germany” with “Japan” and “Hitler” with “Hirohito”, and we are immediately transplanted to the 20th century.

The real 20th century, only not the Eastern Atlantic but the Western Pacific.

This is STILL the flag of the Japanese Navy today. No longer Imperial, but unbroken traditions nonetheless.

Japanese leaders visiting Yasukuni isn’t the elephant in the room. It is Hirohito on the throne for 58 years and departing as Japan’s longest-serving and most successful Emperor in the history of the Chrysanthemum throne that is a permanent affront to the peoples of East Asia.

It’s a monstrosity that beggars belief.

No Jew would have accepted the parallel Germany described above.

Similarly, no Chinese accepts the perverse course of justice in China-Japan relations over the past 2,000 years, where all the violence—yes, ALL THE VIOLENCE—has been inflicted on the mainland, while the Japanese home islands reaped the benefit of cultural, technological and economic transfer, with little of the benefit flowing back.

If you thought the Nazis vile and inhuman for the systematic extermination of the Jews and Gypsies, words may fail you when the Japanese treatment of the Chinese in the 15-year war (1931–1945) is uncovered. The Japanese killed far more Chinese (tens of millions) than the Germans did Jews, and exhibited depraved, almost insane barbarity.

And yet the average Japanese youth has little awareness of his country’s dark history, because the textbooks teach a parallel Japan since the era of Meiji, presided by moral and wise monarchs whose steady hands guided the peaceful rise of Japan, in direct contrast to the horrific and vile land-grab and colonization that characterized much of their reigns.

What’s there for the foreigner to forgive when the perps have not even come to terms with their past and disavowed a blood-stained chapter of sordid history?

On a final note, the Chinese ceded Taiwan and paid an indemnity of 40m taels of silver (equal to 3 years of Qing tax revenue) after suing for peace in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ended an 8-month war. China has not received a single cent of reparation from Japan’s 15-year war waged in China that caused a minimum of 1t (in today’s dollars) in physical damage.

The next time conflict breaks out between China and Japan, the Chinese will make sure it will NOT be fought on the mainland.

P.S.: Japanese whitewashing and glorification of history has a deleterious effect on the future, because unrepentant descendants will look to the past for guidance and seek to emulate the glories of the Showa, Taisho and Meiji eras. Reinterpreting the peaceful Constitution and rewriting it is the first step.

There will be abiding consequences, as a reckoning beckons.

10 ways to get the most out of your time on this planet

Jan 4, 2022 / Oliver Burkeman

Accepting our mortality helps us let go of busyness and focus on what’s most important to us in order to live a happier, more meaningful life.

The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly finite. If you’re lucky and you live to 80, you will have lived about 4,000 weeks. This truth, which most of us ignore most of the time, is something to wrestle with if we want to spend our limited time on this earth well.

Given that, it follows that time management, broadly defined, should be everyone’s chief concern. Yet the modern discipline of time management (or productivity) is depressingly narrow-minded, focused on devising the perfect morning routine or trying to crank through as many tasks as possible, while investing all your energy on reaching some later state of well-being and accomplishment. It ignores the fact that the world is bursting with wonder — and that experiencing more of that wonder may come at the cost of productivity.

When we recognize the shortness of life — and accept the fact that some things have to be left unaccomplished, whether we like it or not — we are freer to focus on what matters.

As a recovering “productivity geek,” I know how it feels to become swept up in the idea of discovering the perfect system of time management. But I was eventually forced to accept that my struggles to achieve a sense of perfect control or mastery of my time were counterproductive, leading not to a life of more meaning but one of more overwhelm and stress. I came to see that I needed to give up the quest for that kind of control, letting go of the impossible goal of becoming perfectly efficient and embracing my limitations instead, so as to make more time for what was really valuable.

Part of that embrace of limitation involves facing the anxiety that comes with acknowledging mortality. When we recognize the shortness of life — and accept the fact that some things have to be left unaccomplished, whether we like it or not — we are freer to focus on what matters. Rather than succumbing to the mentality of “better, faster, more,” we can embrace being imperfect, and be happier for it.

Here are 10 suggestions that I make in my book — Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals — about how to live with your limited time in mind.

Multitasking rarely works well — and you’ll soon find that serializing helps you to complete more projects anyway.

1. Adopt a “fixed volume” approach to productivity

We all need to make tough choices about what we can realistically get done, so that we can prioritize the activities that matter most, instead of reacting to a constant barrage of demands.

One way is to keep two to-do lists — one for everything on your plate, and one for the 10 or fewer things that you’re currently working on. Fill up the 10 slots on the second list with items from the first, then set to work. The rule is not to move any further items from the first list onto the second until you’ve freed up a slot by finishing one of the 10 items.

A related strategy is to set a pre-established time boundary for certain types of daily work — for example, to resolve to write from 8AM to 11AM — and to make sure you stop when time’s up.

2. Serialize

Focus only on one big project at a time. Though it’s alluring to try to alleviate the anxiety of having too many responsibilities or ambitions by getting started on them all at once, you’ll make little progress that way. Multitasking rarely works well — and you’ll soon find that serializing helps you to complete more projects anyway, thereby helping relieve your anxiety.

Strategic underachievement — nominating in advance the areas of your life in which you won’t expect excellence — helps you focus your time and energy more effectively.

3. Decide in advance what to fail at

You’ll inevitably underachieve at something, simply because your time and energy are finite. But strategic underachievement — nominating in advance the areas of your life in which you won’t expect excellence — helps you focus your time and energy more effectively.

For example, you might decide in advance that it’s OK to have a cluttered kitchen while you finish your novel, or to do the bare minimum on a particular work project so you can spend more time with your children.

To live this way is to replace the high-pressure quest for work-life balance with something more reasonable — a deliberate kind of imbalance.

4. Focus on what you’ve already completed, not just what’s left to do

Since the quest to get everything done is interminable by definition, it’s easy to grow despondent and self-reproachful when you can’t get through your whole to-do list. One counter-strategy is to keep a “done list,” which starts empty first thing in the morning, but which you can gradually fill in throughout the day as you get things done. It’s a cheering reminder that you could have spent the day doing nothing remotely constructive … yet you didn’t.

Social media is a giant machine for getting you to spend your time caring about the wrong things — and too many of them at once.

5. Consolidate your caring

Social media is a giant machine for getting you to spend your time caring about the wrong things — and too many of them at once. We’re exposed to an unending stream of atrocities and injustices, each of which might have a legitimate claim on our time and our charitable donations, but which add up to something no human could ever effectively address comprehensively.

Once you grasp that fact fully, it’s good to consciously pick your battles in charity, activism, and politics — and devote your spare time only to those specific causes. Focus your capacity for care, so you don’t burn out.

6. Embrace boring and single-purpose technology

Digital distractions allow us to escape to a realm where painful human limitations don’t seem to apply — scrolling idly around online, you need never feel bored or constrained in your freedom of action, which isn’t the case when it comes to doing work that matters.

You can combat this by making your devices as boring as possible, removing social media apps and, if you dare, email. It’s also helpful to choose devices with only one purpose, such as the Kindle reader. Otherwise, temptations will be only a swipe away, and you’ll feel the urge to check your screens anytime you’re bored or facing a challenge in your work.

When faced with a challenging or boring moment in a relationship, try being curious about the person you’re with, rather than controlling.

7. Seek out novelty in the mundane

Time seems to speed up as we age, likely because our brains encode the passage of years based on how much information we process in any given interval. While children have many novel experiences and time therefore seems slower to them, the routinization of older people’s lives means that time seems to pass at an ever-increasing rate.

The standard advice is to combat this by cramming more novel experiences into your life. That can help, but it’s not always practical.

An alternative is to pay more attention to every moment, however mundane — to find novelty by plunging more deeply into your present life. Try going on unplanned walks to see where they lead you, taking up drawing or birdwatching or playing “I Spy” with a child — whatever draws your attention into the moment more fully.

8. Be a researcher in relationships

The desire to feel in control of our limited time causes numerous problems in relationships, resulting not only in controlling behavior, but also commitment-phobia, the inability to listen, boredom, and missing out on the richness of communal experiences with others.

When faced with a challenging or boring moment in a relationship, try being curious about the person you’re with, rather than controlling. Curiosity is a stance well-suited to the inherent unpredictability of life with others, because it can be satisfied by their behaving in ways you like or dislike — whereas if you demand a certain result instead, you’ll often be frustrated.

Whenever a generous impulse arises in your mind, give in to it right away rather than putting it off.

9. Cultivate instantaneous generosity

Whenever a generous impulse arises in your mind, give in to it right away rather than putting it off. Don’t wait to figure out if the recipient deserves your generosity or if you really have the time to be generous right now (with all of the work you have left to do!). Just do it. The rewards are immediate, too, because generous action reliably makes you feel much happier.

10. Practice doing nothing

When it comes to the challenge of using your 4,000 weeks well, the capacity to do nothing is indispensable, because if you can’t bear the discomfort of not acting, you’re far more likely to make poor choices with your time, such as attempting to hurry activities that can’t be rushed or feeling you ought to spend every moment being “productive,” regardless of whether the tasks in question really matter.

Doing nothing means resisting the urge to manipulate your experience or the people and things in the world around you, and to let things be as they are. You can try the “do-nothing” meditation, where you set a timer for 5-10 minutes and then try doing nothing. If you catch yourself doing something — thinking, say, or even just focusing on your breath — gently let go of doing it.

As you keep letting go, you’ll increase your ability to do nothing and gradually regain your autonomy. You’ll no longer be so motivated by the attempt to evade how reality feels here and now; instead, you’ll learn to calm down and to make better choices with your brief allotment of life.

Neil Armstrong’s Family JUST NOW Confirmed What We Knew All Along

Pickapeppa Roast

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4 pound) beef chuck roast or Boston butt pork roast
Scant amount olive oil
1 (5 ounce) bottle Pickapeppa sauce
1 (7 ounce) bottle beer
4 cups brown gravy

Instructions

Heat oil in large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat. Brown meat on all sides.
Put roast into slow cooker. Add Pickapeppa sauce and beer to skillet. Stir to deglaze and cook off some of the alcohol.
Add brown gravy and stir well.
Pour sauce over roast and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Skyquakes, Upsweeps, and Sky Trumpets | Terrifying Sounds that Signal the End of the World

Scott Ritter talks about the PLA

An influencer sent me this link in regards to Scott Ritter talking shit about China.

"...and in this debate he really exposes himself-- check out how deluded he is about Chinese military capacity. It's staggering, and couldn't be just plain ignorance. Insulting to China's achievements too. 

As you've so often said, be very careful whence you source your news!"

Well, I’m not about going to dare risk raising my blood pressure over someone talking shit about something they know nothing about. So I politely declined to watch the video.

The influencer replied…

If believing that a 50 year old US missile submarine-- Ohio Class boomer-- can "sit in deep water a few miles from the Chinese coast and launch 40 [50 year old design, subsonic cruise] missiles" that will hit their target-- get this-- "without the sub being even detected" is the kind of statement that will up the bp?

So, I then asked this of ChatGPT4.0

Scott Ritter is now a famous person on the Internet, and he has been making many videos about Ukraine. 

His appraisal of Russia, and Ukraine seems to be solid and is correct. But now he is making statements about China's military. 

I was in the ONI, and I have spent most of my life studying and working with China and I find his statements about China very erroneous. 

In fact, they seem to reflect a mainstream American mind-set. 

Please tell me what his experience is with China and Chinese military. What has been his exposure to the PLA, and NPLA?

And ChatGPT4.0 replied…

Scott Ritter is a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer and United Nations weapons inspector. He is best known for his role in the inspections in Iraq, where he gained prominence for his opposition to the Iraq War and his critiques of U.S. foreign policy. While Ritter has indeed made numerous public statements and videos about international military and geopolitical issues, his expertise is primarily rooted in Middle Eastern affairs, particularly Iraq.

Ritter’s formal background and professional experience do not indicate significant direct exposure to China or the Chinese military (People's Liberation Army, PLA, and Navy PLA, NPLA). 

His primary areas of focus and expertise have been the Middle East, arms control, and intelligence analysis related to weapons of mass destruction.

Military and Intelligence Career: Ritter served in the Marine Corps as an intelligence officer and later as a ballistic missile adviser to General Norman Schwarzkopf during the Gulf War. His work with the UN involved extensive inspections in Iraq during the 1990s.

Public Commentary: Post-military, Ritter has become a public commentator on military and geopolitical issues, often providing analysis on conflicts and international relations. 

However, his comments and analyses are not always based on first-hand experience or specialized study of every region he discusses.

Exposure to Chinese Military: There is no publicly available evidence to suggest that Ritter has had direct involvement with or extensive study of the PLA or NPLA. 

His perspectives on China's military capabilities and strategies seem to derive more from secondary sources and general geopolitical analysis rather than primary experience or specialized research in this area.

Given his background, it's reasonable to conclude that Ritter's views on China reflect a broader, perhaps less specialized understanding, shaped by general geopolitical discourse rather than deep, direct expertise on Chinese military affairs. 

Your observation that his statements seem to reflect a mainstream American mindset aligns with this context, as his primary experiences and insights are rooted in Western military and intelligence frameworks, with limited direct exposure to Chinese military practices or strategic doctrines.

Today…

Communists, why do you refuse to acknowledge that the wealthy have money because they are smart and save/invest while your comrades are poor because they are mentally ill and unintelligent?

I am Chinese, as is well known, China is a socialist country under the rule of CCP. So, I want to explain this issue with my own experience.

Intelligence is a natural advantage. Similar advantages also include “health”. This means that someone is naturally healthy, has a stronger immune system, and is better able to resist virus attacks than others. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, naturally healthy individuals are able to evade the pursuit of the virus. When others become critically ill or even die, this naturally healthy person can ultimately avoid infection and survive. And those with poor physical fitness passed away after the first round of the pandemic in early 2020.

Some people may say, “There is no way to avoid it, this is life. Because people with strong innate immunity always live to the end. This is the screening of nature.”. This statement is logically consistent with the questioner’s statement that “some people are born smart, so they can find ways to make money and become wealthy, while others are born not smart, so their ability to make money is low and they eventually become poor.”.

Yes, it looks right. Wisdom or foolishness, strength or weakness, are all gifts from nature. This gives everyone in the world a different destiny. This is natural selection, the law of nature. However, in socialist China, this is politically incorrect. Because fundamentally, the goal pursued by Marxism is “the comprehensive, free, and full development of human beings”, rather than “your fate is determined by God.”. During the pandemic, China cannot allow the laws of nature to determine human life. So, economic development, transportation, school education, and commercial activities are no longer important, but are replaced by blocking the rapid spread of the virus. Since 2020, there have been only three ways to achieve this goal: screening infected individuals through Covid-19 testing, establishing super hospitals to treat these individuals until they recover, implementing lockdown policies to stop all activities of those who have not yet been infected, and staying at home. Until everyone (1.4 billion people) completes nucleic acid testing, all infected individuals enter hospitals for treatment, and until they recover, another 1.4 billion people are able to resume their free activities. In this way, from 2020 to the first half of 2022, China will become an isolated island in the world, a healthy and virus free island. Chinese people can freely move on their land.

This policy, which appears to temporarily deprive people of their freedom, artificially breaks the “natural selection” and allows healthy and naturally weak individuals, as well as elderly people with chronic diseases, to all survive. At the same time, the largest scale of vaccination in human history has been implemented throughout China. In order to ensure that all high-risk groups are vaccinated, volunteers, community workers, CCP members, and civil servants conduct vaccination surveys almost door-to-door and encourage vaccination. Some rural areas even adopt the activity of giving cash for vaccination and 5 kilograms of eggs for vaccination.

By mid-2022, Covid-19 had already harvested several rounds of life worldwide. But at the same time, the virus itself is also changing. It presents two characteristics: low mortality rate and high infection rate. At this time, after 2.5 years of epidemic control in China, people began to realize that prevention was impossible. At this point, complaints from Chinese people arose. Considering that China has already completed vaccination for all its population and the virus is no longer so terrifying, almost overnight, China lifted all Covid-19 control measures. This incident occurred in mid December 2022.

My mother-in-law suffers from severe chronic kidney failure and heart failure. After the lifting of epidemic control measures, she was quickly infected. For three weeks, she struggled almost on the brink of death. In the end, due to vaccination, preparation of a large amount of symptomatic medication in advance, and paid home care provided by the hospital, she recovered in a few weeks. After three years of passivation, Covid-19 still caused serious harm to her, but she survived.

My father-in-law told her that if China had implemented the same relaxed epidemic policy as the United States in 2020 three years ago, then she would have been dead for three years. Obviously, in statistics, even if China does not implement strict epidemic policies, half of its population will not die. Young people like me have a high probability of surviving even in the first round of the pandemic. However, elderly or seriously ill patients are also more likely to die. The Chinese government has implemented seemingly incredible policies in order to ensure the survival of all people.

Even though many Western media outlets criticize this policy from various perspectives and firmly believe that the lockdown is only to maintain CCP’s rule. But all Chinese people have personally experienced the panic of the first few months of 2020. They know why the city was locked down, understand and support the government. After all, we are all children of our parents. We are still the parents of our own children. We don’t want our elderly parents to die from the pandemic, nor do we want our children to suffer from serious complications of infection. We all hope to live well. CCP helped us survive.

I think I have already answered your question. I come from China and my English is not very good. I have used a translator for some of my text. Thank you for reading.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Bake

Chicken thighs are nestled in a deliciously-seasoned mixture of sauerkraut, onions, apple, apricots and raisins.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) package Perdue® Fresh Chicken Thighs
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can whole onions, drained
1 tart red apple, unpeeled, sliced or diced
6 to 8 dried whole apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Season thighs with salt and pepper.
In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook thighs 6 to 8 minutes per side until browned.
Meanwhile, in 9 x 13 inch shallow baking dish, mix sauerkraut well with onions, apple, apricots, raisins and brown sugar. Nestle thighs into sauerkraut mixture.
Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F.

What do you see here?

What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?

When I was in my teens, and needed a part time job while going to college. I don’t remember exactly what minimum wage was then, but i was just at that figure. After working diligently for 6 months, and my boss kept saying that if i did well, I could expect a raise after 6 months. When the 6 month time peroid had passed, at a company function, while having a casual conversation with my boss, I asked what i could expect for a raise. His answer was a nickel, meaning a nickel an hour, I started to laugh, as I thought he was joking, but he wasnt. He began to question my laughing responce, and when I discovered that he was serious, I laughed even harder, I couldn’t help it. The job was hard to do, not in the physical sense, but in the responsibility sense, and was very stressful as well. So a pay raise from .95 cents an hour to 1.00 per hour actually was very funny. My view of him after that, I could barely look at him without chuckeling, or grinning. I still cant believe that he thought that I should be overjoyed at his generosity, it still makes me laugh.

China’s BRILLIANT Move | Silently Built World’s First Drone Carrier

In the restaurant industry, what are some of the most outrageous complaints you’ve heard customers make?

It was my first day of training at my very first job and a customer comes in very angry. I greet her and ask how I can help. The conversation goes as follows. (Me=M, Customer=C, my boss =K)

M- Hi, How are you?

C- I have a problem with my Dr.Pepper.

M-Yes ma’am. What seems to be the problem?

C-(in a very angry put out tone) My Dr.Pepper is carbonated.

M-(confused as all get out) I’m sorry ma’am but what’s the problem? Is the Dr.Pepper not flavored enough. Maybe the syrup went out.

C- No it tastes good but its carbonated. It’s not supposed to be carbonated.

M-(still no clue what the issue is) give me one moment ma’am.

I walk back to my manager who’s working the line making food for everyone in the lobby

M-Hey K. This customer up front is mad that her Dr.Pepper is carbonated?

K-(very clearly not listening because we were in the middle of a rush) fill it up in the drive thru and have her see if that’s better.

M-(not really sure but not wanting to argue with my boss) okay?

I go back up to the customer after filling up a cup from the drive thru drink fountain.

C-(tried the Dr.Pepper) no it’s still carbonated. What game are y’all playing?!

I walk back to my boss and make her look at me and really listen to what I say.

M-K, this customer is mad because her DR.PEPPER is CARBONATED.

K-(Finally hears the complaint) Well what the F*** does she want us to do about it?!

M-(visibly laughing at this point) that’s what I was trying to tell you.

K-(laughing as well) just give her something that’s not carbonated like tea or pink lemonade.

M-(still laughing) okay (I walk back to the customer) ma’am, would you like to try some tea or pink lemonade or something else.

C-(still very mad and clueless about how dumb they were being) *scoffs* fine pink lemonade but y’all need to fix your Dr.Pepper or I’m never coming back

M-(thinking to myself sarcastically) and what a tragedy that would be.

Is the USA losing world hegemony and the world becoming multipolar actually a good thing? No one country dominating other countries but having a counter balance.

Yes, it’s a very good thing.

US world hegemony has resulted in endless wars, endless sanctions and endless coups over the last half century. It has caused enormous death and destruction. It has violated national sovereignty and frequently broken international law (defined by the UN).

The USA respects no country. It simply bullies and exploits.

China and Russia are building a new multipolar world order that will be more fair, more just, and more egalitarian. There will be no more self-serving imperialist wars such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.

The Global South will finally see healthy economic development. The current world order did nothing to help Global South countries in Africa, Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Militaristic EU – Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

What is the rudest thing you have ever seen someone do?

I was at a grocery store checkout once, and I saw these three college kids having a field day with a poor clerk who was trying to bag up their groceries. The whole thing, apparently, started when he dropped a bottle of wine they were buying. He apologized, cleaned up the mess, and rushed back to get them another bottle.

While he was gone, they started talking about what a “complete idiot” he was. They proceeded to make fun of the way he looked, the way he was dressed, his weight, his glasses, you name it. When the poor guy got back, they didn’t let up. They started insulting him right to his face, calling him a whole litany of terrible things until they had him on the verge of tears. The kid was only about 16; he was terribly overweight, and I could see how he was probably an easy target for any bully. I was bagging up my own stuff, but I was completely mesmerized by this entire exchange. Suddenly, the kid must have said something because one of the guys reached out and popped him across the face. It wasn’t a punch or a hard slap, just some wussy little pop meant to humiliate him. To my amazement, the kid didn’t walk away. He just stood there red faced with tears welling up in his eyes. The dude reached out and popped him again and, for some reason, this was the funniest thing that these guys had ever seen in their lives. They were laughing like there was no tomorrow.

I kept looking around for a manager, thinking someone needed to say something, but I finally realized that no one was going to. Then it hit me: Why couldn’t I say something? I reached out and grabbed the kid, and pulled him out of the way. I stepped up to the guy, pulled a 20 dollar bill out of my wallet, and told him that I would give it to him if he would hit me like that. He stared at me for a second like I had lost my mind before asking what my problem was.

“You’re my damn problem,” I responded. “Hit me in the face like that; I dare you.” Well, there were three of these guys, but they didn’t look like they had ever been in a fight in their entire lives. I am a little over six feet tall, and I weigh around 225. I don’t consider myself to be a tough guy but, needless to say, they didn’t want any part of me. Instead, they simply started gathering their things and headed for the door. I pulled the kid out from behind me, and ordered them to apologize. They laughed at me, and hurried for the parking lot. Well, I was a lot angrier that day than I thought.

I followed them out of the store all the way to their car doing my best to start a fight. They got very quiet, and not one of them had anything to say. Instead, they just kept their heads down, and refused to make eye contact.

I let them leave, and then pulled the kid aside and told him to never let anyone push him around like that. In the future, he needed to, at least, walk away and find a manager. At this point, the kid just broke down in tears and sobbed on my shoulder. It turned out that his dad had died only a year earlier, and he and his mom were all alone in the world. At that point, I really wished I had put one of those bastards in the hospital. Instead, I gave the kid my card, and told him to call if there was ever anything I could do for him. I never saw or heard from him again.

The US Dollar Total Collapse Begins! Major Countries DROP The Dollar | Entire World Changes Forever!

What were the worst two minutes of your life?

“Rachel, come here please. Quickly.” I sensed an air of desperation flood our dirty apartment as my biological mother croaked out her plea. I ran.

“What?” She pulled me in, her head down towards her crossed legs, hunched over like Quasimodo.

“I love you– so much. Do you hear me? I love you. I’m so sorry.” With each word, I felt sicker.

“Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you saying this?” My voice was somewhere between a sob and a scream.

She glanced towards the two empty orange bottles on the nightstand to her right. I swiped one. Codeine. Empty. Both were empty.

“What did you do?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!” I knew. I felt unreal, like the terror was bigger than my body.

“I’m sorry. You’re better off without me… You don’t even love me. You never tell me you love me.”

“I love you so much. No, no, oh God, no.” I rushed toward the landline.

“911, how can I help you?”

“My mom is trying to commit suicide.”

I was 13 when my biological mother attempted suicide. That was 6 years ago. While she is still alive, this remains to be the single most painful two minutes of my life.

6390Hz – DESTROYS Negativity In & Around You (⚠️ MAY FEEL AS THOUGH TIME STOPS)

Art various

Roqueplan, Camille Joseph Etienne, 1800 1855; The Lion in Love

What type of aircraft mishap has only ever happened once in the whole history of aviation?

In September of 1987 a co-pilot made an emergency landing in Portland, Maine. What had happened was the hatch of the aircraft had flown open and it appeared that the pilot was sucked out and lost.

The airplane was a Beechcraft 99, a commuter craft that was capable of carrying 15 passengers but on this flight there was only a little bit of freight.

main qimg 05198e9d284790caafafb11b9394f068 lq

During the flight the co-pilot said he could hear an air leak in the passenger cabin. The pilot then got up and walked back in the passenger area to investigate and was looking around the exit hatch when the airplane hit turbulence and the pilot fell against the door. When he fell against the door, it opened and he seemingly flew out.

The co-pilot radioed the nearest airport about his emergency and was directed where to make his landing. When he landed he was amazed to find out that the pilot did not fall to his death but was in fact hanging on for dear life on the hand rails on the hatch door. He was hanging upside down with his head below the bottom of the door steps while the airplane was flying 190 miles per hour.

When the airplane landed the pilot’s head was only a foot above the tarmac. It took the rescue crew five minutes to pry the pilot’s hands off the railings, survival instinct for you.

The pilot’s name was Henry Dempsey and the incident was dramatically re-enacted in the tv series Rescue 911.

The Chiefs SHUT DOWN Angry Feminists

Given how the Chinese never had a vote in their government ruled by Chinese Communist Party, should media when reporting make the distinction between China and the regime ruling China, when referring to ‘China’ in their reports?

This question shows that the person asking has zero knowledge of China’s government and election process. I suggest that the person asking this question do some research before asking more questions so that he does not embarrass himself by showing his lack of knowledge.

Let us look at the democratic process of the Chinese “parliament”, the National People’s Congress and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Members of the National People’s Congress (NPC) are elected by the Provincial People’s Assemblies from all the provinces and regions throughout China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

Members of the Provincial People’s Assemblies in turn are elected by lower level assemblies, and so on through a series of tiers, to the Local People’s Assemblies. The Local People’s Assembly is very much like a village or small town assembly, members of which are directly elected by the people living there. The voters know personally who they are electing.

Unlike in Western democracy, what happens through this system is that the voters, for each level, are voting people whom they work with and know very well. For example, members of the local assembly would vote for the best among them, those who can work and produce results, to represent them at the next level.

Through this system, only the best gets chosen for the NPC, after several layers of the selection process.

This is different from Western democracy where members of the public elect candidates whom they don’t know personally. The candidates are only known from TV appearances, news in the mass media and similar non-personal things.

The very best from among the NPC members are then elected into the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. This is the group that runs China – individuals who have been chosen through a highly competitive selection process and have proven their ability to govern at a lower level.

This is the reason why China’s economy is growing at such a fast rate – only very capable leaders make it into the Standing Committee.

China Turns Tables on U.S, CANCEL U.S SANCTIONS on RUSSIA

Is Comac hiding its technological progress and misleading Biden by showing a long time horizon to avoid a trade war?

No.

Airliners is a special business, even within aviation.

Why?

They carry passengers in the tens to hundreds.

That is why there is extraordinary scrutiny on the entire system, down to the stewardess serving cup noodles on budget flights.

Yes, she has to obtain a type certification, just like the pilots, and it is specific to the airliner model. The same goes for the maintenance crew—everyone is trained, tested and certified, with the cycle repeated to maintain currency.

This extraordinary level of training and oversight is what makes flying far safer than driving.

Every physical part of an airliner is tested to death, especially the engines. Even the number of coats of paint is a controlled spec, not only because paint add weight to the airframe, but the thickness can alter the operation of moving parts, especially the control surfaces.

Comac has recently introduced its first narrowbody six-across C919. It is at the most painful stage currently, ironing out teething issues for the early jets, while ramping up production to fulfill the burgeoning order book.

It will have to document every spec, down to the training requirements for technicians and crew, and make the material broadly available to all customers and regulators. It will have to publish procedures for the safe operation and maintenance of the aircraft, and establish the technical limits of the airframe and moving parts.

All these take time, especially if one starts from a clean sheet, and the entire process is regulated by authorities, who will have to sign off on the type certification.

It is a rigorous process that takes lots of time.

Disney Casts Anya Taylor-Joy As Snow White? Anya Is Excited To Replace Rachel Zegler From The Movie!

Be the Rufus

“At 3am I got a phone call stating that my sister had been killed in a car accident due to some young dumb punk! I haven’t slept and instantly got on the road. Of course we were speeding, trying to get back to Detroit. And we got pulled over in Ohio. I knew I was going to Jail due to a petty warrant. The police called Wayne county and they refused to come get me because of the distance. I explained to the officer that my sister had died and that I needed to get to my mother asap. I broke down crying and he saw the sincerity in my cry. He REACHES OVER AND BEGAN PRAYING OVER ME AND MY FAMILY. He offered to bring me 100 miles further to Detroit because they towed the vehicle. Everybody knows how much I dislike Cops but I am truly Greatful for this Guy. He gave me hope.”

main qimg bdf782089182733497f19677b23a33fd

The Worst Economy I have ever seen

Why are Chinese people so brainwashed?

Gee, you’re the self-proclaimed “China expert”. You even studied “China” at Harvard (whatever that means) so you must know better than people who’ve actually visited, lived or done business there, right? So why are you asking all us brainwashed peeps?

I do find it odd that you proudly proclaim a connection to NED, whose job is to spread the gospel of democracy (coincidentally, mainly to countries that the United States doesn’t view as allies).

But well done, keep preaching it, brother.

However, the reason I raise this point is that it automatically makes the motives of your question (and any of your questions about China) suspect. Because what you’re essentially saying here is that anyone who doesn’t agree with the American view — YOUR view — that China is the fount of all evil in the world must be de facto brainwashed and a wumao.

Never mind that an actual visit to China and exposure to Mainland Chinese people would likely lead you to a different conclusion entirely.

So I’d answer your question this way: disagreeing with the American narrative on China doesn’t automatically equate to brainwashing. Neither does it equate to blind support of China or believing that the country is perfect.

But I do wonder something. If you really are with NED, how do you reconcile what you do to spread the gospel of democracy to the world with the fact that the United States itself has demonstrated time and time again that it’s willing to hold its nose and ally with authoritarian countries and odious dictators?

Have a lovely day.

Barbecue Beef Roast

Ingredients

1 (2 – 2 1/2 pound) beef chuck roast
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

Place the roast in the slow cooker (slice in half if using a 4-quart slow cooker).
Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the roast. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Remove the roast and shred with two forks (it just falls apart), place in a serving dish and ladle some of the juice over the top before serving.

How America RUINED the world’s screws! (Robertson vs. Phillips)

War story

You’re a 19 year old kid.

You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .

Its November 14, 1965 . LZ (landing zone) X-ray.

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Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.

You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you’re not getting out.

Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again.

As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then – over the machine gun noise – you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.

You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn’t seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.

He’s not MedEvac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’s

flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He’s coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!

Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.

I bet you didn’t hear about this hero’s passing,Medal of Honor Winner Captain Ed Freeman.

Now… YOU pass this along.

Honor this real hero.

What is the most bizarre way you’ve landed a job?

I was at a party (mid 1970s). Amidst all the chatter, I heard these two guys talking about a contract they’d just secured. Sponsored by a government lab to bring together scientists and engineers and government functionaries and get them to go over technical details of a power generation project. This was just their sweet spot, but they were concerned about running sessions to get these diverse groups to talk to each other, and coming up with a coherent final report.

I eavesdropped, then butted in. “I’ve done a good bit of that at my job at UCLA,” I said. I suggested ways to do this. They ended up inviting me into their project to handle the interactive part. The event went very well, and other labs wanted to bring us in.

But my two partners weren’t interested in this type of work—not technical enough for them. So they handed the whole thing over to me. I had a company with half a dozen employees and a government contract.

Started me down my road to entrepreneurship.

China’s Latest Move Has Governments Freaking Out

Have you ever gone into a restaurant that looked unappealing from the outside but ended up having delicious food? If so, where and what did you order?

It has happened more than once.

One restaurant visit that I remember particularly was in Wuhan, China. It was in 2006. I was on my way to Ichang and Three Gorges (the big dam). I wasn’t in a hurry and stayed for four days in the city.

On the first evening I walked along the street where I stayed and looked for a place where to eat. Everything was in Chinese. There were no signs in English, so I couldn’t even memorize the name of the street where I stayed. I wouldn’t venture too far, not to get lost.

Anyway, I found a restaurant close to the shabby hotel where I stayed. I went inside and it looked quite unappealing. Simple forniture, tiled floor and very bright lights. The interior looked cheap and uninviting. At first I thought I wouldn’t eat there, I’d only have a beer. But, after a while I realized I wouldn’t find another place. Nobody spoke English and I wouldn’t know where to go. I had no choice and decided I’d have whatever they had to offer.

I drew a fish on a napkin – that would be my order. Somehow, I tried to explain with gestures that I’d also like some side dishes. When the food arrived I was in a shock. That would be enough for a family of four. Everything looked really nice, especially the fish. It was a whole fish, steamed and garnished with vegetables – it looked like a masterpiece. The whole dinner was a devine culinary experience. I didn’t manage to eat it all – I left some of the small dishes that accompanied the main dish. And the most suprising thing came at the end – the bill. I paid 35 yuan for the whole feast. It was equivalent of 6 US Dollars. One of the best meals of my life, that I still remember after 18 years.

What were some things kids did in the 70s that would horrify today’s parents?

80s kid but close enough:

A) My parents literally had NO IDEA where I was the vast majority of my childhood.

Every day from 1st grade on I was unsupervised from 3-6pm since my parents both worked. Weekends if I didn’t have a sports game I was out in the world gone for hours at a time, no way for them to contact me, I didn’t check in, road my bike into different towns and all over my town.

B) Made all my own plans. Starting around 3rd grade or so, any after school or weekend social activities I set up myself with friends. Called peoples houses, talked to parents, made plans, never asked for permission.

I was in charge of those decisions.

I was responsible for my safety.

Only reason I would call is if I wouldn’t be home for dinner. Same rules seemed to apply to all my friends.

C) I was in charge of my transportation to and from school and after school activities before 6pm. Rain? Either I remembered an umbrella or I got wet. Snow? Same deal

This polite stray cat knocked on the door, trying to ask for adoption and become part of the family.

I just couldn’t understand why my coffee tasted like camel pee

During my “off in the wilderness” days, we (my wife and I) would go to a restaurant and order coffee with refills. Back in those days, refills were the norm. And we could stretch our time, and enjoy ourselves by drinking coffee.

One day while we were at the fast food franchise Carl’s Jr. we were drinking the coffee and talking about how lousy it was. Honestly it tasted like camel piss. And we stopped drinking it and left the restaurant.

But it was only then that I glanced in the window reflection and saw two of the employees a guy and a girl watching our every move and snickering.

Ugh.

Spent the night vomiting. Both of us.

I don’t know what happened to those two.

But…

But… Karma is a swift sword. Don’t you know.

*sigh*

Van life. If it wasn’t one thing it was the other.

I’ve had people pour sugar in the gas tank, and others flatten our tires. I’ve seem people call the police on us, and all sorts of stuff. Not an easy life. I’ll tell you what.

But pissing in our coffee…

God.

Memories that I don’t ever want to relive.

Today…

What was the role of empresses and concubines in Ancient China (Han, Tang)? Did they have any power over the emperor?

First of all, an Empress was significantly different to a concubine in ancient Chinese culture. Although ancient Chinese allowed polygamy, there must always be a formal wife. She was married through a more formal ceremony and had significantly more legal rights and privileges, such as not being allowed to be divorced without valid reason.

A concubine did not have any of these privileges.

In fact, a son born to a concubine could be given for adoption to be the son of the prime wife, if she chose to do so.

The Empress was, of course, the formal wife of the Emperor. She would have to have the dignity to be the First Lady of the Empire; also there was no Second Lady (sorry concubines). And as the First Lady, she would have to play a role fitting of traditional Confucian values. That is, to be a supportive wife and responsible mother.

I will list out the one lady who I personally rate as the greatest Empress of China. Note that this was in regards to being the traditionalist figure. Empress Wu Zetian was, of course, greater as a leader, but she would always remain a controversial figure because her actions challenged the patriarchal society.

Empress Ma was commonly nicknamed Ma Bigfoot. Not necessarily meaning she had big feet, but more likely that she did not bind hers (foot binding, for all the cruelty, was for rich ladies who didn’t need to do manual work).

She was betrothed to a mid-ranking military commander named Zhu Yuanzhang. Little did she know that his fate would eventually be intertwined with the fate of a nation.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was imprisoned in the army, she secretly smuggled food to feed him. After Zhu Yuanzhang became crowned as Emperor Hongwu, she still occasionally prepared simple meals in their dinner, to advise him to never forget their humble beginnings. When the Emperor wanted to kill the royal teacher Song Lian, she fasted to convince the Emperor to spare him, stating that even a commoner had to show sincere respect to a teacher. Sadly, she died before the Emperor, and even her last words she asked him not to blame or sentence any of her doctors, stating that it was not their fault that they couldn’t cure a person already doomed to pass.

But just considering her biography, one could tell that she remained humble and modest, without overstepping her position. If an Emperor wanted to give significant political power to the Empress or her family, it would be very heavily frowned upon or criticised. There had been times where the Empress’ family had too much power, and caused severe corruption in the government (moreso in earlier Dynasties like Han, Jin and Tang).

What about concubines getting too much power from the Emperor?

If an Empress and her family gaining too much power was criticised, then a royal concubine gaining political power would be considered outright blasphemous. Ancient China often had the social rule that a formal wife should be chosen for both their merit and near-equal social rank to the husband, but a concubine did not. They were often chosen purely for beauty, servitude to their husbands, or even out of love (!).

A royal concubine’s only influence over the Emperor would be to use the Emperor’s love for her, to sway his opinions. And even so, if the Emperor’s decision was found out to be under the influence of a concubine, he would be criticised for being “weak-minded,” “lustful” and “irrational.” Because of these, some of the more power-hungry Emperors would punish his concubine if she dared to speak on political matters. And given that concubines were of lower status, she could receive much harsher punishments, such as banishment to the cold palace. Most concubines would not dare to speak up until they’ve reached significant status within the palace.

There were some ladies who were concubines who rose to power, either by usurping the current Empress (like Empress Wu Zetian), or when their son got chosen to be the new Emperor, they would gain (honourary) Empress status.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was probably the best example for this; she had significant power and influence, but during her time as Empress Dowager (mother) and not royal concubine. While she was not liked by her son Emperor Shunzhi, she was very significant to her grandson Emperor Kangxi. And again, she knew the importance to teach and inspire her heir, not abuse power for herself. After she had died, Emperor Kangxi was able to continue his legacy.

Tomato Gravy

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups tomato juice
Pinch of baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

Boil tomato juice.
Add baking soda, salt and sugar.
Mix cornstarch and milk together, and pour into tomato mixture. Bring to a boil.
Serve on scrambled eggs or fried mush.

“My boyfriend called me a 4/10”

Since dating my boyfriend, he kept making side comments about my appearance here and there. Then he compliments his ex every now and then. He says she is pretty or ended up talking about how he fell for her ass. One day I asked him to stop because it was making me self conscious. He never complimented me until I made a comment about it.

It’s been about four months and I told him I don’t have a good feeling about him and his ex and that he makes it seem like he likes her more than me. He finally told me that she is more attractive than me and that I am a 4/10 for him. I even asked how he thought about me, compared to his friend’s girlfriends, and he says they are more attractive than me. He tells me that his ex beauty means nothing to him. Then he turns around and still tries to call me beautiful after telling me was below average in looks. I am ok without being everyone’s cup of tea, but my own boyfriend?

Now I’m always looking in the mirror questioning myself. Everytime we go out I think about how he thinks all the girls are prettier than me. I don’t think I’m ugly and I am also not super attractive, but damn I thought I’d atleast get a 5 from my own boyfriend. What do I do? Do I leave because now I’m too insecure to be with him? Am I wrong? Would you date someone who thinks you are below average look wise?

Your feelings are valid, and your boyfriend’s behavior is utterly despicable.

Rating your girlfriend’s looks on a numeric scale, constantly talking up how hot your ex was, and telling you that his friends’ girlfriends are more attractive than you? No. Just no. This guy has the sensitivity and emotional intelligence of a potato.

You say you don’t think you’re ugly but also not super attractive. But you know what? That’s irrelevant. What matters is that you deserve to be with someone who thinks you are absolutely beautiful and makes you feel that way. Every. Single. Day.

His attempts to call you beautiful now ring completely hollow after he so thoughtlessly shattered your self-esteem. It’s like smashing a vase and then trying to hastily tape it back together. The damage is done.

I would seriously question staying with someone who makes you this insecure, who makes you feel like you don’t measure up, like you’re always being compared to other women and found wanting. That’s not what a loving relationship should do to you. It should build you up, not tear you down.

Leaving him over this would be completely justified in my opinion. Find someone who will appreciate you for exactly who you are, inside and out. You deserve so much better than to be stuck with a tactless, insensitive, emotionally stunted man-child who probably couldn’t find his own ass with both hands and a map.

Vintage Illustration

Did you change your mind about China after you actually visited the country?

I went to China in 2017 with my family for a holiday. And a lot I had in mind about China was not true.

Language is a major barrier in China. I was totally wrong. Though the majority do not understand English, the younger generation in the metro cities can understand and converse in English pretty well. In Beijing, whenever we were stuck, there was someone to help us out. And those who are into tourism, keep their smartphones in use! Even we used offline Google translate to communicate to people. So language is not at all a barrier.

Chinese only eat non-veg which includes crawling, tiny insects. We carried so many ready to eat thinking we’ll get nothing vegetarian. Again, totally wrong. I feel, Chinese eat the most balanced meals with a healthy mix of veggies, carbs and protein. Had some of the most amazing vegetarian Chinese dishes. All that ready to eat remained untouched.

Chinese are soft, melodious speakers. Till date, I had heard Chinese announcements only in the airports, public places in Singapore and Hongkong. It sounded so melodious. But in reality, Chinese can sound loud. They do make several sounds, even from the epiglottis, making it sound weird.

China is a cheap shopping destination. I was very excited to shop in China. Thought I will buy a cute suitcase and fill it with stuffs. But in reality, the prices in their markets is comparable to that in India. I did not even find that cute suitcase I was looking for! I was particularly looking for a jacket, which I couldn’t find in their local markets. Later after coming back to India, I ordered it online from Aliexpress!

As an Indian, we would not be catching a lot of attention in China. Again, I was proved wrong. Chinese find us exotic. We got a lot of stares in the Beijing metro. Many asked for a selfie. In the summer palace, a group surrounded us and looked with awe!

Found Out

Do you think that for the majority of people in America, they find themselves in difficult positions in life mainly because of the poor decisions they made in their early years?

Everyone makes bad choices at some point in their lives.

The difference between “a mistake that ruined your life” and “a small setback” is gender, race, and wealth.

Consider Brock Allen Turner. He came from a rich family. He was a student at Stanford. He was on the swim team. And on January 18th, 2015, Turner sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind the dumpster. He was caught red-handed by two other students. Turner was indicted on five charges and found guilty of three felonies.

The prosecutors recommended that Turner be given a six-year prison sentence based on the purposefulness of the action, the effort to hide this activity, and the victim’s intoxicated state. Do you know how long he got? Six months. The judge sentenced Turner to six months in the Santa Clara County Jail, and Turner served three months.

Turner’s father famously said, “His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20-plus years of life.”

The Judge himself was a Stanford alumnus and student-athlete like Turner.

What do you think would happen if Turner is black, poor, and went to a community college?

Everyone makes mistakes. Rich people with generational wealth can bounce back from it. Regular people making the same mistake would take them longer to recover and potentially alter their life’s trajectory forever.

The majority of people in the US, especially millennials and Gen Z, find themself unable to afford a house or find a job not because of the poor decisions they made. No. They find themselves in a difficult situation because they don’t have generational wealth to pay for their school, so they have to take on debt before they even enter the workforce. They don’t have a family to gift them a flat in a trendy neighborhood. They have to take the first job offered because, without a job, they don’t have health care. They couldn’t work on their start-up idea because they didn’t have parents who gave them over 300 thousand dollars in investment, nor were their parents friends with the CEO of IBM.

Reagan’s trickle-down economy never trickled down. After corporations discovered stock buy-back, job security was nonexistent. An entry-level job requires a master’s degree and five years of experience.

Everyone is created equal; some are more equal than others.

Dating apps are holding on for dear life, and they’re failing

Who was the most interesting person you’ve ever been seated next to on an airplane?

The flight had only one open seat, the flight attendant said, so squeeze in. The middle seat was open between me and what appeared to be a businessman, who was dispassionately reading the newspaper next to the aisle when the announcement was made. He set his newspaper down and turned to me, with a strange grin.

“I bet,” he said, “we can have that empty seat here.”

“Oh?” Naturally I was intrigued.

“Start an argument with me. We can be so unpleasant no one will want to sit here.”

I immediately did, asking how he could dare consider something so selfish. It continued from there, with the two of us quietly snarling at each other and glaring daggers at anyone who looked like they even considered intervening or sitting between us.

The plane continued to fill. We ended up at some point reciting the Monty Python argument skit from somewhere in the middle, so we never ran out of material. Any topic we could think of, we argued about. Seats around us vanished. People hastily stood to let people slide in.

He never had to. The last person finally was seated, leaving the space between us open.

Immediately, his face switched from outrage to smug satisfaction and he extended his hand to me.

“Thank you, that was fun. I’d love to do that again sometime.”

Then he picked up his newspaper, shook it open, and continued to read. We said nothing else the rest of the flight.

I think about that guy every time I’m sitting next to strangers.

Has a child ever done something that really surprised you?

Almost a year back, I went to Apple Store along with my father and my younger sister to get iPhone for my father. We bought the phone and were waiting for its installation. There weren’t much people in the store and we were simply looking around the other products.

In the middle of the silence, where everyone was heeding their own business, a 13 year old Boy walked in store ( I am assuming his age ). He was wearing a basic t- shirt, jeans, had specs. He also had school bag on his back. He walked straight towards the billing counter and said something to the person standing. Everyone looked at him. We all were wondering and guessing the possible reasons for him to be there. One of the store attendants brought the unit he asked for. He came to buy Smart Watch worth 90k INR. He was clear what he wanted and did not waste much time to decide.

Store manager asked him how is going to pay, to which he took the money out of his back and handed over all the cash to him. He did not bother to count and gave all the amount he had. He took the watch and left without taking the left over cash. The manger stoped him, gave the remaining amount and finally asked for whom he is buying. “Papa”he said and left.

Everyone in the store was equally perplexed and surprised.

I questioned Manger that why did he let him buy, he should have cross checked with his father. I get to learn that it is Apple policy not to question anything to the customer.

How do I stop an elderly neighbor for asking me to do everything for her?

Just say no as Nancy Reagan said.

I have an elderly friend who I helped out with certain things including tech support. She was quite rude about it sometimes if she couldn’t get a hold of me right away. I let it slide as I thought we were friends and had a friendship worth saving.

Then all of a sudden she had terrible breathing issues that came out of nowhere. She was hospitalized as she needed oxygen and many tests including a colonoscopy. I was devoted to this woman and spent more time than I should have visiting and bringing her things from home.

I did her laundry and spent hours cleaning her apartment as I didn’t want her to come home to a messy apartment.

I mentioned a colonoscopy as the purgative gave her sudden diarrhea and a soiled her pajamas. She shouted at me to go to the bathroom and rinse them out. I did this disgusting thing that even a nurse wouldn’t have done. By this time I was getting burnt out as I am in my sixties and am disabled myself.

For the sake of myself I started to say NO and I was rewarded with a rude awakening. She was so awful to me as she was very entitled and didn’t like being told no.

Once she was discharged I expected a call thanking me for cleaning her apartment in addition to everything else I did. I received no call for a week then an email ordering me up to her apartment to help her with things.

I have since ghosted her after sending a long email on her bad behaviour. She is housebound now with at home oxygen but she no longer has a slave ( me) so don’t know don’t care.

She would still have my friendship and help if she had just learned how to say thank you.

What’s the buying experience like when purchasing a high end luxury car like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, etc?

I recently purchased my first Bentley… woohoo.

I wanted to try pre-owned first to make sure I liked it. This one cost me 1/3 the price of a new one, but it’s also eight years old with 28,000 miles. The car looks new and drives like it’s new.

My experience was likely different than most as I didn’t purchase new. I had been looking off and on for about two years. I finally found exactly what I wanted and then nearly decided not to buy it.

Financially, it’s a horrible purchase… most vehicles are. I still wanted to own one, so I decided to go with this one. It was loaded. It’s a 2016 Continental GT Speed. It’s a little different than most Bentley’s, in that its exterior color is kind of in your face, while most Bentley colors are more subtle.

I found it online. Emailed the dealer to discuss it. Worked on the price a little bit. Agreed to purchase as long as they would ship it in an enclosed trailer.

I had never even sat in a Bentley before.

I love the way it drives. My wife doesn’t care about cars at all, and she mentioned how nice, how comfortable, and quiet it is. She asked just yesterday, “you’re going to buy a new one before long aren’t you?” Not because she wants a new one, but because she knows I like to test things before I fully commit.

It seems to be a good car, and one that I’m going to enjoy driving for a year or so before I trade it in for a new one.

I ordered custom license plates for it. The plates say INVSTED for invested.

If you want to know if purchasing the vehicle was exciting or anything like that: not really. It was kind of like ordering something online from Amazon.

The excitement comes from driving it.

Introducing The Ai Girlfriend/Personal Assistant By ChatGPT 4.O : Say Goodbye To Dating?

Wholly Holy Insane shit!!

My God!

Why were Soviet submarines so much louder than American and British subs?

This statement is true for 1950s and 1960s, but if we talk later…

Just few interesting incidents around this topic.

31 October 1983, Sargasso Sea. Frigate, USS McCloy, equipped specifically to track Soviet submarines, was conducting tests of Towed Array Sonar Surveillance System (TASS). Soviet Project 671RTM submarine K-324 was tasked with trailing American frigate and gathering information about the new detection system. At one point, K-324 got too close to McCloy and hit the towed antenna, as a result, almost 400 meters of it were spun around the K-324s propeller shaft. K-324 lost ability to move and surfaced.

Destroyers USS Peterson and USS Nicholson arrived at the place shortly and started moving between K-324 and McCloy, trying to cut the antenna and prevent Soviets from seizing it. K-324 called for tug and prepared to scuttle in the event if Americans tried to seize the sub. This lasted for 10 days before Soviet tug Aldan arrived and tugged K-324 to Cuba. The trophy antenna cable was removed and sent home for research.

Another example, quite famous. 21 March 1984, project 671 submarine K-314 was tasked with tracking US carrier group based around USS Kitty Hawk in the vicinity of Korean peninsula. After 7 days of going on and off of carrier group tail, K-314 lost the contact and surfaced – right in the middle of carrier group’s order, resulting in collision between K-314 and Kitty Hawk. Neither the sub nor the carrier knew about each other location before the collision.

Soviet naval commission determined that the cause of the collision was an incorrectly selected search depth.

This was due to hydrology: thermocline at that fateful moment passed through a depth of 30 meters. But the crew could not take advantage of this, since all instructions obliged the sub to stay no higher than a safe depth of 50 meters. For this reason, K-314 did not detect the aircraft carrier and came dangerously close. When the BIP (combat information post) reported to the commander the distance to the main target at 60-70 cables (13-15 km), it was actually several times less than 10-15 cables (2-3 km).

The collision, though, was really lucky for both vessels. If K-314 had surfaced 20 seconds earlier, Kitty Hawk would have split it in two. Kitty Hawk, meanwhile, received the blow on the starboard side, right across the aviation fuel tanks and leaked a couple of tonnes of it. The fact that fuel had not ignited was very fortunate for Kitty Hawk.

11 February 1992, north of Murmansk. Los Angeles class submarine USS Baton Rouge was conducting intelligence tasks in the area and playing “cat and mouse” with Russian Project 945 submarine K-276. After various maneuvering, K-276 ended up behind and below Baton Rouge and surfaced right into it, ramming it from below. K-276 was repaired and returned to service, Baton Rouge was scrapped two years later.

For submarines that were supposedly very noisy, snapping the array designing to track submarines, surfacing in the middle of the carrier group and ramming hunter-killer submarine from below are interesting achievements.

For those who wants to comment on recklessness of Soviet sub commanders, quite a lot of collisions were caused by US subs too, like 20 March 1993, 23 May of 1983 or 24 June 1970 collisions, all with Sturgeon class subs on US side

What are some life lessons you have learned that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t joined the military?

Soldiers don’t fight because they hate the enemy. They fight to protect their buddy.
Racism exists at every level of society.
Just because you’re on the same team doesn’t mean all the players have your back.
The government pays way too much money for many substandard products and services.
There is a large difference between a clean weapon and an armorer approved clean weapon. “Go try again Hill!”
No one joins the military because they are too stupid for college. I wish this stereotype would hurry up and die already. I served with some of the most brilliant minds of my generation.
A soldier with a car is a popular soldier.
Polishing boots is indeed a zen practice.
Clothes last ten times longer if you dry clean them.
Take care of home and never air your dirty laundry in public.
Women play as many games as men do. And they’re often as unfaithful.
It is possible to run while still drunk from the night before.
Not all officers are suitable for command.
There is such as thing as bad NCO’s.
Technology can cause as many problems as it is supposed to solve.
It is possible to drive with zero depth perception.
Loneliness hurts but it won’t kill you.
It’s not that easy to die.
Motrin can solve all of your health problems. If not, take some Cepacol.
Having the right roommate matters a lot.
The closest distance between two strangers is a hot plate of good chow.
Stay alert, stay alive. At all times. In this day and age this might just safe your life.
Misery is always better with company.
Hospital food is better than army chow hall food.
Even a grenade launcher can get boring after a few hours.
Nothing can cheer someone up like news from loved ones at home.
If you donate plasma beforehand, getting drunk is a lot cheaper.
Many times in life, we are required to do things that do not make any sense.
Wet weather gear will often make you wetter than you were before.
Humvee’s are horrible vehicles. It takes around 3 hours to replace a Humvee turret by yourself on a Friday evening in the motor pool.
People will abuse the uniform.
Heat is a killer.
If your not pissing clear, time to drink water.
You can save quite a lot of money by cutting your own hair.
We are all pawns of more powerful people open to the random chances of fate.

An American Reacts to Why America Sucks at Everything – THIS ONE HURT

What did you do first after being released from prison or jail?

Once pass the prison gate in the prison van..went over to the bank to cash the state check and then to the motel that I told DOC that I was going to…waited till the van turned,so that officer couldn’t see me leave ..walked over to the state DHS..got my food stamp card..then to Walmart .Got a dome tent and sleeping bag,food, quart of water. fillet knife and a ball of clothes line,a sharpie ,cell phone…once out side , looked in the trash bin and got a cardboard box..walked over to the street that would take me to the interstate..once there, walked over a overhead bridge.. went to sleep in the tent that night ..next morning,walked over the truck stop over the other side.made me a sign on where I was going to…

While I was setting there at the TS..a shoolie came in and 4 guys got out ..we spoke and I asked which way they were going..they was going my way ..I asked if I could join them..so I had a ride . Once there.had them drop me off where I wanted to be..call a person who I could stay with..got my DL , bought a pickup and a on bed camper..lived in it as I started my life outside of prison..

Since I discharged all of my sentences.I could travel and sleep where I wanted to..been out here for 13 years now…had a business that I had till I retired from.. Don’t want a place that I have to pay rent on.. upgraded to a shuttle bus now..not bad for a 70 year old guy…

What’s the nastiest move a coworker made to get you or another coworker fired?

I had a lesbian coworker who had the hots for the young executive assistant to the president of the company. She was the cutest girl at work so I flirted with her. I had a hot, sophisticated, rich, brilliant girlfriend so I never asked her out. My girlfriend and I were on a break so I tested the waters on asking the EA out and the lesbian coworker overheard it on a Friday. So she sends me company emails over the weekend telling me all the EA’s flaws. I’m thinking, WTF but I know the lesbian is going to be trouble and save the emails.
Few weeks later, I actually start dating the EA. The lesbian goes to the presidents office in tears making up tales of me menacing her. He tells the VP of engineering to fire me immediately. I get walked out of the building 20 minutes later on a Friday. The head of my project tells the president it’s going to cost millions of dollars if I go so he calls me at home asking me to work at home. I finally get to tell my side of the story and sent him the emails. I get a public apology on Tuesday and back pay. Thank God the b*tch was stupid and used the company email system so I had proof.

Chili Gravy

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons butter or beef drippings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water
Salt, if needed
2 to 3 cups meat, cubed or ground
1 clove garlic, chopped or crushed
1 tablespoon red chili powder
Hot biscuits

Instructions

Melt butter or drippings in a cast iron frying pan.
Add flour and stir until rich brown.
Slowly stir in cold water and continue to stir as it cooks so it won’t get lumpy.
Taste and add salt, if needed.
Brown meat with garlic and chili powder in a skillet, then add to the gravy, which should be bubbling. Simmer for a few minutes, then serve over fresh hot biscuits, mashed potatoes, rice, enchiladas or tamales.

American reacts to ‘Why America Sucks at Everything’

What are the top ten things I should experience in life?

Take your family for dinner frequently. There is no time like family time and they appreciate it more than anything. Be there for them when they need you.
Travel alone, travel with a a group of friends, travel with him/her. Travel anywhere possible and as far as possible. Make spontaneous plans and travel without any arrangements. It’s going to be very hard but you will love the experience.
Fall in love. It’s a great feeling in the world when you know someone always has your back no matter what. Remember, with love comes heartbreaks too but don’t worry because time almost heals everything.
Find some mentor for yourself and when you feel ready, mentor someone. This will change someone else’s life and it’s an amazing feeling.
Work for someone else, work for yourself or anything that you want to do but make sure to make money. Money can’t buy happiness but it surely does make your life luxurious.
Try new looks and change the way you dress up once in a while. This will make you feel fresh and confident too.
Learn how to ride, drive, swim and as many languages as possible. Also stay updated with new technology. They make your life easier.
Wash you car, list the best songs that you always listen to and go for a long drive alone. Sing the song when you are in the car and forget everything. You will feel that life is better than you actually think. You can do it with friends too but the experience will be a little different.
Forgive someone. It’s not for them but for yourself. Don’t keep on holding to something someone has done to you. Just let it go and give yourself a fresh start. Trust me, you will feel amazing.
Get married. Start a family and make them happy. I haven’t done this yet but I am sure this is going to be one hell of a experience in life.

Have you ever put a hidden camera in your own bedroom?

Actually I have, though in the end I wound up not needing it. Let me explain…

Several years ago I lived in an apartment that had been carved out of the basement of a raised ranch house located in a beautiful part of Oakland, CA. The setup was such that I’d enter the apartment through the attached garage and the owner, who lived upstairs in the main living area of the house, would only enter the garage to do laundry and would do so using the same exterior door that I used to enter my apartment through the garage.

You can see where this is headed.

After having lived there for about a year, I started to find small things in my living space that had been moved, or a leaf on the floor that I knew hadn’t been there when I’d left the house in the morning. I owned a cat through so for awhile I just assumed he had been moving these things around, but for some reason (maybe the locations where the items were found?) I couldn’t shake the feeling that the landlord was cutting through my place to get to the garage. I set up a camera mostly just to prove to myself that I was being paranoid.

Well, it turns out I wasn’t being paranoid at all. I just didn’t wind up needing the camera to find out. One morning while I was sleeping in after a fun night on the town, I woke up hearing the sound of someone talking to my cat. WTH? I groggily look over and there coming down the stairs in his underwear and carrying a basket of dirty clothes was my landlord. He looked over said good morning and tried to keep on his way. Some choice words were spoken, a new lock added to the door that he used for access, and a rather confusing video was captured of me lecturing a half naked man about privacy that day.

I’m very glad not to be renting like that any more.

In elementary school, what was the funniest reason you got called to the principal’s office?

I was in the first grade and the public school I attended was having a canned food drive for Thanksgiving. My teacher picked me to go to the Principal’s Office to appear in a news photo of several students sorting through the baskets.

I was a shy, six year- old kid with little school experience, so my teacher walked me to the office to await my journalistic debut. The office was bustling with activity that morning and a secretary told me to have a seat. She pointed to a bench where some “big” boys were sitting and horsing around. My teacher had left and there I was sitting with these sixth grade kids.

I was terrified when this large man in a suit stepped from an adjoining room and in a deep, angry and booming voice said “Get in my office now!” He gestured at the group I was sitting with on the bench.

I followed those sixth- graders into his office and sat quietly in a corner chair. He started hollering at us at the top of his lungs, pointing at the biggest kid and saying he ought to suspend all of us for what we’d done.

He ordered us all back to class but not before the biggest kid had his behind paddled with a wooden board. By this time, I was terrified and balling my eyes out. I found my way back to class and knocked on the closed door. My teacher opened it, took one look at me and realized something was clearly wrong. There I was, my shirt soaked from crying, my face contorted from sheer terror, and my eyes no longer those of an innocent boy.

She asked what had happened and when I couldn’t get the words out without blubbering, she grabbed my hand and off we marched…back to that terrible place where kids were being tortured.

Upon arrival, I noticed the mean man, the secretary and my teacher huddled and whispering in the room where I’d just been traumatized. They pointed at me and I couldn’t believe my eyes. They started laughing.

“You poor little boy,” my teacher said as she wiped my forehead. The mean man explained he was the principal and those boys were in the office for being bad. I wasn’t supposed to be with them, he apologetic ally said.

There were some other kids watching me at this point and the secretary said I was to go with them to have our picture taken. There was a man with a big camera with them so I fell in line and we went outside. When he took the picture for the paper, he told us all to smile.

That Sunday, after the paperboy delivered our newspaper, my mom and dad flipped the pages and proudly eyed the picture of their young son. I had already told them what happened that day, so when my mother, with a straight face, asked why I wasn’t smiling like the other children, we all had a good laugh.

Confident Man Humbles Woman After Forcing Him to Do This On Date

What’s it like going back to a “normal life” after a long prison sentence?

I’d served 16 yrs and 4 months when I was released on parole. I was fortunate that my partner (who I married 6 mths after my release) had stood by me throughout my sentence (our son was just over 1 yr of age at that time and prison was much different then). Visits were 20 minutes a month (behind wire) You could write 1 letter a week and receive 2 (which were heavily censored with blackout) There were no gangs, no drugs, no buy ups (Comms),no sports, no weights -each wing had it’s own yard. You were let out 1 hour in the morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon.

The prison officers totally controlled the prison with violence and threats of violence- you lived your life one day at a time doing the best you could to get through another day in a place where it was anything but normal. You become grateful to be locked in to your cell for the night. About 9 months before I was released, they converted a wing into a Special Care Unit for inmates who had served 10 yrs or more to help prepare them for life after prison. I applied to participate in the program and was 1 of 14 other inmates who were successful in the first intake. I was always grateful to be given the opportunity to be in that unit. It made me realize I was so out of touch to what I had perceived life back into society would be-like comparing chalk to cheese.

My partner was encouraged to participate in the program and speak about how life was for her dealing with my incarceration. I’d believed because she was in the free world that she was going okay- that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her struggles far outweighed anything prison threw at me. I had about 3 months to go before I could apply for parole. Every thing was moving along okay but for some reason the psychologist and I had communication problems from the get go because he felt that I wasn’t taking the program serious enough and could make a better effort. To be honest, I had no idea what he was going on about but I was very aware that his report could stop my getting parole so I took the attitude from then on to agree with everything he said to me. The last night in prison, I couldn’t sleep. I had my civilian clothes in the cell with me so I got changed early (at dawn) when they let me out for breakfast.

I had been granted an early release so at 8 am, as I walked to the main gate, I became totally overwhelmed that I was finally going home. When I got to the gate, my partner and son were there I just held them for what seemed like an eternity- it was incredibly surreal. I wanted to get off the prison property as quick as I could. I was incredibly nervous and just wanted us to get home. When we got home and we walked in, that was when it really hit me- I wasn’t in prison anymore and I emotionally lost control. The truth is; I had no right to have my partner and son be here for me and support me for over 16 yrs but here they were… so excited to have me home. We didn’t talk about prison. I had lots of questions though about how much things had changed whilst I’d been in prison. That afternoon, my son’s girlfriend turned up. I was incredibly nervous meeting her but she was great which made me comfortable after that.That night was the first time my partner Dorothy and I made love in nearly 17 yrs- it was a beautiful night. Though I had a terrible time trying to go too sleep so I went into the lounge room and put the television on. Not long after, my partner came out and I told her I couldn’t sleep so she snuggled up and we watched movies together. In the morning, my partner was taking me into Sydney for the day. When we got on the bus about half way to Sydney the bus was full and I felt like I was choking and badly closed in. I told Dorothy we had to get off because I was sweating so bad. When we got off, I told her how I felt and we caught a cab the rest of the way. When we got into Sydney I couldn’t believe how much had changed- the amount of people and traffic was bewildering. I wouldn’t let go of Dorothy’s hand.

We went into a cafe for breakfast and coffee I was totally taken aback by the prices of everything. People’s dress sense was totally foreign to me as because when I went off to prison, it was the rock and roll and hippy era. It was all so very different. We went into a major store in Sydney called David Jones- we weren’t in there long when I had a shocking panic attack. I told Dorothy I had to get out of there as I honestly thought I was going to collapse and have a heart attack. It was terrifying. It was a long time before I went into a major shopping center where there were so many people for quite a while. Prior to going to prison, I was starting my final year in nursing and unlike today, 80 percent of it is done in University & 20 percent in a hospital setting. Back in my day, all training was done hands on in a hospital. I applied to finish my nursing career which was accepted. So much had changed, wages had dramatically increased. In the early days of my release, we didn’t venture far from home as my confidence level was low out in public. My partner was so understanding of how much I was struggling to integrate back into society and function normally. Everyday was a better day. 6 months after I was released, she & I married and made plans for the future. We both wanted to travel around Australia but one of my parole conditions prohibited me from travelling interstate for 2 yrs so when we had weekends off, we would go camping as much as we could. Our son and his partner were due to have their first child. They lived in a unit not far from us.

After 2 years of Dorothy and I working, we’d saved enough for a deposit for our first home for us- that was a huge step in going forward. One of the biggest, if not the biggest hurdle facing me, was at work where I kept all conversation as much as possible to hello and goodbye. I avoided having my lunch or dinner breaks with other staff so I wouldn’t be asked any questions about where I worked before. It wasn’t like I could say, “I’ve just come out of prison after serving 16 yrs for armed robbery.” It was a terrible fear; a do or die situation where you don’t want to lie but it was a case of self preservation. On several occasions, I was put into that situation where I had to reply to where did I’d worked before. It was a normal question to be asked and I replied I worked interstate or in a country town (one I knew enough about in case I was asked questions about that town). That wasn’t easy- having to lie about your past but I had no choice as I wasn’t going to declare my hand and go backwards. Before I went to prison, my wife and I loved going dancing (particularly rock and roll) but one of my parole restrictions was I couldn’t go onto licensed premises even though I didn’t have a problem with alcohol. I found the most consistent problem I faced was being with/around people, so after work, I would go straight home. I avoided making friends at all costs. At home it took me a long time to get used to turning the light off. I was forever doing things in the garden or in the house. I was fastidious about keeping everything clean. I was also constantly washing my hands.

As time went on, my son and his now wife had another child which I doted over- they and my wife were everything to me. I told my son, Adam, how sorry I was not to have been there as a father for him. I can honestly say never once did he blame me for anything; he was just happy I was finally home. I had just finished my parole licence after 5 yrs when I was at work one day at the hospital and my son unexpectedly turned up. He was in a terrible state. I asked him to calm down and tell me what was wrong. He told me that Dorothy had had a heart attack at work and they couldn’t revive her. My world just crashed-everything meant nothing in a blink. For my son’s sake, I was trying hard to keep my emotions together. I told him to go home while my wife was brought to the hospital where I worked. I asked my superior if I could go see her. Unfortunately, when I got to the morgue and saw her, it was total devastation. I got angry and kept asking her how could you do this to us. I begged her to wake up. I couldn’t let go of her. I can’t even remotely explain how I felt- the loneliness and emptiness physically hurt. My tears were uncontrollable and I was inconsolable. After about an hour, I left and went home. My son and his wife and grandchildren turned up. Very few words were spoken though we talked about the funeral. It was the most dreadful time. The next day, I resigned from my job and after the funeral, I told my son I needed to go away for awhile. I went on geographicals for nearly a year. I just could not come to terms with my wife dying. When I finally did get home (much to the relief of my son), he said to me “Dad you have to let go, this isn’t how mum would want you to be”. I didn’t get grief counselling, I just threw myself into my work and my grandchildren. I also bought a motor home and on my holidays I would go to the places she & I were going to go to together. Eventually, I paid the house off. As far as meeting another woman was concerned that was not going to happen anytime soon. Eventually, I put prison life completely behind me and became just another normal member of society. I’ve been out of prison 34 years now. And, a few years ago, I met a nice lady. We are close friends and keep it just as friends only because my one and only love was Dorothy and that’s how it will always be.

Is it true that the Chinese government is forcing Uighurs to work in other parts of China far from their homeland? What are your thoughts on this issue?

I am a Muslim from China, and my English is not very good, so I partially used translation software to complete this answer. My friend’s wife works in an elementary school. We often get together, eat, and chat. Once, she talked about having two special children in her class. One is a child from the UK (his parents work at a local foreign enterprise), and the other is a child from Xinjiang (her parents are from Xinjiang and run a restaurant in our city). The British child left our city when he reached the fourth grade to follow his parents to another branch of the British company in China, but that is not the focus of this text. I’ll talk about what I heard about the girl from Xinjiang.

The girl is Uyghur and came here in the first grade, barely speaking Mandarin. My friend’s wife (who manages the class and also teaches math) was worried this would affect the girl’s mood, so she arranged for two Han Chinese girls to be her “Mandarin teachers.” By the time my friend’s wife talked about her, she was already in the fourth grade, and her Mandarin level was indistinguishable from local children. This girl had clearly integrated into the group.

Since she initially couldn’t speak Mandarin, she encountered difficulties in her studies. My friend’s wife patiently tutored her. She said that the Uyghur girl made the fastest progress in math. This was not only because she was the math teacher but also because math is a way of thinking, not a language. So, the girl quickly earned an “A” in math. Because of her poor Mandarin, the Chinese language teacher did not impose high requirements on her grades, as long as she listened attentively and completed her assignments as best as she could, she could pass.

My friend’s wife told me that the girl’s family is devoutly Muslim and explained a lot to her. Sometimes, during Muslim festivals, the girl would bring traditional foods from home to give to her teachers.

This Uyghur girl looks very different from Han Chinese (from a Chinese perspective, she looks more like a European Caucasian). She is very beautiful. Therefore, some boys in the class liked her very much.

As her Mandarin improved and her relationships with her classmates grew stronger, this girl often invited classmates to her parents’ restaurant to do homework together after school. Sometimes, when it was evening and there were still children who hadn’t left the restaurant, the Uyghur girl’s parents would invite them to stay and have a free dinner at the restaurant until their parents picked them up.

The above is what I heard about the daily life of an ordinary Uyghur girl in an eastern province of China. It seems mundane, and as I write this answer, I also think it is an unremarkable story. However, I want to remind you that in recent years, many people from Xinjiang have come to big cities in China to seek fortune. Running restaurants is their most common business.

In 2019, a friend invited me to a Xinjiang restaurant in my city (he knew I am Muslim and have dietary restrictions). There, I saw many locals. Xinjiang restaurant owners often package their restaurants with a “Western Frontier” theme, adding a sense of mystery that attracts people to try the food. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get used to Xinjiang Muslim food.

Another business for Xinjiang people is selling jade. In China, jade is considered a precious gemstone, and the Hetian region of Xinjiang is a major source of this gem. Every time I go to the largest antique market in my city, I encounter some Xinjiang people selling these stones. I see them chatting, smoking, arguing with Han Chinese, and, when happy, singing Uyghur songs that others don’t understand.

I think that anyone forcibly displaced from their homeland would not be happy. They must be filled with hatred and complaints in their hearts. And the most direct target of their hatred would be the Han Chinese areas and people under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (many Han Chinese are even atheists or non-believers). And as the target of hatred, Han Chinese would certainly be full of vigilance and the same hatred towards them. Right?

But what do you feel in my mundane words above?

A Han Chinese elementary school teacher was afraid an Uyghur child would feel lonely and helped her find friends;
A Han Chinese language teacher gave special care to the Uyghur girl, encouraging her to learn Mandarin well;
The Uyghur girl gradually made Han Chinese friends on campus;
A group of Han Chinese boys liked the Uyghur girl;
A group of Han Chinese children freely came and went to the Uyghur family’s restaurant, and the Han Chinese children’s parents never worried about any “potential danger”;
The Uyghur restaurant owner often kept Han Chinese children and provided them with free dinners (although most of the time it was simple meals like noodles, dumplings, and naan);
Some Uyghurs have gained wealth here;
Many Han Chinese were attracted by the “Western Frontier” gimmick and went to Uyghur-owned restaurants to eat;

How can anyone infer from the above facts that “Uyghurs are forcibly displaced and persecuted”? Just as those who do bad things always leave traces, if there were persecution, there would certainly be resistance. Even if one person is persecuted, they would have parents, children, friends, and relatives who would all hate the persecutors.

If the Uyghur restaurant owner in the text was persecuted, why wouldn’t he tell his daughter about this hatred? Some might say, “The CCP is too scary; they don’t dare.” But at the very least, they would teach their daughter to stay away from Han Chinese, right? There’s no need to frequently invite Han Chinese children to eat, right? Hearing that some boys who persecute their religion like his daughter, could there be anything worse than this?

Don’t I Deserve to Live? Poor cat tearfully accepts cruelty from humans

Paint the roof silver

For almost ten years I lived in a mobile home. I bought it in Pennsylvania, and moved it to Indiana, a couple of times. Then to Kentucky, and then to Mississippi. We eventually sold it.

The thing about mobile homes… well, there are a lot of things about them. But my mobile home had to have a new roof painted on every other year or so. If you didn’t lay down a new coat of silver tar substance on the roof, it would start to leak. And, you know, no one wants that.

I would, at that time, buy a bucket of mobile home roof tar, and make a day out of it. We would get a brush and push on the coating on the entire roof. First going over the edges, then the seams.

Then finally the rest of the roof.

Now, this is something that most people who rent, or who live in regular homes, don’t ever need to worry about. But we did.

Now, while I am happy that those days are over, ever now and then a memory is triggered and I recall an event from those days. One… in this case of me painting the roof silver.

Now you know.

Today…

What happened when a workplace bully went to Human Resources only to be told that IF they investigated his complaint against you, they’d be required to also investigate the complaints that had been filed against him by multiple other employees?

The matter was considered resolved.

A young woman, fresh out of college, extremely bright with a photographic memory, was tasked to do charts. They were documentation of company profits and losses. Losses mostly.

A seasoned employee, who had little patience for the bright young woman, told her to make a chart. The bright young woman could see, because she has a photographic memory, and this was her job, to track losses, that the figures were horribly wrong.

She asked the seasoned employee to recalculate the data. The seasoned employee said, ”Why don’t you just do your job!” Again, she asked the woman to recalculate the data. The seasoned employee said, ”Are you a fucking moron or just hard of hearing because you are a fucking moron?” Another employee heard this conversation.

The bright young woman sent an e-mail to the seasoned employee saying, per our conversation you want me to use the data included in this email to calculate the chart? The seasoned employee responded to the email, ”Does it hurt your head to be so stupid?”

The bright young woman calculated the data, sent the chart to the seasoned employee’s boss and explained how the data was wrong, what the data should have said, and that there was friction getting corrected information.

Immediately the seasoned employee and the bright young woman were in management’s office to resolve the communication problem. Another witness.

The seasoned employee went to HR claiming the bright young woman was creating a hostile work environment.

The bright young woman sent the e-mails, and her version of the previous conversations, including those who were present at the time of the conversations.

Apparently the seasoned employee had numerous complaints however those complaints were he said, she said, they lacked documentation.

The bright young woman was absolved of the hostile workplace accusations. She took her skills to another employer. Problem solved.

Time-Slip Artifacts: Modern Objects in the Ancient World – Volume 1

This is fun. The Pyramid stuff with Baogong is interesting.

The Russia–Iran–China search for a new global security order

While the collective west is in the grips of an existential legitimacy crisis, the RIC is devising its own security order to protect the rest of the world from the ‘genocidals.’

Pepe Escobar

MAY 3, 2024

The Hegemon has no idea what awaits the Exceptionalist mindset: China has started to decisively stir the civilizational cauldron without bothering about an inevitable array of sanctions coming by early 2025 and/or a possible collapse of the international financial system.

Last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his list of delusional US demands was welcomed in Beijing by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and President Xi Jinping as little more than an annoying gnat. Wang, on the record, stressed that Tehran was justified in defending itself against Israel’s shredding of the Vienna Convention when it attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

At the UN Security Council, China now openly questions not only the state terror attack on the Nord Streams but also the US–Israel combo’s blocking of Palestinian statehood. Moreover, Beijing, just like Moscow recently, hosts Palestine’s political factions together in a conference aiming to unify their positions.

Next Tuesday, only two days before Moscow celebrates Victory Day, the end of the Great Patriotic War, Xi will land in Belgrade to remind the whole world about the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese embassy by the US, UK, and NATO.

Russia, meanwhile, provided a platform for the UNRWA – the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has sought to defund – to explain to high representatives of BRICS-10 the cataclysmic humanitarian situation in Gaza, as described by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

In short, serious political business is already being conducted outside of the corrupted UN system…

… as the United Nations disintegrates into a corporate shell with the US dictating all terms as the largest shareholder.

Yet another key example of BRICS as the new UN: Russian Security Council chairman Nikolai Patrushev met in St. Petersburg with his Chinese counterpart Chen Wenqing on the sidelines of the 12th International Security Summit, congregating over 100 nations, including the security heads of BRICS-10 members Iran, India, Brazil, and South Africa, as well as Iraq.

The SCO security show

But the key crossroads these past few days was the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

For the first time, the new Chinese Defense Minister, Dong Jun, met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, to emphasize their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Dong, significantly, stressed the “dynamic” nature of China–Russia military interaction, while Shoigu doubled down, saying it “sets a model for interstate relations” based on mutual respect and shared strategic interests.

Addressing the full SCO assembly, Shoigu emphatically refuted the massive western propaganda drive about a Russian “threat” to NATO.

Everybody was at the SCO defense ministers’ meeting – including, at the same table, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Belarus as an observer. Minsk is eager to join the SCO.

The interlocking Russia–Iran–China strategic partnerships were totally in sync. Apart from Dong meeting Shoigu, he also met Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, who lavishly praised Beijing’s condemnation of the Israeli terror air strike in Damascus.

What is happening now between Beijing and Tehran is a replay of what started last year between Moscow and Tehran, when a member of the Iranian delegation on a visit to Russia remarked that both parties had agreed on a mutual, high-level “anything you need” relationship.

In Astana, Dong’s support for Iran was unmistakable. Not only did he invite Ashtiani to a security conference in Beijing, mirroring the Iranian position, he also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Shoigu, meeting with Ashtiani, provided extra context when he recalled that “the joint fight against international terrorism in Syria is a vivid example of our long-standing friendly relations.” The Russian defense minister then delivered his clincher:

The current military-political situation and threats to our states oblige us … to common approaches to building a just world order based on equality for all participants in the international community.

A new global security order

Establishing a new global security order is right at the heart of BRICS-10 planning – on par with the de-dollarization debate. All of this is anathema to the collective west, which is incapable of understanding the multifaceted, intertwined Russia, Iran, and China partnerships.

And the interaction goes on in person. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting Beijing later this month.

On Gaza, the Russia–Iran–China position is in complete sync: Israel is committing genocide.

For the EU – and NATOstan as a whole – this is not genocide: the bloc supports Israel no matter what.

After Iran, on 13 April, changed the game in West Asia for good, without even using their finest hypersonic missiles, the key question for the Global Majority is stark: in the end, who will restrain the genocidals, and how? Diplomatic sources hint this will be discussed face-to-face by Putin and Xi.

As one Chinese scholar, with unique aplomb, remarks:

This time, the barbarians are facing a 5,000-year continuing written civilization, armed with Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Mao thought, Xi’s dual circulation strategy, Belt and Road, BRICS, renminbi digitalization, Russia and China unlimited, the world’s most powerful manufacturing industry, tech supremacy, economic powerhouse, and the backing of the Global South.

All that against a polarized Hegemon in turmoil, with its genocidal aircraft carrier in West Asia totally spinning out of control.

US threats of a “clear choice” between ending several key strands of the Russia–China strategic partnership or facing a sanctions tsunami don’t cut it in Beijing.

The same applies to Washington’s wishful attempts at preventing BRICS members from ditching the US dollar.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has made it quite clear that Moscow and Beijing have nearly reached the point of abandoning the US dollar in bilateral trade.

And the outright theft of Russian assets by the collective west is the ultimate red line for BRICS – and all other nations watching with horror – as a whole: this is definitely a “non-agreement capable” Empire, as Lavrov has been emphasizing since late 2021.

Yaroslav Lisovolik, founder of BRICS+ Analytics, dismisses the Hegemon’s threats against BRICS as the road map toward an alternative payment system is still in its infancy. As for Russia–China trade, the non-dollar high-speed train has already left the station.

Yet the key question remains: how will Russia–Iran–China (RIC), as BRICS leaders, SCO members, and simultaneously top three “existential threats” to the Hegemon, be able to start implementing a new global security architecture without staring down the genocidals.

Power Breakfast Bowls

Start the day strong with this savory whole grain breakfast bowl that includes sliced portabella mushrooms and a curry yogurt tahini topping. We’ve used barley, but feel free to swap it with your favorite grain such as quinoa or wild rice.

Prep: 30 min | Cook: 20 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Yogurt Topping

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped kale
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Breakfast Bowls

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 portabella mushroom caps, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 heads baby bok choy, sliced
1 cup pearled barley, cooked according to package directions
1 red bell pepper, julienned
4 large eggs, fried

Instructions

Yogurt Topping

Heat the olive oil in a medium-skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale and cook for 2 more minutes, until wilted. Let cool to room temperature.
Spoon the yogurt into a small food processor or cup of a single serving blender. Add the tahini, curry powder, and salt. Add the kale and garlic. Pulse in 10 second intervals until the kale is finely chopped and all ingredients are combined. Set aside.

Breakfast Bowls

Start by heating the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and toss to cook in the oil for 5 minutes, until they become tender. Toss with the salt. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and add the bok choy to the hot skillet. Cook over medium-heat for 1 minute, until it begins to wilt. Remove from heat.
Assemble the breakfast by adding an equal amount of barley to each of four bowls. Top with greens, sliced mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Add a large dollop of the topping and place an egg in each bowl. Serve right away.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: The Mushroom Council

Do you know of a case where an average student became among the best in the class because he started hanging out with those that are the best?

I was asked to tutor 15 PhD candidates (who were mostly university professors), who were expected to study in the U.S.A. for 2 years.

Their TOEFL scores were high, except for one administrative officer who scored 470 and one financial officer who scored 287. At that time, students were expected to have a score of 500 to get into a bachelor’s program.

They were already enrolled in the PhD program at a reputable university, and advisors had interviewed them here in Thailand.

I assumed that these two were allowed in as a special favor, but I had no real knowledge of the hows and whys.

The admin officer, who did little to improve, left our course and the PhD program with less than a month before departure.

The financial officer (call her ‘Dee’), however, attended every class, but her participation was stunted by the far more competent participants, no matter what I did to encourage her.

She was (quietly) considered an outsider, a non-academic and a non-proficient speaker of English by others in the class.

When they left for the U.S., I kept in touch with a few participants and always asked about Dee.

I needn’t have worried.

Dee completed her PhD earlier than was expected, much to the surprise of the others.

How did she do that?

Dee immersed herself in university and U.S. life, focusing on her tasks and seeking out advisors and other PhD candidates with similar interests. She was invited to instructors’ and candidates’ homes, and was quickly ‘adopted’ by their families.

A ceremony was held at the Thai university at the end of the program. She was greatly praised by the rector and others, while some of the professor candidates who did not complete the program stood silently by.

Today’s Comics

As a doctor or nurse, what were the creepiest last words you’ve heard from a patient right before the patient died?

Patients’ last words can be a window into their subconscious mind, revealing their deepest fears, desires, or regrets.

It’s not uncommon for healthcare professionals to encounter unsettling or cryptic last words, which can leave a lasting impact on those who care for the dying.

One doctor recounted a patient who, with their final breath, whispered “the children aren’t safe.”

The patient had no children, and the doctor was left wondering what dark secret the patient was trying to convey.

Another nurse remembered a patient who, as they took their last breath, whispered “I’m sorry” repeatedly, as if trying to atone for some unknown sin.

In some cases, patients may use their last words to convey a message or warning to their loved ones.

For instance, a patient who was a former smoker might warn their family members to quit smoking, while another might express regret over past decisions.

Some patients may use their final moments to settle old scores, confess secrets, or seek forgiveness.

The human brain is wired to respond to threats or perceived danger, even in the face of impending death.

This can lead to a flood of adrenaline, causing some patients to become agitated, aggressive, or even violent in their final moments.

In rare cases, patients may experience a “deathbed vision,” where they see or sense the presence of deceased loved ones or a higher power, offering them comfort and reassurance.

Ultimately, the dying process can be as mysterious as it is unsettling, leaving healthcare professionals to ponder the mysteries of the human psyche.

What’s the most ingenious car repair you’ve ever seen done?

I was at a bar, and this girl and her boyfriend got into a fight. She had a ’73 camaro, and he opened the hood and pulled off her coil wire. Then took off in his car leaving her stranded. I went into the bar, got a coat hanger, bent the ends so they would fit tight into the distributor cap and coil. she hit the key and it fired right up. I even impressed myself.

Another time, I was at the GW FASHION MALL, (Goodwill), and there was a guy with his hood open. says it won’t start. So I sprayed some starting fluid into the intake and it popped right off, but wouldn’t keep running. I had heard that if the fuel pump is going out, to give it a few hard smacks under the fuel tank, and that can knock it loose. I did it and it worked. That is just a temporary fix..

Another time, my son and I were on the highway, and my serpentine belt broke, and it knocked off the power steering belt also. I sat there trying to figure out what to do. My son said, *try putting the power steering belt on the crank pulley and the water pump/fan*. I thought that won’t work, but gave it a shot anyway. It was too tight. He said, turn it inside out and try it. It worked, a little loose, and slipped, but it made it home. Driving 20 miles like that keeping an eye on the temp gauge. We didn’t have an alternator or power steering, but got it home.

What made you think, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” when someone sat next to you on an airplane?

I was comfortably settled in my window seat, book in hand, anticipating the rest and relaxation my well-deserved vacation would bring. As my seat mate approached, I was struck by the six-inch rhinestone cross that hung from her neck. She began piling books atop the tray table, one of which was entitled, How to Convert Atheists.

Within a matter of minutes, the dreaded question was propounded. “Have you heard the good news?” I enthusiastically answered, “I have! The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all fifty states. The Catholic Church is losing members faster than you can say pedophile priests and televangelists are being exposed for their fraudulent practices and extramarital affairs.” Before she could respond, I pointed to her book, looked her directly in the eye, and stated unambiguously, “Don’t even think about it.”

I returned to my book and suddenly heard, “I will pray for you.” To which I responded, “Knock yourself out, dear, just do it silently.”

What is that one secret that your parents have never told you, then all of sudden you get to know it?

I grew up in a polygamous family as it was and still a common practice in the African Traditional Society. We were and still 17 children. My father paid our school fees for all of us but only 50% of us completed our school while others dropped out.

Currently as I write this piece we are still 17 but we far apart from each other and father currently stays with my mother, the other 2 women (my step mothers), one passed on in 1991(RIP), while the other is married to some man.

Here is where the secret comes in, my Dad and Mum have been fighting each other for the past 28 years that they have been married, but they have never told us the cause of their fights, and for the past 28 years my mum and dad didn’t share the same room, but no one seems to tell us even when we had family meetings.

Last year around May 2019 the fight intensified to a point I thought they were going to divorce, we sat them down as family and we wanted to hear from them.

My Dad became very hostile when we started the meeting as he has always been, very defensive in his actions as our mother told us that Dad had been having extra marital affairs out to which my Dad completely objected.

Then boooooooooooom….. the shocking news comes out, the secret that mum and dad never wanted to tell us. Our first born knew everything but he kept this from us.

He decides to break the news that shook all of us the family members, that our step mother that died in 1991 was sick with HIV/AIDs Virus and when my mum realized that they went together to a medical facility and tested she was negative and dad was positive, and that Dad has been HIV positive for the past 28 years and has been on medication that he kept from us for all these years.

Our mother decided to stay in the relationship to take care of him and us but my dad has failed to see that and continued tormenting her by having affairs outside the marriage. I felt completely battered, shattered because I looked up to my mum and dad has role models when it came to honesty. They always told us to be honest yet they never told us what was hapening in their lives.This was my experience.

USA ADDS SANCTIONS to HUAWEI for INTEL and QUALCOMM – china must submit to old white man..

What is the most shameless thing you have ever seen a teacher do?

I was in 5th grade. My teacher was regularly given troublesome students over the years. I was in her class because my brother (one of the aforementioned troublesome students) had had her four years prior. Unfortunately, all those years of kids that made things difficult took its toll.

Early in the school year, because of constant arguments, our teacher started doing something she called IALAC (I am lovable and cuddlable). This meant every day before we went to the classroom, we formed a circle outside and had to say one nice thing about the person to our right. We also had an in class project every day. On this particular day, we were painting. I decided I didn’t want to use a brush and was finger painting. We had a sink in the classroom and I had always been well behaved and quiet. Other students saw what I was doing and complained. The teacher didn’t mind what I was doing but I washed my hands without being told and switched to a brush because I didn’t like conflict.

My classmates decided that if I was allowed to finger paint, they could do. Except they started painting each other, not the provided paper.

Our teacher completely snapped. She started screaming at us, singling out particular students and telling them just how awful they were. A bunch of 10/11 year olds being shrieked at. I wasn’t singled out but because my finger painting was the catalyst, I felt absolutely awful. I’d never been yelled at in my life!

After tearing us all down with her verbal abuse, the teacher stormed out of the classroom, leaving us alone, frightened, and our self esteem crippled. The teacher in the next classroom saw ours leave and came over to find us all sobbing. Administrators were summoned. Many of us ended up in the front office under the school nurse’s supervision. Two students attempted to leave school grounds. Parents were called.

Our teacher didn’t come back. We had a sub for the remainder of the year. I heard the teacher retired the following year but I was moved to a different school district after the winter break.

What is the most heartbreaking thing your child has told you?

I was pressing my teen daughter, who had asked to earn some money, to clean out our car. She was 16 and she had done it before and I would give her $100 for a good job (back in the 2000’s that was good money for a teenager for 3 hours work). One day she was stressed when she got home from school and was very serious and I reminded her that she promised to clean the car the week before and it never got done. I was gentle because I knew it was mid terms time. I said “If you get it done by this weekend I’ll add $50.” But she looked at me and just broke down sobbing. She was having a particularly rough day, it was…that time…and she was behind in studying for tests and she was trying to tell me this.

My daughter finally looked up at me and said “Dad! You’re not LISTENING”. I felt about 3 inches tall. I was thinking about other things that I needed to get done and this was just another ‘thing’ to check off and I hadn’t heard a word she was saying until that moment. As a pretty tough Army guy and all around guy of ‘manly pursuits’…I teased up and just hugged her and apologized. And I asked her and her mother to help me learn how to listen…to explain what to watch for with them. Since a serious head injury I don’t always get facial cues or ‘hear’ stress in people’s voices…I’m a bit oblivious. But anyone can learn and they helped me and have been ever since!

What feature in your car did you not realize you had until someone else told you about it?

Q: What feature in your car did you not realize you had until someone else told you about it?

I have always had bare bones automobiles. Even the one I ordered from the book didn’t have all the bells and whistles on it. My last car, before my present one, was a Chevy Venture more than two decades old that I paid a whopping $2400 for. I loved that car, but as fate would have it, it could not withstand hitting a pick-up truck directly in the rear axle when the assh0le driving it decided to pull out in front of me. A lot changed in the four years since I bought the van and it is now impossible to find such a bargain as that. Most used cars start at $10,000 and go up fast. I did find one dealership that had cars closer to my price range, and I got a generous settlement on my poor van from the insurance company. The best deal I found was on a 2007 Lincoln MKX. In my wildest dreams I never thought I’d ever own a car this nice! It had bells and whistles that Henry Ford himself could not have imagined! I thought I knew them all. Then one day I was out with my caregiver and she said something about my seats being heated! I’m from Wisconsin. If I’d had heated seats when I lived there, I would have been in heaven! However MY seat did not heat up, only hers did. It seems the car has a few bugs that need to be fixed. Where I live now, I don’t need a heated seat, but it’s nice to know that with a little tweaking, if I need one, I have it!

USA is crazy

If I walked up to you and called you Japanese and you’re Chinese would you get offended?

This reminds me of a bad joke that illustrates the question.

A Vietnamese man and a Jewish man are waiting in the Doctor’s office for an appointment and as the time goes on they become more and more irritated until finally the Jewish man says, “I hate you Vietnamese people!”.

Shocked, the Vietnamese man says, “What in the world would compel you to say something like that? Why do you hate Vietnamese people?”

To which the Jewish man replies, “Because you bombed Pearl Harbor!”

The Vietnamese man goes, “You idiot! That wasn’t the Vietnamese, that was the Japanese!”

To which the Jewish man shrugs and says, “Vietnamese, Japanese, what’s the difference?”

Stunned, the Vietnamese man says, “Yeah, well I hate all you Jewish people!”

To which the Jewish man replies in great indignation, “That’s anti-Semitic! Why would you hate all Jewish people?”

And the Vietnamese man says, “Because you sank the Titanic!”

“You idiot,” bawls the Jewish man, “That was an iceberg!”

To which the Vietnamese man replies,

“Iceberg, Goldberg, what’s the difference?”

What’s the best excuse you’ve heard for calling in sick at work?

It was over 35 years ago in sunny Southern California, right before work and school, when that infamous phone call was made. “I am sorry, but neither my son nor myself can make it to school today, as we just had a Tractor Trailer drive through our kitchen.

So yea, over 3 & a half decades ago, I was attending a private school where my belated biological mother was one of the teachers there. We lived mid-way down a massive inclined hill in Southern California in the Sand Fernado Valley. It was early in the morning with she & I rushing to get dressed and jump in the car to go to school.

As I was putting on my shoes I heard the loudest crashing sound, and the house shook. Thinking that it was an Earthquake, I ran to the center of our home underneath a door frame to take shelter. As I got to reach that area I saw dust coming from the kitchen, with debris all over the place. Since the house stopped shaking, I approached the kitchen, and to my disbelief, there was a Truck aka Big Rig, parked partially in our Kitchen.

I ran outside and saw one of our trees knocked down, branches of another tree that had fallen, and a Huge Tractor Trailor Truck sticking it’s nose where it did not belong, our kitchen. A man was getting out of the truck, his knee badly hurt, and bleeding, with him asking with desperation “Is everyone inside OK?”

He was parked further up the hill, with his wheels properly angled towards the curb (I am the grandson of a professional Truck driver, 3rd generation & eventually worked for gramps too), but his Emergency brakes broke, and with the massive weight and steep angle of this hill, his Truck went over the curb then back off heading straight for our home. It is confirmed by other neighbors, that he ran down the hill and managed to jump and grabbed the horizonal bars used to aid truckers to get into their cab, but in the process, slamming & cutting his knee against his truck, and just barely managed to open his Cab door and apply the brakes as his truck was crashing into our home.

You would think that this would be a lot more believable than my dog ate my homework or my parents’ car won’t start, but both my belated mother & I had to bring to that private school both the insurance report and police accident report.

Ok, dare you guys to top that one…

MM is hungry…

What is an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer and how did you handle the situation?

We’d agreed to buy and deliver about $10,000 worth of gravel the local baseball association needed to stop one of their fields from flooding. — The terms were that they would pay us back once the season started back up again.

By then, their treasurer didn’t remember that we’d done it, despite my invoicing them. At cost.

She said that she would check with the man who’d received the rock; their contractor; and, the President of the organization.

—

I never got a call back. — I tried this method three or four times, documenting each time, and then I tried a different approach.

We were developers in the area in addition to being a general construction corporation and owning a subsidiary ready-mix concrete plant. — The developer aspect meant that I knew a thing or two about lease agreements.

My guess was that they had a lease with the city for that property (land). Since our property (tangible personal/inventory/rocks) was now unpaid for but now an immovable/irretrievable aspect of the city’s property, I could place a mechanic’s lien against that property.

Lessees who encumber the landlords’ properties generally are subject to having their leases canceled. — Just standard stuff. Didn’t need an attorney to tell me this.

—

So, I sent them a demand letter threatening to notify the mayor.

I soon received a phone call from the association’s President informing me that they did not lease from the city! — “That was county land!”

—

Oh. — So, the county judge needed to be notified. My mistake.

A week or so later, I was at our main office, in my office, when in filed the entire Board of Directors of that baseball association. They asked my assistant, who appeared then, to be the receptionist, to speak to me. — Well, I saw them walk in, and I’d already gotten up.

The President of our corporation wasn’t there, so I ushered them into his big office with the big desk. The big desk that was built inside the office; it wouldn’t fit back out unless you knocked down a wall.

I got them some chairs and arranged them in front of the President’s desk. They sat down, and then I sat in the big chair behind the big desk and said, “Good afternoon. I am the Chief Financial Officer of this corporation and the manager of the concrete plant. How may I help you all?”

A white-haired lady at least twice my age asserted a couple of things, asked a question, and then made two statements:

WHL: You all said that you were donating this rock to us.

J: I purchased the rock and had it delivered to your location. That was never our agreement. — I invoiced you myself. — I would know.

WHL: If we pay this amount, do you intend to still go after our contractor?

J: Your contractor has a very bad reputation. I wouldn’t go after him as he has no money. Plus, you may have had an agreement with him; this corporation had an agreement with your association. — If you pay the invoices in full, I will have no reason to go after anyone ever again. Not with you all, that is; or, him.

The moment I write, “PAID IN FULL” on your invoices and initial them, you will be paid up. I will have nothing to collect. I guarantee — I wouldn’t try to collect a $0 debt. To do so makes no sense.

WHL: Fine. — She turned to the treasurer and said, “Give him the checks.”

—

Then, she turned back to me.

WHL: I want you to know: We will never do business with this company again.

J: Ma’am, with all due respect, and I mean that: If this is the way you pay your debts, we will not miss the business.

—

I verified they’d written out the checks correctly; wrote that information on their invoices; PIF; initialed. — Done.

I handed them to her and said, “Unless these bounce, neither the mayor nor the county judge need to know what has gone on here this year; and, if they find out, it won’t be from our corporation.”

Boy. They were not happy. — Probably because the checks cleared.

Some LeonardiAI text to images

Default Please create the sneakers of the future 0 7842d24c 4520 448a 94be a1a578bf8eaf 0

Default epic full detailed oil painting picture of a bacteria 0 34f6e6b5 aaec 45f7 ada1 e9cde1ea17f2 0

alchemyrefiner alchemymagic 3 48a572a1 a688 48aa a053 42ecce6ceea2 0

Default Fisherman weaving net into the concept of the buildin 1

Default Blac 3 a6f179f3 260c 40af 9e95 a99578875214 0

When have you warned of an impending problem, been ignored, and then simply waited and watched it happen?

“Don’t sit there.”

When I was in college my honor society sponsored a spring break trip to South America. We started in Brazil and ended in Argentina. Overall, great trip. But college students being college students, there were a lot of dumb assholes along for the ride.

In the middle of the trip we went on a boat tour to a little resort. The boat was a big motorized passenger boat of some kind, made up to look like a sail boat. I could immediately tell the mast and the rigging and everything was just set dressing. I got the impression safety was only a mild concern to the boat operators so I made myself comfortable but didn’t sit on or lean against anything that didn’t look like it was an original part of the boat.

Other members of our tour group were not as observant. This was not too long after the second Pirates of the Caribbean film was released so there were a couple of guys who were amusing themselves playing Jack Sparrow (what can I say, they were very stereotypical city boys; I think this was the longest time they’d been outside since they were in grade school).

They were having fun hopping around the deck and hanging from the ropes and stuff, and when one of them perched himself on a flimsy looking railing I warned him “Don’t sit there.” Of course he didn’t listen to me because he was a dumb jock who had already decided he didn’t like me for some reason.

Sure enough, when he shifted his weight the wrong way the railing broke and into the river he went. (Lucky for him we weren’t moving at the time.)

When they fished him back out he was very embarrassed and I was positively full of smug.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

A Weeknight Meal Solution

(Family Features) During the hustle and bustle of the school year, it can be difficult to find time to sit down for dinner together as a family. However, on weeknights filled with extracurricular activities, homework, meetings and more, it’s still important to put delicious and nutritious meals on the table that can be served whenever your family members can find a few minutes to grab a plate.

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 4 to 8 hr | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 (16 ounces) chunky salsa
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups instant brown rice
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
Chopped avocado, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Chopped red onion, for garnish
Chopped tomatoes, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish
Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for garnish
Shredded colby jack cheese, for garnish

Instructions

In slow cooker, stir together salsa, chicken, broth and chili powder. Cook for 3 1/2 hours on HIGH or for 7 1/2 hours on LOW.
Transfer chicken to cutting board and coarsely shred; return to slow cooker. Stir in beans, rice and corn. Cook for 30 minutes on HIGH, or until rice is cooked through.
Serve garnished with avocado, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, limes, sour cream and cheese.

Notes

Dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese are on hand in many kitchens and provide nutrients people of all ages need to grow and maintain strong bodies and minds. These Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls combine dairy with chicken, beans, corn and rice + colorful garnishes for a meal you can set in the slow cooker at the beginning of the day and serve whenever hunger strikes that evening.

Has a cop ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

I lost a jury trial once that involved my client and another allegedly shooting a man at night in an apartment complex parking lot. A DVR with a video of the shooting was retrieved by the police as evidence. The DVR was returned to the manager wiped clean.

At trial, the victim identified both defendants as the culprits. He explained that both came within 10 feet of him while he was getting something from his car and he saw them clearly when the shots were fired. He knew them from previous run-ins and described their clothing and the gun in detail. The lead detective said nothing of value was found on the DVR. The Defendants offered weak alibi witnesses, i.e. a girlfriend and a mother.

The jury convicted both men and each received sentences of 20+ years. My guy was a habitual offender and was going to serve his sentence day for day.

After approximately a month into their sentence, I was doing a jail visit on another case. Another Detective, not on the case in question, came to where I was and asked to speak with me.

To my complete and utter surprise, he stated he couldn’t sit by and let the two Defendants do time for something they didn’t do. He sent a video to my phone showing the parking lot and the shooting. He had videotaped it on his phone when the DVR was at the police station. It clearly showed only one suspect with different clothing and a larger size discharging a firearm while the victim was reaching for something in his car with his back turned. He told me he didn’t want to be identified as the source and didn’t want anyone to get in trouble. I was so grateful for his action, I agreed to his terms and immediately called the other attorney, whereupon we gave the video to the Prosecutor and the Judge. I’ve never seen two men released as quickly from prison. I understand the City may have settled a civil suit in the matter a few months later but I was never called as a witness nor asked to reveal my source. To this day, I have nothing but respect for the officer who came forward.

Scary but true

Shorpy fun

What was the strangest thing you found cleaning out your parents’ house after they died?

My dad died in 1992, he was 58. I was crushed. While looking around the the finished basement in the house, opening random doors and cupboards, I found dad’s diaries. Nine years of them. He wrote something everyday. Even if it was “Nothing happened today.” His last entry was the day he died.

Finding these was so wildly out of the norm from every thing I knew about my dad I would have been less shocked to find a Playboy magazine under the Pope’s mattress.

A man can, and sometimes will, lie to anyone and everyone. But you don’t lie to your diary.

I learned all the dirty little secrets of my mother, brother and sister. I also learned dad’s true feelings about me.

He was proud of me. He knew at times I struggled. I was broke for a while. Eating in soup kitchens. I never asked for a penny. My brother and sister had their hand out every time they stubbed a toe. My mother…a messed up basket case.

It was a very revealing time. I miss dad. I don’t miss the rest of them. Only my sister is still around. We’re cordial but I haven’t seen her in a very long time. Of course, I live on the other side of the planet.

My dad was a good man who put up with a lifetime of shit exactly because of it.

What is the basis of China in their sovereignty claims on the West Philippine Sea?

China has no claims in the West Philippine Sea:

The western edge of the Philippine Sea is the archipelago of the Philippines.

China does have, on the other hand, legitimate claims on the South China Sea that date back all the way to 1946, and were created by the Republic of China (the internationally recognized government of all of China at the time), along with the assistance of the US navy.

Oh, and while we’re at it, I think that I should remind you that at the time that the US was assisting the ROC in officially laying claims, the Philippines was still under US control. They explicitly told the Philippines that, according to the Treaty of Paris (1898), the islands of the South China Sea were not a part of the Philippines.

Are we seeing the end of US hegemony in the world?

Indeed, we are.

First of all, the USA is a global hegemon because it controls most other countries through the US Dollar’s dominance as the global reserve currency. The US Dollar has been weaponized to punish countries that refuse to obey US foreign policy with economic sanctions.

The USA is also a global hegemon because of its military power projection with over 850 military bases worldwide and 11 aircraft carrier battle groups. The USA has been exercising its military power through dozens of conflicts, most notably in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

However, things are changing. The Global South is rising and pushing back on America’s nonsense. BRICS is helping the world to de-dollarize. This will weaken the US Dollar’s influence.

The USA also faces a crushing $35 trillion nation debt, which is growing by $1 trillion every 100 days. This is completely unsustainable and a massive financial collapse is imminent.

BREAKING: I’ve Received TOP SECRET INTEL, NUCLEAR PLAN HAS CHANGED, EQUIPMENT MOVES TO BORDER

I am closing this post with this…

What is the best excuse you have given to the police for speeding?

Once upon a time I drove from San Diego to Vegas a couple times a week for business. I hit snow over the first pass out of Vegas trying to get home before 12:00 noon. My car made it very easy to exceed the speed limit without realizing it. I got pulled over by a very angry officer who berated me for my carelessness. He repeatedly told me he didn’t want to hear ANY excuses! After about 3 minutes of his angry lecture during which I sat quietly awaiting my well deserved ticket he stopped and asked me why I wanted to die. I calmly answered, ‘sir, you just told me you didn’t want to hear any excuses, I’ll take my ticket now…I need to get to the next rest stop to use the bathroom.’ I got a police escort to the next rest stop. Once inside, I made sure to take enough time applying my makeup. I figured I escaped a ticket the least I could do was spend enough time in the bathroom to look nice if he was still waiting when I got out. One of the few times that being a woman worked to my advantage.

Russia Paints New Military Insignia on Invading Force – Same Symbol Used in Past Wars against . . . Khazaria

Hal Turner World May 12, 2024

Russia has launched a new offensive into northeastern Ukraine, aimed at Kharkiv and Sumy regions. But the HUGE news about this isn’t the invasion itself, it’s the SYMBOL Russia is painting on this new force: ‘Rune of Gungnir’ — the spear of Odin.

Below some imagery of the symbol and its appearance on Russian military vehicles:

Historically, the Varangian bogatyrs of Svyatoslav (Ancient Russia) marked their weapons & armor with such runes when they went to war against the Khazarian Khaganate.

There is now no longer any doubt, that Russia knows exactly who their enemy is.

For those unaware, a map of ancient Khazaria appears below:

No other media outlet in the entire world, has made this connection. You got it here. First. Exclusively.

What is the most evil thing you have ever witnessed? It could be an event or a person.

I’m not going to talk about what I’ve seen on Dark Web. The things I saw on there I’m not going think about anymore.

But once I was in Walmart and saw a couple with a little boy of about six or seven. The boy was pushing the shopping cart looking happy and smiling, the couple looking not very cheerful. He accidently bumped the man in the back with the cart. He didn’t do it hard, just a bump. The man whirled around and shoved the cart so that the kid got hit full in the face. The look of shock and then the terrible hurt on this child’s face made me sick inside. He began to weep in the most pitiful way, in a way that my intuition told this was one of many times this man has been cruel to him.

So I’m standing there with my jaw dropped in disbelief and the kids mother met eyes with me and I shook my head in disgust. She was ashamed and dropped her gaze but all she did was pat the child’s back weakly while that asshole man looked pleased with himself. I saw everything I needed to see, what the dynamic was in this household, and my heart broke for this poor kid.

I considered saying something but the man met eyes with me too and his look was of sheer malevolence. He told me mind my damn business. He had this aura of crazy so I hate to admit I backed down. He looked like someone who would enjoy any opportunity to use it on someone.

Project 8200 Exposed | CIA Psychics Find Alien Bases Underground

I keep coming back and rewatching this episode and this is probably the best episode of the Why files ever!

The Lamborghini key

I once knew a fellow expat; I will refer to him as “the stupid guy” TSG for short.Now TSG was quite the charmer and had all the girls (here in China) eating out of his hand. He did not have a college degree, and so got a job in China as a teacher fraudulently.

He paid money, and befriended the right people, and was working as an ESL (English as a second language) teacher.

He charmed everyone. Including myself, and he wanted to become my business partner… especially when he saw my wife.Now, he was many bad things, but one thing that he was able to do was to be able to speak Chinese very well.

And he used it to his advantage.Now, my Chinese was poor, but not as poor as he thought. And when he and I were alone drinking coffee when gave me this long, diatribe in Chinese.

Telling me about his journey and how he got there to where he was facing me. It began in English, but when he got to the spicy parts, it was all in Chinese.Now, even though I had a difficult time following him, I could make out some of what he said and the gist was this…

I am going to take your wife and fuck her eyes out.

I am going to take all your money.

I am going to take your job.

I am going to take everything you have.

And you won't be able to do anything about it.

He said this to my face… in Chinese.

Thinking that I didn’t understand anything.

And I ignored it all, which was a big mistake.

Yeah. I deserve some real hard slaps.

But then noticed him implementing exactly what he said. He tried to seduce my wife. he put poison in her ears against me. Changed her ideas and opinions. Manipulated her. Started buying her things like cell phones and what not.

He store my hours, my clients, my students from me. He was trying to convince my wife to give him money… it was everything that he said he would do.

Why did I put up with it?

Well… it wasn’t for long. Maybe one month to two months total, and then we put the kibosh on it.

Both my wife and I endured real PAIN to get where we were, and were not going to permit some shyster to steal it all away from us.

TSG thought he had it all worked out.

He used every trick in the book to alienate me from my wife; from my work, and from my money. I call him the “stupid guy”, but really I was the one who was stupid.

You see, this was a new thing; a new experience for me. I was unprepared for it. It took me some time to figure out what was going on.

Oh yeah. For certain. We ended it all.

He fled China. Went off to some other Asian nation and then returned back to California. But…

This is the story of one of the tricks that he used to seduce.

He had a Lamborghini key.

And a Lamborghini insurance paper and registration. And every-time he was talking with someone about him only being a “teacher“, he would pull those out and claim that he owned multiple businesses in the USA, and had a couple of Lamborghini automobiles and a fine house in Beverly Hills.

It wasn’t true.

On one drunken night, he told me the truth.

He faked the documents, and bought the old key from eBay.

Yeah. TSG was quite the player.

Now, he did manage to get into the pants of a great number of girls at work. In fact, he did that and used them to transfer my students; my customer to him. During my prime hours, so he had instant customers; instant income, and I got the dregs. And even when my students complained the workers (with whom he slept with) all took his side.

That was then. I had just gotten out of prison, was wobbly on my feet, and my marriage was young and enduring changes.

This is now.

I am strong and ESTABLISHED and now formidable within my regime.

So don’t worry about me. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps. Never the less, we have to experience some trying times to get to be strong. You cannot lift weights to get healthy without feeling pain.

The Stupid Guy

What a tool. Fuck.

Today…

The Power of Healthy Boundaries: Why Saying “No” is Essential for Personal Growth

May 2, 2024

Listen up, because it’s time to drop some truth bombs that might just change your life. If you’re the type of person who struggles with setting boundaries, who says “yes” to every request and invitation, even when you really want to say “no,” then this article is for you.

Here’s the thing: boundaries are not just some touchy-feely self-help concept. They’re a crucial life skill that can make or break your relationships, your career, and your overall well-being. When you fail to set healthy boundaries, you’re essentially giving everyone else permission to walk all over you, to take advantage of your kindness, and to drain your energy and resources.

But when you learn to set clear, firm boundaries, something magical happens. You start to feel more in control of your life. You begin to prioritize your own needs and desires. You attract people and opportunities that align with your values and goals. In short, you become a happier, healthier, more fulfilled version of yourself.

Now, you might be thinking: “But won’t people hate me if I start saying no all the time?” And the answer is: who cares? Seriously, if someone gets upset with you for having boundaries and taking care of yourself, then they’re probably not someone you want in your life anyway.

The truth is, setting boundaries is not about being selfish or uncaring. It’s about recognizing your own inherent worth and respecting yourself enough to stand up for your needs. It’s about being honest and authentic in your relationships, rather than constantly sacrificing your own well-being for the sake of others.

So how do you start setting healthy boundaries? It’s simple, but not always easy. First, get clear on what your non-negotiables are. What are the things that you absolutely will not tolerate in your life, no matter what? This could be anything from physical or emotional abuse to chronic lateness or flakiness from friends.

Next, practice communicating your boundaries clearly and directly. This means saying “no” when you need to, without apologies or excuses. It means being honest about your feelings and expectations, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

For example, let’s say you have a friend who consistently cancels plans at the last minute, leaving you hanging. You might set a boundary by saying something like, “Hey, I value our friendship, but when you cancel on me at the last minute, it really throws off my day and makes me feel unimportant. Going forward, if you need to cancel, please let me know at least 24 hours in advance.”

If your friend continues to violate this boundary, you might need to enforce it by saying something like, “I’m sorry, but I can’t keep making plans with you if you’re going to cancel at the last minute. It’s not working for me.” This might mean taking a step back from the friendship or finding other people to make plans with who respect your time and commitments.

Remember, setting boundaries is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing practice that requires consistency, courage, and self-awareness. But the payoff is so worth it. When you learn to set healthy boundaries, you create space for more joy, more fulfillment, and more authentic connections in your life.

So go ahead, start saying “no” to the things that don’t serve you, and watch as your world begins to change for the better. Trust that your future self will thank you.

Strange

Cheese Tortellini Soup with Shrimp

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 15 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups (32 fluid ounces) reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) container Buitoni Refrigerated Marinara Sauce
1 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (9 ounce) package Buitoni Refrigerated Three Cheese Tortellini
1/2 pound (51/60 count) small cooked shrimp
1 cup loose-pack frozen petite peas, thawed

Instructions

Combine broth, sauce, wine and pepper in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Add shrimp and peas; cook for an additional 1 minute.
Serve immediately.

What office rule made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

Happened to a friend who worked the IT Help desk in a very large corp. They had 2 phones on their desks, the Help line and a regular employee desk phone. Then it seems external calls coming into their desk phones – weren’t. Manager said he had had incoming calls blocked because HE thought that the Help queues were long because the Help guys were on personal calls instead.
So I said to my friend, “You have 4 kids who are latch-key kids (come home to empty house as Mom works too). And your co-workers also have children at home. Suppose each kid is supposed to call their parent to say they have gotten home from school, but now the calls are not getting through. What instruction would you all have given your children if they cannot reach you at work? Call the corp. security line!”
Friend: “What good would that do …. ?”
Me: “Imagine what happens when a 7-year-old calls Security in tears saying ‘I can’t reach my Daddy’…”
3 days later their desk phones were receiving external calls again.

Up-Close Look at Captured Abrams and Leopard in Moscow

Prime Minister Of Georgia Exposes U.S. Regime Change Attempt

In the April 18 I had mentioned a recent color revolution attempt in Georgia:

U.S./EU Lobby Against Georgian Law That Would Reveal Their Secret Influence

Those organization who currently receive money from the various U.S. or EU government or non-government organizations are of course not amused that they will have to reveal their association with such sources. They want to lobby for foreign positions without being identified as foreign influencers.They have therefore launched protests against their country’s government and parliament which has passed the law in the first reading. Two further readings will be required to finalize the law.

The protesters against the law claim that it is a “Russian law” against “foreign agents”.
…
However neither is the law “Russian style” – it is a copy of FARA – nor does the law include the loaded word “agent”. It does not accuse anyone of being such but seeks public transparency over foreign financial influences which would of course also include Russian ones.

Despite violent protests by the usual suspects the relevant bill has passed its second reading in the Georgian parliament. A third and final reading is expected in the mid of May.

The ‘NGO’ complex of U.S./EU regime change organizations in Georgia is enormous:

Lord Bebo @MyLordBebo – 8:20 UTC · May 3, 2024🇬🇪 “Georgia has one of the highest amount of NGOs per capita!
– 20,000 NGOs are active in Georgia!
– 1 NGO per 148 citizens!
– 90% get their funding from foreign countries!”
-> He is not pro Russia, he is pro Georgia and the protesters are pro money!
-> BBC interview with Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair, Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia (vid)

The current government of Georgia has a solid majority and obviously knows what is happening in its country.

It has rejected a recent – conditional – invitation to the U.S.:

The Government of Georgia has declined an invitation from the US to discuss strategic partnership and assistance, reports Ekho Kavkazu.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia confirmed receiving the invitation from the Prime Minister. However, before the visit, parliament was supposed to temporarily suspend consideration of the bill On Transparency of Foreign Influence.

Well, the parliament did not do so.

Now witness this very public slap-in-the face which Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is handing out to Derek H. Chollet, the Counselor of the U.S. State Department:

Irakli Kobakhidze @PM_Kobakhidze – 8:13 UTC · May 3, 2024Spoke to @CounselorDOS and expressed my sincere disappointment with the two revolution attempts of 2020-2023 supported by the former US Ambassador and those carried out through NGOs financed from external sources. Had these attempts been successful, the second front line would have been opened in Georgia.

Besides, I explained to Mr. Chollet that false statements made by the officials of the US State Department about the transparency bill and street rallies remind us of similar false statements made by the former US Ambassador in 2020-2023, which served to the facilitation of violence from foreign funded actors and to the support of revolutionary processes back then.

Also, I clarified to Mr. Chollet that it requires a special effort to restart the relations against this background, which is impossible without a fair and honest approach.

I have not expressed my concerns with Mr. Chollet about a brutal crackdown of the students’ protest rally in New York City.

It is rare to see a small power like Georgia publicly exposing U.S. mischief like this.

Posted by b on May 3, 2024 at 10:05 UTC | Permalink

Social Media Has Destroyed Women

I went on a date with a woman in her late 40s. She confessed that she had given one of her friends bad advice by encouraging her to get involved with a married man. 

I told her that I was shocked that a woman her age would give such bad advice to a woman 20 years younger than her and she be more of a mentor. She said that she had gone through a similar experience and it had worked out for her.  

After more dialogue she admitted that she cheated on her husband of 25 years with another married man and eventually he left his wife as well. They lived together for 5 years and then he ended up breaking it off with her and now she's been single for a year. 

I honestly just kind of stared in shock and kept blinking for a little bit. I told her I don't know what was 

1. that you told me so easily like it was a flex or 

2. that you actually believe that your situation was so successful that you actually encourage somebody else to do the same thing. 

Not only did you implode your family, but you encouraged that other man to ruin his and now you have your friend ruining another marriage. 

She told me that I am judgemental and that I need to read my Bible more.  Am I tripping?

If we were to talk about prosperity between China & the USA, which one would you say is on the right track? Why?

China is the only major economy growing since the Covid pandemic and China is now producing huge end automobile and quantum computers! It is growing faster and bigger than the entire G7! The U.S. is basically a Ponzi scheme economy printing money without basis and building 1 trillion debts every 100 days! Its GDP is laden with hot air and Wall Street bubbles ready to pop anytime soon! The U.S. spends on war, war mongering, trouble making, regime change, and colour revolution funding. While China build the latest state of the art infrastructures and educate and retrain its people!

Putting the U.S. and China in the same category is totally misleading China is developing the U.S. is disintegrating, China is progressing the U.S. is collapsing in a huge pile of debts.

Have you ever seen a drill instructor compliment a recruit?

Drill sergeant Thomas – “give me that rifle, private!”

Terrified PFC Edwards hands him the rifle.

Drill sergeant Thomas – “what the fuck is this?!?!? Do you know what this is, private?!?!?”

Terrified PFC Edwards tries, in vain, to muster some semblance of a coherent response.

Drill sergeant Thomas – “this is a clean ass rifle! That’s what the fuck it is! Now get the fuck out of here private…you fucking creep.”

PFC Edwards is on the range with a beat up M16A2 and some very old aluminum artifacts that were likely magazines at some point. He’s shooting at little green Ivans that already have more holes than an Alex Jones conspiracy theory and the Browns red zone defense combined. Drill sergeant Thomas approaches and screams out “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing private, but keep doing it!”

Those are the two compliments that I most remember from basic.

Win later

What are some of the interesting mutations humans have?

There is one which may make you look prettier.

The British-American cinema icon, Elizabeth Taylor, who was deemed as one of the most beautiful women of her time had a rare genetic condition called Distichiasis. It is a type of mutation which caused her to have two rows of eyelashes instead of one. This thick, dark fringe of extra eyelashes made her eyes look all the more dreamy and dazzling and along with her striking blue eyes, they certainly enhanced her already exquisite face. This was caused by a mutation in the FOXC2 gene.

Although, having natural double eyelashes may seem like an entrancing feature, it can be far from a boon. Congenital distichiasis is often accompanied by lymphedema – a condition characterized by swelling of the limbs, typically the legs and feet due to build up of body fluids, and therefore known as lymphedema-distichiasis (LD) syndrome.